Film buffs may soon have the power to choose what films are screened in Australian cinemas.
US-based company Tugg, a leading cinema-on-demand platform, is working closely with Australian distributor Leap Frog Films to introduce its services to Australian and New Zealand cinemas.
The online platform, already available in America, leverages crowdsourcing principles to allow audiences to request and promote cinema screenings of films they want to see.
Tugg's co-founder Pablo Gonzalez is currently in Australia to present the concept of cinema-on-demand at the annual Independent Cinema Association of Australia (ICAA) conference, which kicked off in Sydney on Tuesday.
"We look forward to empowering communities to bring great cinema to Australia and New Zealand that wouldn't otherwise be here and as we have done in North America," Gonzales said in a statement.
Such a program would also enable producers and cinemas to earn incremental revenue, by expanding their programming at no additional expense to themselves, he said.
Leap Frog's Managing Director David Doepel says this program is good for all aspects of the film and cinema industry.
He says it will bring people to cinemas on days the venues are usually empty, providing a financial boost.
"If the screening happens then you've made money.
"On average in the (United) States at the moment about 112 people attend a Tugg screening, that's a very full cinema."
Doepel says independent Australian filmmakers and producers would also benefit greatly.
"Platforms like Tugg allow producers or rights holders to see if there really is an audience for their movie.
"There are many, many examples in the US now, films that never received a theatrical release that have had a screening.
"In an Australian context, with 90 per cent of box office revenue coming from mainstream Hollywood and five per cent, on a good year, from Australia ... clearly we would like to think that there are a lot of films that people aren't seeing now that they would benefit from," Doepel said.
Leap Frog Films is currently piloting the Tugg platform in Australia and started with a screening of its film Half of a Yellow Sun at the Piccadilly Cinemas in Adelaide on March 24.
The next crowd-sourced event will take place in Alice Springs on May 11 with the screening of US documentary Why We Ride, about a group of passionate devotees of motorcycle riding.
HOW TUGG WORKS:
1. Choose a film from the Tugg Library - You select the event details, then Tugg will reserve the theatre and give you a personalised event page for your screening.
2. Spread the Word - Share the event through email and social media. It must be clear that the event will only happen if enough tickets get reserved.
3. Meet the Threshold - If enough tickets are sold before the event deadline then the screening is confirmed.
4. Enjoy the Show - Each screening can have their own personalised touch by adding an in-theatre host to introduce the film or by having a staging a Q&A after the film is shown.
