MUBI on PlayStation®3 Launches this Week in Australia
Watch, Share and Discover an exceptional library as you explore hundreds and hundreds of films streamed directly to your TV via PlayStation
Sydney, Australia, 3rd November 2010: Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) announced the launch of MUBI, with its vibrant community of film lovers and outstanding catalogue of films from around the world, set to stream directly to TV screens via PlayStation®3 (PS3™) in Australia from tomorrow. Available to download as a free application from PlayStation®Store on PlayStation®Network, fans will be able to sit back on the couch and discover a world of acclaimed independent, international and classic films. MUBI comes complete with a community of likeminded film fans and cinephiles, there to help you discover something new. The service goes live in Australia on 4th November, and is set to be the ultimate film enthusiasts complement to the new release blockbusters currently offered on PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service (VDS).
MUBI’s reputation is built on delivering the best of independent, international and classic films representing the work of such cinema legends as Griffith, Chaplin, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Antonioni, and Godard, and exclusive content, including Agnès Varda’s entire body of work. At launch, PS3 users will be able to access more than 500 of the most visionary films from around the world through MUBI’s ever-growing curated library of film, provided by partners including Celluloid Dreams, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation and local partners that include Hopscotch Films and Umbrella Entertainment. MUBI opens up a treasure trove of visionary cinema, including screenings of Palme d’Or winner Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother, and a breadth of masterpieces new and old ranging from Suspiria to Antonioni’s L’avventura, to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.
Create your own film festival by purchasing an unlimited 30 day subscription at only RRP$19.95 – giving you the freedom to explore and watch whatever you want, as much as you want. Or be spontaneous and take your pick from across the catalogue, with individual films priced at only RRP$1.75 for short films and RRP$6.25 for feature length films, each with a 7 day entitlement. MUBI also offers a selection of free films from its library. For MUBI’s launch on PS3, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation presents the opportunity to enjoy new restorations of two classics, Ki-young Kim’s The Housemaid and Metin Erksan’s Dry Summer, for free.
MUBI on PS3 will also bring to television screens exclusive online premieres, Oscar-winners, and festival award winners as well as collaborations with international film festivals. All are backed by the MUBI community, which offers a forum where audiences can discuss film, exchange recommendations, share their passion, and interact with some of their favourite filmmakers (some of whom are also members!), as well as explore MUBI’s film resources, from reading director biographies, viewing film synopses and watching trailers. Users can even continue the online conversation, or debate, with seamless Facebook integration with the MUBI service, from embedded lists, through to sharing recommendations.
MUBI founder, Efe Çakarel, commented: “Bringing MUBI to PlayStation opens up the world of independent, foreign and classic film. Our films are from the most visionary directors and creative masterminds on the planet and every film we show has been hailed a classic by the film community. It is about making great films fun and accessible, tearing away the mystique and letting members go on the most unexpected of journeys. It offers films you never even dreamed about, films with an edge, films that you have always wanted to see but haven’t been able to find. Our mission is to put the excitement and discovery into the home viewing experience.”
Michael Ephraim, Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia said: “MUBI is a fantastic addition to the PlayStation 3 on demand entertainment experience that stretches beyond great games and adds an exciting new layer to PlayStation Network’s film offering. We are excited to be partnering with such a unique and innovative film service, that will inspire our current fans and also bring a new community of film enthusiasts to the world of PlayStation.”
Hengameh Panahi, President of Celluloid Dreams and MUBI Europe comments, “For rights-holders, this development couldn’t be more exciting. MUBI’s platform not only inspires more interest in and awareness of international cinema, but most importantly of all it provides easy audience access to a broad range of great films.”
Efe Çakarel sums up, “Bringing MUBI to TV screens via the PS3 is a major step forward for lovers of independent, foreign and classic film – people who want to put the excitement and sense of adventure back into their home viewing. It is amazing how wide a community of people that covers and how diverse their interests are.”
MUBI is an online cinema for those who love the world of film, and for those just starting their passion or those who are merely curious, it’s a chance to discover films that take you beyond the mainstream and deep into thousands of views of our world through different lenses – all streamed straight to your PS3 to turn your living room into a film festival that never closes. MUBI for PS3 has arrived.
Find out more at au.playstation.com.