In case you missed it, here’s our weekly newsletter that went went out this afternoon:

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B-Side partners with Virgil Films & Entertainment for DVD Releases.

Also: Liz Ogilvie joins the team as VP of Marketing; B-Side announces acquisition of “Visioneers.”

(From our April 13th press release.) In keeping with its mission to creatively and profitably distribute independent films, B-Side Entertainment and Home Video/DVD distributor Virgil Films & Entertainment have entered into an exclusive partnership for the release of B-Side’s films on DVD. This announcement comes on the heels of the launch of B-Side’s distribution arm, whose newest member is documentary marketing veteran Liz Ogilvie. Ogilvie, formerly of Indiepix and Docurama, joins the company as VP of Marketing. B-Side has also announced the acquisition of its first feature film, “Visioneers,” starring Zach Galifianakis.

B-Side Entertainment offers filmmakers a viable alternative to the highly expensive and nearly impossible world of independent distribution. Through innovative niche marketing and insight gleaned from festival audience data, B-Side has turned the industry’s model upside down to generate significant ancillary revenues at a fraction of the normal cost.

Virgil Films & Entertainment distributes DVD product in the theatrical feature film, documentary, special interest, and sports categories through partnerships with Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, ESPN, MLB Productions, and TV Guide, among others.

“Virgil and its president Joe Amodei are known for being smart, innovative and filmmaker friendly. Joe’s track-record of success – particularly in the documentary category – is unparalleled. We’re excited to work with Virgil to find new ways of achieving results in the tough DVD business,” said Chris Hyams, Founder and CEO of B-Side. “When it comes to marketing independent films and documentaries, there are very few who have as much experience as Liz Ogilvie. She has a creative approach to marketing films and has the utmost respect from the film industry. I can’t think of anyone better able to contribute to B-Side’s success than Liz.”

“B-Side offers a new exciting alternative to the age-old theatrical release of independent product we have lived with for some time now. It gives films a chance of being seen, something that is almost impossible to accomplish given the economic realities of today,” said Joe Amodei, President of Virgil Films & Entertainment. “In our business it is all about how many eyes get to view a film and B-Side increases those numbers dramatically. The extra exposure these films receive will help our DVD sales and rentals.”

Ogilvie will be responsible for bringing B-Side’s film slate to captive audiences. She was previously the Head of Marketing for IndiePix. Prior to IndiePix, Ogilvie was Head of Programming at Docurama Films®, an independent distribution company dedicated exclusively to releasing cutting-edge, critically acclaimed non-fiction films into the home entertainment market place. Ogilvie is a member of IFP, IDA, New York Women in Film and Television, and serves on the board of the New York Film and Video Council.

“I am delighted to be joining the B-Side team where the combination of technology, media and creative thinking has shown that independent film can be connected with audiences in a unique and fresh way, and I am looking forward to taking the next step toward expanding this model,” said Liz Ogilvie.

In addition, the company announced the acquisition of its first feature film, “Visioneers,” directed by Jared Drake, written by Brandon Drake, and starring comedian Zach Galifianakis. “Visioneers” is a one-of-a-kind dark comedy set in a futuristic society in which citizens are known to spontaneously combust from stress, and dreams are a thing of the past. At the heart of the story is George Washington Winsterhammerman (Galifianakis), a mid-level manager at the Jeffers Corporation who starts to reevaluate his mundane existence and decides to take matters into his own hands. D.W. Moffett, Judy Greer, Missi Pyle, and James LeGros co-star in this 1984 meets Office Space social satire. The film premiered at the 2008 Seattle International Film Festival and went on to play such festivals as CineVegas and the Austin Film Festival.

The acquisition is the second this year for the Austin-based distributor which plans to acquire, market and distribute ten films in 2009.

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Attending the Atlanta Film Festival? Rate movies for the Audience Award and you could win passes to the Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival – plus travel & hotel!

http://atlantafilmfestival.com/content/view/286/101/

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Upcoming Fests – Scene: Brooklyn, LA United Fest

Plus many more festivals, coming to a city near you!

This spring, Brooklyn Arts Council launches Scene: Brooklyn, Independent Film and Media Arts, a new film series taking place from April 29 – May 6, 2009 that celebrates the borough’s thriving film community, and features a seminar for filmmakers, a panel discussion, and screenings. 19 films, from fantastical animations, to thought provoking shorts, and eye opening documentaries about local issues are brought to the screen, and filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, Tia Lessin, Cruz Angeles and Rahmin Bahrani discuss the state of indie filmmaking today. All events, aside from the Screenwriting Seminar on April 29, take place at Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Visit www.brooklynartscouncil.org for more information.

Festival’s starting this week include:

Kansas City Film Festival (April 22-26)

Independent Film Festival Boston (April 22-28)

White Sands International Film Festival (April 23-26)

Fallbrook Film Festival (April 23-26)

On Location: Memphis (April 23-26)

Newport Beach Film Festival (April 23-30)

National Film Festival for Talented Youth (April 24-26)

Indie Spirit Film Festival (April 24-26)

Festivals coming up next week include:

Los Angeles United Film Festival (April 30-May 7): LA United kicks off with Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong, which covers the fascinating and fast-growing underground sport of beer pong. Other selected titles include The Shark is Still Working, a captivating documentary about one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters of all time and Super High Me, in which stand-up comedian Doug Benson documents his experiences with medical marijuana for 30 continuous days.

Scene: Brooklyn Independent Film & Media Arts Festival (April 29-May 6)

Sunscreen Film Festival (April 29-May 3)

Marfa Film Festival (April 29-May 3)

First Glance Hollywood Film Fest (May 1-3)

British Film Festival Los Angeles (May 3-8)

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Understanding film festivals, part two

The 10 benefits of playing film festivals.

In the previous section of this article we covered what a typical festival year looks like. Now we’ll delve into ten benefits of playing the film festival circuit.

1. Distribution. The possibility of finding a distributor by participating in the festival process is real. Festivals are one of the main sources that distributors tap when looking for films to acquire. However, even for filmmakers whose films are outstanding enough to play in the top-tier festivals, finding a distributor — especially a distributor whose vision for the picture matches yours — can be a struggle. The good news is that the festival circuit’s usefulness in finding distribution isn’t limited to the big festivals like Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes. A successful tour of well-established, respected festivals will build critical buzz for your film through audience word of mouth and reviews in the press.

2. Networking. This goes hand in hand with distribution. Though you may not find distribution for your movie as a direct result of playing at a particular event, festivals provide an unparalleled opportunity to make those critical connections that may eventually sell your film. This is also a chance to meet your contemporaries — some of who may be able to help you in the future. Sometimes even festival staff members will take a shine to particular film and do their best to push it in the right direction. People who work at festivals are often the most well-connected people in the film industry. Why wouldn’t you want to know as many of them as possible?

Read the rest of this article at Film Festival Secrets by Chris Holland.

Photo by Andrew McFarlane.