26-06-2013

Viramundo Launches TIDE Project in Lithuania

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    VILNIUS: Lithuania saw its first simultaneous VOD and cinema release on 20 June 2013 with Pierre Yves Borgeaud’s documentary about legendary Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil Viramundo presented as part of the TIDE experiment supported by the MEDIA Programme.

    The Swiss-French cooproduction is distributed by Kaunas International Film Festival, which in cooperation with smart television Interactive Gala has partnered with the TIDE experiment which is aimed at new business models and trans-media marketing in European film distribution. 

    Jūratė Lukošiūtė,  Marketing Manager of Kaunas IFF, told FNE, "The TIDE experiment is a brave initiatvie to change the film distribution cronology. It is great to be part of this experiment in Lithuania, because the Cinema Going Scandinavia report by Dodona Research shows that Lithuanians go to the cinema on average 0.9 time a year. We need to find new solutions for finding audience and with the transmedia marketing in the TIDE experiment it will definitely raise interest for the selected films." 

    The project will explore if simultaneous distribution in VOD and cinemas is effective, whether it reduces cinema attendance or supplies wider audiences for European cinema, since it is available in smaller cities and suburbs areas lacking art-house cinemas. Results will also indicate which mode – VOD or cinema screening – is more acceptable in bigger cities where people are able to choose between the two, and whether it affects the habits of cinema goers. 

    The Lithuanian premiere of Viramundo opened the summer open-air film programme Cinema Under the Stars organized by cinema boutique Pasaka in Vilnius and was presented online through the Interactive Gala television platform. On 21 June the film opened in the non-commercial cinema Romuva, in Kaunas and Contemporary Art Center Cinema in Vilnius. Screenings also are scheduled in cinema center Garsas in Panevėžys.