Openfilm to Award $1 Million Annually in Independent Film Financing Through Contests Hosted by Growing Indie Filmmaker Community

LOS ANGELES--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Openfilm, a fast-growing independent film community company that counts James Caan, Robert Duvall, Mark Rydell and Scott Caan as Advisory Board Members and shareholders, announced today that it will award $1 million to independent filmmakers in the next 20 months. One winning independent filmmaker will be selected to receive $50,000 in cash and $200,000 in financing every 5 months by the Openfilm community of 20,000 registered film enthusiasts and some of the world’s greatest actors, writers, directors and producers who are affiliated with the venture.

“Openfilm levels the playing field and allows people from all over the world to participate in the creation, production and distribution of film in the mainstream.”

Openfilm, an online global community of independent filmmakers that provides opportunities for new voices in filmmaking to gain exposure as well all-important industry connections and insider advice, is now accepting entries for its first round of competition at www.openfilm.com. Registered Openfilm community members at all membership levels are eligible to enter their projects to win the first quarterly award of $250,000 in independent film funding.

James Caan leads the company’s Advisory Board that includes Robert Duvall, Oscar® and Emmy® award-winning actor; Mark Rydell, Co-Artistic Director, The Actors Studio and Oscar®-winning director, “On Golden Pond”; and James’ son, filmmaker and actor Scott Caan (“Mercy”/IFC Films) Summer 2010 release, “Entourage”). The hands-on team of Hollywood creative industry leaders will participate in online chats with filmmakers, provide feedback on selected films and judge top submissions as part of the Openfilm filmmaker contests. The mission of Openfilm and its Advisory Board is to transform the way independent films are discovered, financed and distributed.

“When it comes to making movies, the Internet is changing the rules for independent filmmakers – yet no one has been able to crack the code and deliver results for filmmakers,” said Caan, Chairman of Openfilm Advisory Board. “Openfilm levels the playing field and allows people from all over the world to participate in the creation, production and distribution of film in the mainstream.” He adds, “We are providing a forum for filmmakers to show their work, a vehicle for them to interact with influential Hollywood insiders and most importantly, capital and the connections they’ll need to catapult their careers.”

Each quarter, filmmakers can compete on Openfilm.com to win a management and financing package to produce a feature length film. Members of the Openfilm community will have the opportunity to watch and rate the entries online. The six most popular short films will move on to the next phase, and will then be presented to the Advisory Board that will select the final filmmaker who will be fast-tracked to Openfilm Studios for development, financing and production.

For the past year, Openfilm.com has been building a robust community of 300,000 unique visitors per month that includes filmmakers, film festivals, academic institutions and film enthusiasts. Openfilm’s film library includes nearly 5,000 films of all lengths and genres, which are showcased in a large HD player on the Internet. The site offers three levels of membership: free, and premium accounts that range in price from $2.95 to $9.95 per month.

Free/basic tier members get the opportunity to submit their films on openfilm.com, gain potential revenue from their films and have the ability to customize their personal channel. Premium level members get access to Openfilm's Advisory Board through live web cam chats; priority uploading service; selling downloadable versions of their work; TV, mobile, and online distribution.

About Openfilm

Openfilm is the premiere online destination for independent filmmakers and film lovers to discover and distribute independent film. The site offers filmmakers revenue sharing opportunities to monetize their films and top talent can ultimately get their film funded. Through Openfilm’s proprietary software, films are enjoyed through the highest quality technology available online. Led by an Advisory Board of established industry heavyweights, James Caan, Scott Caan, Robert Duvall and Mark Rydell, Openfilm will transform the way independent films are discovered, financed and distributed.

Openfilm Studios is the co-located production arm of Openfilm’s independent filmmaker community. The directors of these winning films will win finance and management contracts to produce their next film with Openfilm Studios.