Selling movies online: is it The solution?
When filmmaker Charles Shemu Joyah released The Road to Sunrise six years ago, he refused to have it on DVD.
After the premieres and the positive feedback he got, he shelved it alongside Seasons of a Life and The Last Fishing Boat.
But last Friday, the movie maker announced that he would be distributing his movie on Viemo. On this website, film lovers pay K1 000 to get a link and watch the movie within two days.
“Note that the link will expire every two days, therefore, you should watch the film within two days after you buy the link. Also note that the sharing of the link of the film is an infringement of copyright laws,” reads in part a statement from Joyah.
Since the announcement, Joyah says over 500 people have bought the link, indicating acceptance of the method.
John Ambali, who paid to access the film, said he decided to pay because the snippets he watched made him inquisitive.
He said: “I have been waiting for an opportunity to watch it. So, on Friday, once they opened the shop, I made my purchase and watched it. A very brilliant movie I must say. It has a great storyline which can be appreciated by many, not just Malawians.”
Another movie fanatic Gabriel Phirizinthu said he got his link, but was yet to watch it.
“I have bought the link because I know Joyah’s movies are good. When we watch pirated versions, it is because he never avails his movies. So, these Vimeo links will go a long way to dispute the notion that Malawians love free things. We are willing to pay for a good movie,” he said.
Malawian filmmakers have for years struggled to find an effective way to sell their movies or just release them on YouTube.
Movies that are on YouTube include Submerged, All We Have Is Us and School Days.
On his part, Filmmakers Association of Malawi vice-president Ashukile Mwakisulu said using Vimeo is a great idea.
He said: “Since the phasing out of DVDs, local filmmakers have been struggling to get their films to the market.
“We actually got stuck. Many just left the productions on the shelf not sure of what to do. We have been talking of having our own streaming platform where people can subscribe and view local content, but that has not happened yet.
“So, I think Vimeo is a good option.”
On his part, Joyah said he initially opened his Vimeo account to send secured films to festival organisers.
“Usually, festival organisers preferred links that are secure and exclusive and Vimeo was the option,” he said.
The filmmaker said he has for years been exploring how he could secure his content.
“Of course, we have Amazon and Neflix, but they have their own agenda and targets and as Malawi we have not yet made the cut. So, self-selling is the option that I think works for me at the moment,” he said.
Joyah said with the positive feedback he is receiving, he is encouraged that at least there is a way which can allow him to sell the movies.
“Not only Malawians, but people from around the world are continuously asking how they can access the movie. With the risk of piracy of course, I feel using vimeo link is the way to go now for our young industry,” he said.
