As film festivals continue to explore new ways to adopt (and even just exist) in the modern age of streaming, they are also discovering that the World Wide Web is much more open and perhaps more dangerous than the tightly controllable confines of an in-person film festival.Sundance has announced that two films have had to be pulled from the festival’s streaming site due to piracy. The films in question are James Sweeney’s standout heartfelt comedy Twinless and Isabel Castro’s documentary on Selena Quintanilla Selena y Los Dinos.Let’s examine what we know about these piracy concerns, Sundance’s statement on them, and how this might affect the film festival’s online options in the future.Sundance Film Festival Streaming SiteIntroduced back during the days of COVID-19, Sundance has offered a streaming portal for going on five years now. And while the future of Sundance’s physical location might be in question, it didn’t seem like Sundance’s online presence was trending in any direction besides up. Online streaming options are a great way for larger audiences to participate in festivals with limited theater seats and hotel room options. Still, as anyone who’s ever viewed press screeners or participated in online festivals can tell you, there have been many approaches to combat piracy or other illegal downloads or streams. Yet, despite Sundance’s digital security efforts, it seems like some online have found ways to share the films online, which obviously goes against the festival’s guidelines and the wishes of the filmmakers.Statement from SundanceAs seen in other reports...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Monday, 3 February