IndieFlix In The Media

Local Internet DVD company IndieFlix scored the chance last week to pitch its novel film distribution model to movie moguls gathered at a panel for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

IndieFlix by passes traditional film distribution by allowing consumers to buy independent films directly, rather than wait for the film to be bought and distributed by a production company or studio. Filmmakers submit their films to be listed on the IndieFlix Web site.

When a customer decides to order the movie, IndieFlix makes a DVD of the film, and the filmmaker receives one-¬third of the $9.95 sales price.

In Park City last week, IndieFlix founders and principals Carlo Scandi¬zzi and Scilla Andreen planned to network with production companies that could use IndieFlix's Web site to identi¬fy possible films for theatrical release. Studios could see which films post high DVD sales, as IndieFlix automatically tracks and features the top selling films on the site, drawing more customers to those pictures.

"IndieFlix works organically, so the good ones bubble up to the top," Andreen said.

Sundance, the largest independent film festival in the United States, is seen as a launching ground for companies and filmmakers.

"Sundance is a great place to promote and find business opportunities," Scandiuzzi said. "We want IndieFlix to be a conversation point on the streets and in the cafes." Michael Siewerath, executive director of Northwest Film Forum, also traveled to Sundance and believes the festival is a good opportunity for an emerging company like IndieFlix.

"There are an obscene number of filmmakers in Park City right now to network and see films," Siewerath said.

Whether IndieFlix will change the way filmmakers sell their movies remains to be seen; the four month old company has yet to make a profit and is still building its film library. Paul Matthaeus, president of Seattle based production company Digital Kitchen, questioned whether many consumers would be motivated to search through all the films, order and wait for a DVD for a fee that's higher than a Blockbuster rental, and then find the time to actually watch it.

"It probably will be very much a fringe factor," said. "But it does allow another outlet for indepen¬dent voices to be heard."

Since IndieFlix accepts all films, regardless of quality, consumers must be willing to hunt for the gems. Siewerath said he believes film distribution will never move entirely toward a system like IndieFlix, as curated collections will always appeal to discriminating movie viewers.

"I think it would be bad if IndieFlix was the only portal and nothing was filtered, but I do think there is a place out there for a completely unfiltered swap meet of DVD sales," Siewerath said.

So far, IndieFlix has posted about 100 films on the site, and another 100 to 120 are in the pipeline. On average, the com¬pany is adding 30 to 40 new movies a month. Clips, trailers and filmmaker interviews let customers sample the films. Right now, IndieFlix is selling about 20 movies a day.

"A model like this works with vol¬ume," Scandiuzzi said. "We need to have several thousand movies."

Scandiuzzi and Andreen, driven by IndieFlix's social mission, see their dis¬tribution model as a way for more film¬makers to have their voices heard.

"We are trying to do something that's so right and fair and different," Scandiuzzi said.

IndieFlix grew out of Scandiuzzi's increasing frustration with securing distribution for the science fiction films he produced through his now defunct production company. As Hollywood began producing more and more films, independent production companies began finding it harder to land a movie on the big screen. Previously Scandiuzzi could make money selling B movies overseas, but foreign audiences have started clamoring for big name films.

"There was no good way to get out movies like ours," Scandiuzzi said.

Other filmmakers share Scandiuzzi's frustration and are seeking alternative distribution methods. Hollywood direc¬tor Steven Soderbergh, for instance, plans to release future projects to the¬ater, television and DVD simultaneous¬ly. Closer to home, NetMusic Entertain¬ment Corp. of Edmonds sells digital mu¬sic and independent films by streaming video or download.

Scandiuzzi and Andreen partnered up just last year, but the two are old family friends and have known each other for 27 years. Both have lengthy film and en¬tertainment resumes prior to IndieFlix. Scandiuzzi transformed the Showbox in Seattle from a bingo hall to a music venue, and produced films. Andreen was a costume designer in Los Ange¬les for the television series "The Won¬der Years," "Party of Five," "Dawson's Creek," "Smallville," and "What I Like About You.