By Rafat Ali
- Thu 17 Jan 2008 01:21 AM PST
The Internet
Movie Database (IMDb), owned by Amazon.com (NSDQ:
AMZN), has bought out the eight-year
old indie movie distribution site
Withoutabox.
The financial details were not disclosed. The Los Angeles-based film
site was founded in 2000, and has a database
of indie films worldwide. The site also allows filmmakers to submit
their
movies to indie festivals through its online system, helps them
self-distribute these movies, among other services.
In July 2006, Withoutabox bought out Film Finders, a film production and rights database
and consulting company.
Withoutabox will continue to function as a stand-alone operation based in
LA. More details
in the release.
Together IMDb and Withoutabox to Expand Audiences for Festivals
and Filmmakers
SEATTLE--(Business Wire)--The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), the Web's most
comprehensive and authoritative source of information on movies, TV,
and celebrities and a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN),
today announced it has agreed to acquire Without A Box, Inc.
(www.withoutabox.com), the worldwide media company dedicated to
advancing independent film and connecting artists with audiences.
Co-founded in 2000 by David Straus and Joe Neulight, Withoutabox
empowers all stakeholders in the independent film arena, from aspiring
and established filmmakers to film festival organizers and audiences.
For independent filmmakers, Withoutabox offers a fully integrated
service for submitting films to festivals worldwide and promoting
these films directly to fans everywhere. For film festival organizers,
Withoutabox provides tools to manage and promote film festivals
online.
"For eight years, Withoutabox has enabled filmmakers and festivals
to reach the widest audience possible," said David Straus, CEO,
Withoutabox. "Now, they will be able to connect directly with the 50
million film lovers who visit IMDb each month."
"Our mission has always been to provide film lovers around the
world with the most comprehensive movie-, TV-, and celebrity-related
information," said Colin Bryar, Vice President, IMDb. "Working with
Withoutabox, we can offer our viewers even more great film-related
content."
Withoutabox will continue to function as a stand-alone operation
based in the Los Angeles area.
About IMDb
The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) is one of the most
popular online entertainment destinations, with over 50 million unique
visitors each month. IMDb offers a searchable database of over 1
million movies, TV, and entertainment programs and over 2.5 million
cast and crew members, making it the Web's most comprehensive and
authoritative source of information on movies, TV, and celebrities.
IMDb features include cast lists, photographs, quotes, trivia,
reviews, box-office data, celebrity biographies, coverage of film
festivals and major events, and streaming trailers. IMDb also offers
IMDbPro (www.imdbpro.com), a site designed specifically for
entertainment industry professionals, and IMDb Resume
(www.imdbresume.com), a service that enables actors and crew members
to promote themselves directly to IMDb's audience of film lovers and
film professionals. IMDb.com, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Amazon.com, Inc. (www.amazon.com).
About Withoutabox
In operation since 2000, Withoutabox has developed proprietary
online tools that connect more than 150,000 filmmakers to nearly 3,000
film festivals in 200 countries, making it The Media Company for
Independents. Withoutabox's Film Submission system enables independent
filmmakers to search nearly 3,000 worldwide film festivals and then
submit their work online to more than 700 festivals. The system also
helps the film festivals to manage and market their events.
Withoutabox's Film Finders business, which Withoutabox acquired in
2006, has been a leading aggregator and seller of independent film
data since 1988.