The Cinequest Film Festival has turned to file-sharing this year in an effort to attract a broader array of participants. Vuze Inc., makers of the popular Azureus Bittorrent client, will be handling the technology for the online "Viewer"s Voice" feature for Cinequest. Vuze users can view the films and vote on the their favorites. The Cinequest organizers then use a combination of ratings and total download figures to select one full-length film and one short to add to their lineup.
Naturally, film-makers are taking a risk, as the software used also enables illegal sharing of movies, music, software and other content, raising the ironic prospect of an up-and-coming filmmaker getting a legitimate distribution deal after succeeding at Cinequest, only to see his future work traded illegally using the same software that gave him his break. However, that"s a risk Cinequest co-founder and executive director Halfdan Hussey is prepared to take.
"If that gets you a deal and down the road a few people get a few freebies, I think it ultimately just enhances their value," Hussey said. "No artists have ever starved because too many people knew about them."