LONDON — Tribeca Film, the distribution label of Tribeca Enterprises, has inked a deal to push output into the U.K. with six hand-picked titles available on demand from April 16, 2013.
Two of the six titles will be made available on a day and date basis with their scheduled U.S. rollout with music biopic Greetings From Tim Buckley and horror comedy Fresh Meat chosen.
Starring Penn Badgley and British star Imogen Poots, Buckley is directed by Daniel Algrant, written by David Brendel, Emma Sheanshang and Algrant and explores the story of Jeff Buckley and his father Tim’s musical legacy.
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Fresh Meat is directed by Danny Mulheron from a script by Briar Grace-Smith and details the story of a criminal gang who wind up in the garage of an upper-class Maori family whose refined palates have developed a taste for human flesh.
Tribeca Enterprises chief creative officer Geoff Gilmore told THR the distribution strategy will take the festival on from its traditional role.
“The old idea of an international festival as being simply an acquisition platform just isn’t viabe anymore,” Gilmore said. “Our ambition is to find maximum visibility for our films and filmmakers and this move into the U.K. will help achieve that.”
Gilmore also did not rule out taking Tribeca Film into other territories should the U.K. venture prove successful.
Organizers said the festival had “extended” rights agreements for the six titles for U.K. distribution rights across the multi-platforms which span U.K. pay-TV cable operator Virgin Media and other selected digital platforms including iTunes, PlayStation and Xbox.
From April 16, for an eight week run, U.K. audiences will be given direct access to watch select the titles on demand, both at home and on the go.
The other titles selected are favorites from previous Tribeca festival editions including Supporting Characters, Rubberneck, Monogamy and The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.
All titles except ‘Whites’ are fresh releases in the U.K.
“We launched Tribeca Film three years ago with the goal of giving independent filmmakers a platform to reach a broader audience,” Gilmore said. “Bringing these films to homes in the U.K., day and date with the Festival in New York, is the natural evolution of this offering.”
No pricing was available at the time of going to press but Gilmore said Tribeca Film prices are between $5.99 to $6.99 in the U.S. and said they’d likely be comparable pricing for the six.
“American audiences have really enjoyed being able to participate in the Festival experience, not just in New York but from all over the country,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “We are looking forward to bringing these films to homes across the UK.”
Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said: “Tribeca shares our passion for championing independent film and new talent so we’re thrilled to be bringing a taste of what they have to offer to our customers. As the only UK TV partner, we’re proud to be able to share some of the hottest new films never seen before in the UK with all our TV customers.”
