Amazon Video Direct Announces Films Opted into Film Festival Stars Program

Amazon Video Direct (AVD) today announced that over 100 films have opted into the Film Festival Stars program from the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival resulting in an expected $5.8MM in cash bonuses to be paid to rights holders. Prime Video customers around the world will be able to enjoy festival favorites including: City of Toronto Award winner for Best Canadian First Feature Film, Luk'Luk'l, Toronto Platform Prize winner, Félécite, and Oscar shortlisted for documentary feature, Ex Libris - The New York Public Library.

The Film Festival Stars offer is an innovative model for independent film distribution that provides rights holder's direct access to tens of millions of Prime customers. The program is designed to provide flexibility and control to rights holders as they craft their distribution strategies, which can include both theatrical releases and streaming on Prime Video. To help rights holders subsidize marketing efforts for the films, Film Festival Stars provides a non-recoupable upfront cash bonus. For official selection films at TIFF, AVD doubled the cash bonuses-up to $200,000 for films opting into worldwide distribution and an enhanced royalty rate of $0.30/hour viewed (US); $0.12/hour viewed (non-US).

Amazon Video Direct's Film Festival Stars offer at TIFF marked an evolution of the program, allowing multiple distributors to opt-in on a single film-which gives filmmakers and rights holders increased flexibility to piece together optimal release strategies across international territories, gaining access to Prime Video's growing global audience. As a result, over 50% of the titles that have opted-in to the program will also be available to Prime Video customers in Europe, Latin America and India.

"Amazon's FFS program is a much-needed breath of fresh air for quality, critically driven Independent and Foreign language films such as Strand's Félécite and Zama," said Jon Gerrans, Co-President, Strand Releasing. "We know the audience still exists for these films and Amazon Video Direct's curated FFS programming is helping to connect that audience around the world with these wonderful films. We're proud to be part of it."

For the second year, AVD is excited to announce the full program details for FFS at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Full terms can be foundHERE.

FEATURE FILMS: Terms of acceptance of the Film Festival Stars Program

· Offer Acceptance Period: The offer is valid through March 15, 2018

· Scope of Rights/Territories: Any combination of territories listed in the rate card as long as the film meets Amazon localization requirements in said territories. Additional bonus for opting-in worldwide and for opting-in in "Home" territory rights in World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, Spotlight, and Kids

· Prime Video Term: 24 months exclusive (All other windows remain non-exclusive)

· Required SVOD Avail Date: All films must be released in Prime Video (SVOD) window by no later than July 1, 2019

· U.S. Cash Bonus (non-recoupable, one time):

o Premieres, U.S. Dramatic, Next, Midnight: $150K USD

o Documentary Premieres, U.S. Documentary: $120K USD

o World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, Spotlight, Kids: $5K USD

· International Cash Bonus (non-recoupable, one time):

o See territory bonus rate card

· Local Production Cash Bonus (non-recoupable, one time):

o Eligible categories: World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, Spotlight, Kids

o Additional $15k per "Home" territory rights in each territory listed in rate card

o "Home" territory rights defined as SVOD exclusive rights within the territory in which a film was produced

· Enhanced SVOD Royalty: $0.20/hour viewed (U.S.); $0.10/hour viewed (non-U.S.): Earnings begin to accrue starting with the first second streamed

· Localization: For English language titles, Amazon will produce subtitles and localized metadata in each territory listed in rate card excluding U.S. in accordance to internal specifications and requirements at Amazon's sole cost, THE ASSETS for which will be available to rights holders' for use on other platforms

In addition, AVD is announcing a FFS Short Film program at Sundance this year similar to the program launched at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017. AVD recognized that short films historically have not had clear pathways to distribution and monetization, and as a result, established a $50,000 cash bonus pool for official selection Sundance short films to be shared amongst the top 5 most streamed short films published through AVD during the period October 1 - December 31, 2018.

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