Recently, I was asked why we don't show Spiderman movies or Shakira music videos on Film Annex. This is a good question. I was also asked how we can get those big names on Film Annex. This is another good question.
The reality is simple. Big names have big copyrights. The last thing an independent film platform like Film Annex should do is to get involved in copyright and exclusivity deals with major studios and distribution companies. This takes armies of lawyers and very complex negotiations.
On the other hand, the reality is that some of this content is available on YouTube. So how can we compete with YouTube?
- Film Annex is a professional film platform where all content is created by professionals and monitored by our editorial team. We don't have “user-generated content”. Professionals content maintains integrity.
- Film Annex is a monitored film platform where all content is reviewed and can't cause unexpected political and cultural issues. As a result, Film Annex is not blocked in Afghanistan and China.
On Film Annex, you might be unable to watch Spiderman, but you can freely watch Charlie Chaplin movies and Superman cartoons. You might be unable to watch Shakira videos, but you can watch NATO videos and interviews of Nobel Prize winners.
We made the decision to stand above user-generated content of “YouTube and Vimeo quality”, but we also decided to avoid legal battles and negotiations with large studios and distribution companies. Film Annex's focus is on contemporary independent and historical content, so that we can sponsor new and upcoming filmmakers, but also support classics of the cinema industry forgotten by the studios and YouTube.
Filmmaker Abel Ferrara refers to Hollywood as a factory. Film Annex is interested in true artists and historical figures. Learn more about us on our Wikipedia page.
