After a successful festival and theatrical run in 21 cities, School of Film professor Annie Howell’s first feature film, Small, Beautifully Moving Parts, is finally coming home.
On Sept. 4, the film became available on DVD and video on demand through Amazon, Walmart.com, Sears.com, Target.com, BN.com, Time Warner On Demand and Cox on Demand, as well as small retailers.
Additionally, the film will also reach iTunes later this fall and Netflix Instant on Nov. 1. The company Film Movement is handling the home-video distribution.
“The home distribution for this film came from the producers,” said Howell, who co-wrote and co-directed the film with Lisa Robinson. “They were the ones that responded to the movie. They are a really great company.”
In today’s digital age, it’s easier for independent films to find distribution from wider venues. Even with this new ease, however, it’s still not common for films to reach the venues Small has reached. Most films are able to get this kind of distribution through connections with producers and the companies that support and distribute them.
“We’re very excited to share the film with audiences on DVD as well as through cable VOD and streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes,” said Claire Weingarten, director of publicity for Film Movement.
Yet once a film makes it onto a site like Netflix, its position on the site isn’t guaranteed. It still needs to gain support in order to be found by audiences. Based on its new business model, Netflix keeps films streaming by keeping track of how many users’ queues it’s in.
Although Howell’s film is available on Walmart’s website, interested viewers can’t snag a copy at their local store unless they pre-order it.
“At the end of the day, I hope audiences enjoy spending time in the world that Annie and Lisa created and I hope they enjoy getting to know Sarah Sparks, the film’s perfectly imperfect protagonist,” said Erin Owens, creator of Long Shot Factory, a distributor of the film.
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts follows Sarah Sparks, a technophile who becomes pregnant. Her uncertainties about motherhood inspire an impulsive road trip to the source of her anxiety — her mother — who’s estranged.
“We have loved the film since we first saw it, which was at SXSW, I believe, and we worked with the filmmakers to acquire the North American DVD and VOD rights,” Weingarten said.
The screening at the Athens International Film and Video Festival has given many of Howell’s students the opportunity to see the film and express their appreciation of the film.
“The film has been useful in the classroom since it’s so current, with the festival circuit and theatrical run,” said Howell. “It shows that OU faculty are out in the world.”
wa054010@ohiou.edu
