From CustomFlix: Filmmakers Can Now Sell Movies on Amazon's Unbox

Good news for indie filmmakers who want to make their work available as a digital download, alongside studio content: CustomFlix (a division of Amazon) now makes it possible to sell movies on Amazon.com's Unbox download service. Previously, CustomFlix mostly made movies available in DVD form. Filmmakers earn a 50 percent royalty when their movies are sold or rented as digital downloads; Amazon sets the price.

From the press release:

CustomFlix Labs, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., (NASDAQ: AMZN - News) today announced its support for Amazon.com's video download service, Amazon Unbox, by adding video downloads to its current DVD and CD on Demand services. This new CustomFlix service now enables independent filmmakers and other DVD content owners to make their content available as video downloads to tens of millions of Amazon.com customers through Unbox.



"Filmmakers and content owners are always looking for new ways to make their titles available in different formats and to a broader audience," said Dana LoPiccolo-Giles, co-founder and managing director of CustomFlix. "Adding the Unbox video download service to our current Disc on Demand physical delivery option gives independent filmmakers the choice to offer their works whether on DVD, as a video download, or both."



For no additional cost, new and current CustomFlix members can now add a digital download option to DVD titles available for sale on Amazon.com. CustomFlix content will first become available to Unbox customers early next year. "We're excited to be the first CustomFlix Member to offer our independent film through the Unbox video download service," said Linda Nelson, Producer of Shifted from Nelson Madison Films. "With the introduction of video download services like Unbox, audiences have grown to expect a variety of viewing options, and we're excited to be at the forefront of this new distribution channel."

(I've just updated my list of sites that pay video producers and filmmakers for content, listing CustomFlix/Amazon at #5.)