B-Side and Sundance Film Festival To Offer Enhanced Online Film Guide for 2010

Ratings, reviews, social networking, real-time ticket availability all part of new platform

Austin, TX (November 11, 2009) – B-Side Entertainment’s CEO Chris Hyams today announced that the company has been chosen by the Sundance Institute to provide an enhanced online film guide for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, presented January 21 to 31, 2010 in Park City, Utah.   

Based on B-Side’s Festival Genius™ technology, the improved Sundance Film Festival online film guide will provide new tools for audience members to plan their Festival schedule and to explore all the latest programming. In addition, festival-goers will now have up-to-the-minute ticket availability information before ordering tickets online or by phone.  The 2010 film guide will launch December 11, 2009 at sundance.bside.com. 

Festival Genius™ gives audiences the opportunity to rate and review films after screenings, to see which films are generating interest at any given time during the Festival, and to share trailers, photos and other film information with friends on Facebook and by email. Through B-Side’s Schedule Genius™ technology, festival-goers can create a personal schedule based on event availability, automatically find and fix schedule conflicts, and receive recommendations of other films they might enjoy based on the analysis of other audience member preferences.  

B-Side currently provides its online services to more than 250 film festivals in the U.S. and abroad.  

In making the announcement, Hyams said, “B-Side is thrilled to be working with Sundance Institute. The lottery ticketing system created by them ensures that fans have a fair shot at tickets. Our goal is to make that system even better by providing current ticket availability information, and providing a simple way to discover more films at the festival by connecting with other audience members.”  

”B-Side has literally changed the landscape for film festivals over the last years with their innovative and user-centric products.  As the largest film festival in the United States, we had some specific needs that B-Side has been solving and working with us on since June.  We’re confident it will create immediate impact for the best Festival planning tools we have ever offered.” – Sarah Pearce, Director of Festival Operations. 

About B-Side Entertainment

B-Side Entertainment (www.bside.com) is a specialty film distributor that uses digital marketing and exhibition to connect films directly with audiences.  The key to B-Side’s unique distribution model is its technology platform which powers the websites for more than 250 international film festivals, capturing feedback from 4-million audience members each year. B-Side distributes films using theatrical and non-theatrical venues, and through partnerships with DVD, digital, and television distributors.  B-Side has offices in Austin and New York. 

About Sundance Institute

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the development of original storytelling in film and theatre, and presents the annual Sundance Film Festival. Internationally recognized for its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Angels in America, Spring Awakening, Boys Don’t Cry, Sin Nombre, Born into Brothels and Trouble the Water. www.sundance.org.