Vivadas Group Plc Announce HandMade Films International Collaboration

Vividas Group Plc has announced a collaboration with HandMade Films International to build a fully interactive movie portal, due for launch later this summer.
The portal at www.handmadefilmsonline.com will enable viewers to watch classic films from the extensive back catalogue including 'Withnail & I', 'Time Bandits' and 'The Long Good Friday' and will host premieres of newly released feature films.
To celebrate the launch of the new portal HandMade Films are giving away a free viewing of 'Always Crashing The Same Car', a movie short Directed by Duncan Wellaway and Produced by Zoe Ball.
Viewers who register and encourage five friends to do the same will receive a gift certificate to watch Withnail & I free when the full site launches.
This project is part of an emerging trend of filmmakers going straight to the web, a recent UK Film Council report highlighted that cinema admissions fell in 2006 for the second year in a row. It goes on to cite the new wave of digital media and online social networking sites as the main threat. This was further backed up with research which revealed that the UK leads the way in online video viewing, with 80% of the UK's online population (age 15 or older with access to the internet) initiating a video stream in April 2007.
As the online entertainment market continues to experience massive growth, alternative methods of film distribution are not only accepted, but expected by today's internet users. Vividas is well placed to work with content owners in addressing the ever growing demand for broadcast quality full screen streamed video over the internet.
Andrew Wilding, Vividas' European Managing Director, said: "This deal highlights another significant step that the movie distribution industry has to consider. Until now, screening online has meant slow downloading and small windows. Now using Vividas people can enjoy high quality films in the comfort of their own homes. The days of having to wait hours for content to come through are over.
Sites such as the recently launched portal www.moviepol.com and the impending launch of www.handmadefilmsonline.com, are starting to address the demand for broadcast quality content whenever and wherever viewers want."
Guy Collins, Chairman of HandMade Films Int., said: "As a company actively creating new filmed content and managing a library which includes recognised films with cult status, we are always conscious of focusing on new media distribution systems. Online distribution has the potential to become a key factor in the distribution mix in both categories for a company like HandMade. It also offers us a unique opportunity to communicate and build relationships direct with consumers as normally our product reaches the market through third party distribution."
Always Crashing the Same Car is directed by Duncan Wellaway, the winner of the Kodak/BAFTA Showcase in 2005 and produced by Zoë Ball, the popular television and radio presenter.
Zoë Ball has produced two short films previously; 'Four Brothers and A Funeral' and the award winning 'Tethered'.
(DS/SP)