New directors turn to net

Holiday Romance was nominated for a best short film Oscar in 1999

By the BBC's Chris Hogg

Keepers, an 18-minute short film of a little girl dealing with her father's stormy love life, cannot be seen down the cinema.

But the film has won a number of festival prizes and was screened at the Raindance Film Festival in London for independent movies, under the category Best of British.

The director and writer of the film, Rebecca Promitzer, is using the internet to showcase her work.

She says it is a great way to break into the movie business.

"I've had some interest from other websites that are moving into pay-per-view territory and I've had a couple of people looking for up-and-coming directors."

Sorted director Alexander Jovy's first film Holiday Romance, nominated for an Oscar in 1999, was initially ignored by traditional distributors.

Bikinis

Getting on the Atom Films website made all the difference. His was the first film ever streamed on the website on 1 March, 1999.

"The website opened it to a really broad audience, and it really did a lot for the film," he says.

"They managed to have the Academy look at it, which led to me being Oscar-nominated with the film, which then suddenly opened all the doors in the studios."

But many wannabe filmmakers find there is little difference between the virtual Hollywood and the real thing in California.

Sex and stars improve the hit rate, and net users want less costume drama, and more bikinis.

"There's a danger that young film makers working on the web will be obliged to make the films that sites want," says Phillip Dodds, from the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Potential

"On the other hand there's an equal danger which is they make films they want to see but nobody else wants to see.

"My hope with the web is there'll be a lot of rubbish out there, but in addition to that there'll be a new kind of film."

Next year's film graduates know the web offers a potential audience of millions.

But tutor Tony Messom says it will not make success any easier.

"It will not change a damned thing. In a few years people will become as frustrated s they are now.

"Every year you get bunches of students who are very keen, but all they'll actually get are closed doors."