David Farnor | On 25, Apr 2016

FilmDoo is boosting its streaming catalogue with a string of new international deals. The pay-per-view site, which has made a name for itself by picking up the festival favourites and world cinema gems that other sites and distributors have overlooked, has signed two new agreements to expand that goal.

FilmDoo has inked an agreement with Retro Afrika Bioscope, an independent label of Gravel Road Entertainment Group, dedicated to locating, acquiring, restoring and re-releasing the forgotten and discarded classics of African cinema. The partnership gives FilmDoo more than 20 South African features, ranging from cherished childhood comedies and bracing action films to provocative race dramas that were met with stern opposition in the apartheid government.

“We at Gravel Road are very excited in releasing several of our digitally restored Retro Afrika Bioscope titles on FilmDoo.com,” says Gravel Road CEO Benjamin Cowley, “Many of our films have never been seen outside the borders of South Africa, and with FilmDoo, they will now finally be accessible to African cinema lovers globally.”

FilmDoo co-founder Weerada Sucharitkul expresses similar enthusiasm: “We’re thrilled to be showcasing these lost gems from South Africa. The work that Gravel Road is doing is right in step with what we’re trying to accomplish at FilmDoo and we’re excited to bring these works some long overdue international exposure.”

Films in the deal include Revenge, Fishy Stones, Umbango, Zero for Zep, Ezintandaneni, Ambushed, Isiboshwa, The Comedians and Under Cover.

The site has also teamed up with Ruscico (Russian Cinema Council) to release classic and overlooked cinema from Russia and Eastern Europe.

30 films have just been added to the site’s catalogue, ranging from landmark films of Russia’s silent era to new award-winning Armenian drama The Abode, with dozens of acclaimed pictures from the Soviet Union in between.

“We’re excited to be working with FilmDoo to present English-speaking audiences with some of the most interesting Russian cult films in the period of the Soviet Union,” Irina Kalashnikova, head of Ruscico’s International Department comments. “These were watched by millions, not only in Russia, but also internationally. They gave foreign audiences the opportunity to get a glimpse into the lives of Soviet people that were otherwise unknown to them.”

“Russia has traditionally been a strong film producing country and it’s great for us to be able to showcase more of the country’s best works and help create an understanding of the Russian people and their history and culture,” adds Sucharitkul.

Films in the deal include Little Vera, Moscow-Cassiopeia, The Legend of Suram Fortress, Adolescents in the Universe, The Great Space Voyage, Commissar, Aelita: Queen of Mars and Evdokiya.

For more information, visit ,www.filmdoo.com.

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