Ed Burns' next feature: Exclusively on iTunes

Not sure how I missed this story last week in the NY Times, but it's a big deal: Ed Burns is giving his new feature, 'Purple Violets,' exclusively to iTunes.

It played at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, but didn't spark much interest among distributors.

This is the first exclusive release of an indie movie iTunes will offer, and I think it'll be something to watch.

From the story:

Releasing a feature on iTunes carries its own risks. Mr. Burns’s producing partner, Aaron Lubin, said that video distributors had offered lower-than-expected advance payments for the film’s DVD rights out of fear that its availability on iTunes would cannibalize home-video sales. But he and Mr. Burns said they hoped that the novelty of being the first movie to go out on iTunes would generate more publicity for “Purple Violets” than if it had opened on a few screens in New York and Los Angeles.