The platform saw an increase in subscription by over 40% in the past month, becoming an important alternative for the currently quarantined audience in Romania. The organisers are working to release a curated catalogue of Romanian films available worldwide.
A programme of free weekend premieres was launched 28-29 March 2020, attracting the most views on the platform since its launch. More than 2,800 viewers watched Olivier Assayas’ Doubles Vies (Non-Fiction) at a single screening.
The platform also offers contemporary theatre shows, twice a week, available worldwide. The funds raised from selling tickets are intended to support local independent artists, seriously hit by the cancellation of their shows.
“We invite people to maintain a sort of rhythm or at least the enthusiasm for watching a good film together with many others at the same time. Every weekend, we meet virtually in the evening, to see a premiere,” Tudor Giurgiu, the head of Transilvania IFF, said in a statement.
"It has definitely been an extremely busy period, when we needed not only to redraft all the plans for this year, but had to adapt asap to the global situation,” said Dorina Oargă, the project manager of TIFF Unlimited.
As reported earlier, the TIFF festival itself has been postponed. “The situation remains uncertain regarding any large physical gathering for the rest of the year. We are still planning an edition in Cluj, but hope to be able to schedule online screenings on TIFF Unlimited, at least for the main sections of the festival, for those who cannot attend. It’s not only that. I think many of the films we have selected will also need a platform in Romania, if cinemas are forced to remain closed”, Giurgiu said.
TIFF Unlimited is the first streaming service launched by a film festival in Romania and the only product of its kind in Eastern Europe. At the end of last year, the VoD platform launched apps for both iOS and Android for mobile and smart TV, which allow access from multiple devices simultaneously for a subscriber. The platform can be accessed on a monthly or annual subscription basis.
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