We still have Criterion’s free monthly film festival, so at least there’s that. Although, for the two months it’s been running I’ve seen and/or own all the free films offered that I’m interested in, but it’s still a great service.
Personally, I’m still a long way off from making the decision to pay for films that I can only watch online.
It just smacks of the entire site having been designed and set up to groom. And all those initial claims about TA being independent from Criterion…suddenly sound so hollow. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Here in the UK there seems to be nothing now available to watch for free. The play button on the Festival part of the site just plays the trailer. But I’d be grateful if anybody can tell me if I’m overlooking something – and it might have been good customer relations for the owners of the site to explain why the sudden change.
Hey Robert… there should be a FREE WATCH FILM link that’ll let you watch the film. Look underneath the photo or the trailer that’s popping up.
Hello everyone,
I understand the frustration. But, I want you to know that getting as many films up in as many territories as possible for FREE is our number one priority. We just launched our public beta three weeks ago, and depending on the country you are in, you can watch anywhere between 9 and 42 films. We’re clearing the rights for many more worldwide, you’ll see them coming on the platform (very soon if you’re in the UK, Canada, France, or Germany).
You see, the issue of digital rights—which are necessary to show films online legally—is bit of a nightmare. Distributors buy rights to show films in a particular territory. So, you may need to sign distribution deals with 178 distributors to show one film globally (imagine that!). That’s why, for instance, that you can watch The Criterion Collection festival only in US (Criterion only has US rights to most of their films).
Add to that the complexity of our business model (showing films for FREE supported with advertising). Many distributors do not want their films to be shown for FREE no matter what. So, we have to put a price tag for some of our titles to be able to show them. For now. As we gain traction, and start signing some lucrative sponsorship deals, we’ll convince more and more distributors to give us the right to show their films for FREE.
All I want to say is that I am committed to make any deal with any studio/distributor/producer with a movie that we want to show you (and we want to show you ONLY the best), no matter how few countries we can show it in. We are working hard to bring them to you, wherever you live, for FREE. Till then, all the movies you can watch are shown here: http://www.theauteurs.com/films.
Bear with us – good things come to those who wait!
Efe Cakarel
Founder
The Auteurs
Thanks Efe.
The problem with Duke Vincentio’s strategy in Measure for Measure isn’t so much whether the means are justified by the ends rather the assumed privilege of clandestine action on the basis of hierarchal position.
Your explanation heralds a new openness which the better part of me would like to put my trust in, for the present time at least. In place of further complaint, I offer you my support in what sounds like something of a mammoth task.
I hope only that you might continue in this new vein of transparency and keep us informed of your progress.
Thanks to Michael for his post – I’ve found the ‘watch film’ link on about 8 of the films in the Festival page, but Carl’s point is still valid -there is now a charge for them. Thanks also to Efe for the detailed explanation about rights, although I’m still a bit puzzled about why the films that were in the library and thus presumably ok to show without a charge now have one attached. But however its no big deal – if I feel like going to the trouble of setting up an online Auteurs account and paying about 3 UK pounds to watch a film on the computer I will. In the meantime, film enthusiasts in the UK may have already come across the ‘World Movies’ free to air site on Sky which is showing some interesting product, including some of the French and Belgian films in the Auteurs list.
Unfortunately, the “free monthly film festival” seems to have fallen to the wayside as of late. I don’t want to sound greedy I realize having the films to watch for free is a great favor, but I’ve been checking for a week now and the same few films are still there. So, no new free ones have been offered in well over a month. Oh well, all good things pass. At least I have my new editions of “The Exterminating Angel” and “Two-Lane Blacktop” to keep me happy ’til my next pay check.
Once again, art is for the rich, and the poor get doodley-squat! There should be easily accessible links to a list of the free offerings – or at least a “sort by price” option. Hey artists! Would you rather be seen and influence other real artists (poor people), then give away something for free! You know you didn’t make that masterpiece just to make money, big movie theaters are for making money, crappy resolution internet sites are for EXPOSURE. Come on Jan Svank, I know you’d rather have more humans effected by your work than less.
Noseeum
They say a week is a long time in politics; it’s a long time at The Auteurs. I come back to find $5 tariffs slapped on the good will gesture of the eight films you could watch for free. Got caught dozing. The strategy of the site suddenly reveals itself. But my thinking is that a good will gesture on a public forum should remain a good will gesture. Should have charged for all the other films in the catalogue. Not those eight. Can someone please pass me the hook disgorger.
P.S. No foul language used in this post. Just polite dissent.