The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the Malayalam film industry in 2020. With the industry coming to a standstill and affecting many independent filmmakers, a new over-the-top (OTT) platform named INDYSCREEN will be launched in the first week of September to exclusively stream independent films. The OTT platform is an initiative by the Movement of Independent Cinema (MIC), a group of independent filmmakers and film enthusiasts.
INDYSCREEN will showcase not only Malayalam films but also those from other Indian languages and from other parts of the world.
“We are not motivated by business interests. It is created entirely by independent filmmakers and film lovers for the benefit of independent films,” says Santosh Babusenan, president of MIC.
The platform, which is under construction, will also stream documentaries and short films and will be selected by an independent panel of expert selectors. One can subscribe to the platform for Rs 100 and can watch some of the best indie films.
Most of the members in MIC are filmmakers, technicians, and critics from Kerala and therefore one can expect a huge list of Malayalam films to be streamed in INDYSCREEN.
The discussion for such an OTT platform was going on even before the outbreak of COVID-19 as independent films found it difficult to get a theatrical release.
MIC, formed in 2019, aims at creating a space for indie filmmakers and help them generate some money so that they can continue to make more such films. MIC collective includes Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, and Kannada filmmakers.
The capital for setting up the platform is being raised through contributions from lovers of independent films.
