IF Television intends to pick up 300 films a year, the company's President Daniel Castro tells Geoffrey Macnab
New French buyer Indépendant Film Télévision (launched last November) is in Rotterdam, on the prowl for feature films for its cable TV channel. The new channel, which showcases world cinema, has the long-term ambition of trying to turn itself into an “IFC for Europe.”
The company, which buys pay-TV and VOD rights for French-speaking Europe, has set itself the challenge of broadcasting a new feature film every night. It aims to acquire 300 new films every year. Company President Daniel Castro said that the company pays up to €3,500 per film. The outfit also makes package deals.
The new station needs to attract around 120,000 subscribers to break even. “We think that by September, we will reach that number,” Castro comments. He claims that the company’s website, http://www.iftelevision.com, is currently attracting 6,000 hits a day. In the longer term, Castro and his team aim to set up a VOD platform. Here at the Festival, Castro has been encouraging filmmakers and sales agents to send screeners to the company’s Paris offices.
IF Television has a permanent staff of ten, as well as a team of film students who help pre-select titles for the channel. Head of Acquisitions is Mathilde Daudy.
Titles picked up for the channel already include El Camino by Costa Rican director Yasin Gutierrez, Egyptian director Sherif Arafa’s Helim, Hannu Salonen’s Vasha from Estonia, Spanish-Chilean production Desierto Sur and Swiss film Snow White. The channel is also screening shorts and aims to develop various film magazine programmes. “We tried to work with other groups but in all of these cases, we were forced to broadcast their catalogue films,” Castro says. “We don’t want to do it… the only reason for us to choose a film is if it is a good film.”
Castro said that the Channel’s operating budget for this year was €2 million. He is counting on the cinephilia of French audiences to make the channel viable. “We are the first TV station in Europe to do programming of independent films,” Castro said.