Indian filmmakers need no longer be worried about finding distributors abroad. Now, selling films may be just a click away.
Peer-to-peer technology has now made it secure and possible to sell full-length feature films through the internet for movie buffs worldwide.
Padam Kumar's Supari, starring Nandita Das and Rahul Dev, will be the first Hindi film to be sold online, according to Sharman Networks, publisher and distributor of Kazaa, a popular file sharing application.
Sharman's partner Altnet and filmmaker Aum Creates will make the Hindi thriller available for purchase to Kazaa's estimated 60 million users worldwide, for $2.99.
Alnet's technology allows Aum Creates to be paid each time the movie file is shared and purchased via Kazaa, according to a release from Medianet-International, Sydney.
Kazaa users can also download free movie trailers, production footage and music videos, as well as purchase songs from the movie soundtrack for 90 cents each, the release says.
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Supari's Indian distributors Yash Raj Films had initiated the promotion of the film on Kazaa before it released in India. Padam Kumar says, "Through movie trailers, soundtrack and behind the scenes footage promotions, Kazaa has already managed to create widespread awareness for Supari. Selling the full movie is the logical next step. For relatively low budget movies, it is a very cost effective way to reach the masses."
"Peer-to-peer is an exciting new avenue for revenue generation and global distribution for the film industry. The global reach of Kazaa is phenomenal. It is a very targetted marketing avenue for us since it is so entertainment focused," adds Kumar.
Nikki Hemming, CEO, Sharman Networks, says, "The Bollywood movie market is growing at twice the rate of Hollywood in terms of production and revenue. This is where the benefit of peer-to-peer technology becomes clear. Selling large, high quality files online such as feature films, at low cost to a massive audience across the globe quite simply cannot be done efficiently using traditional websites. Peer-to-peer technology offers the movie industry a huge opportunity to massively enhance its distribution and generate revenue."
Supari is protected, promoted and being distributed with Altnet technology, which gives content providers complete control over the rules of distribution and pricing of their products.
The efficiency of peer-to-peer can provide an approximate 90 per cent cut in bandwidth costs compared with traditional website distribution. Altnet's service also gives the film a preferred placement in Kazaa search listings, making it easy for fans to find, says the release.
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