Stage32 Streaming Platform Offering To Play SXSW 2020 Selected Movies Starting In April

Since SXSW 2020 was canceled last week due to coronavirus concerns, filmmakers hoping to show their movie to an audience for the first time and possibly land a distribution deal have been left out in the wind. However, a streaming platform called Stage 32 is offering them the chance to get their movies in front of entertainment managers, agents, financiers, development execs and producers, as well the movie going public, and they're doing it free of charge.

Don't worry if you haven't heard of Stage 32. They're a streaming platform that specifically caters to film, TV and digital creatives and professionals, and they also provide seminars, classes and more for members of the entertainment industry. So they're not like a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime that you've been missing out on. But that gives them the unique position to help filmmakers get distribution for their movies, something that film festivals like SXSW make possible.

In a press release, Stage 32 says they can provide access and promotion to the over 600,000 creatives, professionals, and industry executives for any and all filmmakers and content creators who were accepted into SXSW 2020. Richard "RB" Botto said this in a statement:

"As filmmakers, producers, screenwriters and actors ourselves, all of us at Stage 32 are devastated for everyone impacted by the cancellation of SXSW. Given the sad reality that the Coronavirus will likely cause more festival cancellations, we want to assure that these filmmakers and their connections get the exposure their work and efforts so richly deserve. Our goal is to not only shine a light on their incredible talent, but also to facilitate connections to sales agents, distributors, buyers, managers, agents, and other professionals who have the power to showcase their work to the largest audience possible and also make a significant and positive impact on the path of their careers."

For those filmmakers interested, you can head to Stage 32's screening portal to register. You have until March 23 to sign up, and Stage 32 will begin screening the movies in early April. Filmmakers can decide whether they want their movies shown to just the creatives, professionals, and industry executives audience, or if they want to general public to be able to watch their films as well.

It's not clear if the general public will have to pay to watch these movies on Stage 32, or if they will be offered free of charge. We'll probably have to wait until April before we find that out. Either way, it's nice that filmmakers will have this platform to show the film to the right industry people with the hope of getting picked up for distribution.