Waiting in my inbox the other day, from gentleman and squire Matt Dentler was the following announcement; one I believe will be of interest to those of you who have already boarded the VOD Express Train…

Cinetic Rights Management (CRM) has announced a series of deals with leading video portals for the distribution of content across platforms in the UK. The content will be presented under CRM’s video-on-demand channel FilmBuff. The UK portals include Blinkbox (http://www.blinkbox.com/), Joining the Docs (http://www.joiningthedocs.tv/), and LOVEFiLM (http://www.lovefilm.com/).

CRM will begin releasing feature-length, short-form, and episodic content immediately. A number of the titles have already proven to be digital hits stateside through FilmBuff’s North American distribution with iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and more. Titles to launch in the UK include:

Captured – An acclaimed documentary about controversial New York videographer Clayton Patterson, who documented some of the more turbulent and political moments in recent downtown Manhattan.

Google Me – Jim Killeen decides to “google” his own name, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery around the world as he meets other Jim Killeen’s, in this entertainment documentary. (Anyone think someone’s been reading Dave Gorman’s books? GoogleWhack Adventure and Are You Dave Gorman? combined would probably bear an uncanny resemblance to this American doppelganger).

Jack Says – A stylish and gripping British thriller, which follows a man who has lost his memory but needs to find his connection to a dead body.

Naked States – Installation artist Spencer Tunick works in the world of nude models in very public places. This documentary captures his process.

Rage – Jude Law, Judi Dench, Steve Buscemi and more star in this fashion-industry drama, directed by acclaimed auteur Sally Potter.

Yeast – Mary Bronstein’s festival hit, co-starring Greta Gerwig, is a darkly funny snapshot of three women and their dysfunctional friendships.

We’re thrilled to bring FilmBuff to audiences in the UK with such strong distribution partners. Through these portals, UK audiences will now have the chance to see FilmBuff’s unique mix of brand-new festival hits as well as great classic features.
CRM’s COO Janet Brown

Now I know what youre thinking… Some of those mini-reviews are erroneous at best- “stylish and gripping” for anything including the anti-talent that is Danny Dyer cannot be endured- but it doesnt detract from the fact that this is a major step in making VOD a more viable and accessible option for film viewers. The more visible the option becomes, the more likely it is to thrive after all.