The Locarno Film Festival is partnering with movie-fan social media site Letterboxd on a new award for this year’s edition.
The Letterboxd Piazza Grande Award will honor a film screening at the legendary Piazza Grande, the Swiss festival’s 8,000-seat outdoor cinema at the heart of Locarno, that “combines both the values and artistic qualities of the cinephile landscape of today and commercial potential on the international festival circuit.” The winning title will receive extensive editorial coverage on Letterboxd and on Locarno’s film festival’s channels to help “build global awareness.”
A jury made up of Letterboxd editorial staff and young accredited critics attending the Festival will vote on the winner.
“Over the past decade, Letterboxd has become one of the essential sites for film fans to share the films they love,” says Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro. “We are proud to be the first international festival...
The Letterboxd Piazza Grande Award will honor a film screening at the legendary Piazza Grande, the Swiss festival’s 8,000-seat outdoor cinema at the heart of Locarno, that “combines both the values and artistic qualities of the cinephile landscape of today and commercial potential on the international festival circuit.” The winning title will receive extensive editorial coverage on Letterboxd and on Locarno’s film festival’s channels to help “build global awareness.”
A jury made up of Letterboxd editorial staff and young accredited critics attending the Festival will vote on the winner.
“Over the past decade, Letterboxd has become one of the essential sites for film fans to share the films they love,” says Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro. “We are proud to be the first international festival...
- 5/8/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Letterboxd, the social platform and crucial marketing tool for indie film, will soon be able to help its users find movies in nearby theaters.
In collaboration with aggregator Assemble, the service is integrating cinema showtimes into its platform, offering an intuitive way for users to access real-time information about film screenings over the coming seven days.
The beta launch of the new feature is rolling out to users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand (where the company is based) and Australia on Christmas Eve.
“It’s a natural progression for us to offer showtimes to our community, as film fans return to cinemas post-pandemic,” says Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan. “We’re committed to providing our members with all the tools they need to enhance their film-watching experience and this inclusion of showtime listings is just the start, with more regions and fuller integration (including notifications) to come.
In collaboration with aggregator Assemble, the service is integrating cinema showtimes into its platform, offering an intuitive way for users to access real-time information about film screenings over the coming seven days.
The beta launch of the new feature is rolling out to users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand (where the company is based) and Australia on Christmas Eve.
“It’s a natural progression for us to offer showtimes to our community, as film fans return to cinemas post-pandemic,” says Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan. “We’re committed to providing our members with all the tools they need to enhance their film-watching experience and this inclusion of showtime listings is just the start, with more regions and fuller integration (including notifications) to come.
- 12/13/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Letterboxd, the movie-reviews social network that has attracted millions of cinephiles — including one Martin Scorsese — is adding movie listings to its service.
Starting Wednesday (Dec. 13), Letterboxd Patron members in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, New Zealand and Australia will have access to showtime listings for films currently playing in cinemas near them over the upcoming seven-day period. Letterboxd is introducing the feature (which it is calling a beta test) in partnership with aggregator Assemble, which in the U.S. compiles theater showtimes for approximately 9,000 screens.
Initially, the service is offering the movie listings feature to Patron members ($49 per year in the U.S.). As of Dec. 24, Letterboxd will launch the feature for all other members.
You won’t be able to purchase tickets directly through Letterboxd: When a user clicks a showtime, they will be redirected to a separate ticketing site to purchase tickets.
“It’s a natural...
Starting Wednesday (Dec. 13), Letterboxd Patron members in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, New Zealand and Australia will have access to showtime listings for films currently playing in cinemas near them over the upcoming seven-day period. Letterboxd is introducing the feature (which it is calling a beta test) in partnership with aggregator Assemble, which in the U.S. compiles theater showtimes for approximately 9,000 screens.
Initially, the service is offering the movie listings feature to Patron members ($49 per year in the U.S.). As of Dec. 24, Letterboxd will launch the feature for all other members.
You won’t be able to purchase tickets directly through Letterboxd: When a user clicks a showtime, they will be redirected to a separate ticketing site to purchase tickets.
“It’s a natural...
- 12/13/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Since its founding in 2011, Letterboxd has carved out a niche as a social platform for cinephiles. Now it wants to use that platform to get people off their computers and back to movie theaters.
The film discussion and review platform is adding showtimes for paid patron members in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, letting users see where the movies they are reading about are playing near them. The feature is available to patron members now, and will roll out to all members on Christmas Eve.
“Showtimes have long been on our radar as something we’d like to offer to our members—another way of making Letterboxd the one place they come when selecting what to watch next. We de-prioritized the feature somewhat over Covid, as seeing films in theaters was not top of mind!” says Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan. “Now that audiences are returning to cinemas,...
The film discussion and review platform is adding showtimes for paid patron members in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, letting users see where the movies they are reading about are playing near them. The feature is available to patron members now, and will roll out to all members on Christmas Eve.
“Showtimes have long been on our radar as something we’d like to offer to our members—another way of making Letterboxd the one place they come when selecting what to watch next. We de-prioritized the feature somewhat over Covid, as seeing films in theaters was not top of mind!” says Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan. “Now that audiences are returning to cinemas,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matt Buchanan and Karl von Randow, the two movie mega-fans who started Letterboxd as a part-time labor of love, have sold a majority stake in the business.
So what’s going to be different now? Not much, the two New Zealanders tell Variety. For starters, they remain in charge of running Letterboxd. “We are not expecting a whole lot to change!” says von Randow. “We are not suddenly going to have four new bosses.”
The Letterboxd founders chose to sell a controlling stake to Canadian investment firm Tiny — a deal that pegs the company’s value at north of $50 million — because of its relatively laissez-faire philosophy. “Instead of us feeling like we’ve been slurped into something massive,” von Randow says, “their approach is to get involved when founders need help.”
One of Letterboxd’s next big initiatives will be expanding to add TV shows for users to rate, review and track.
So what’s going to be different now? Not much, the two New Zealanders tell Variety. For starters, they remain in charge of running Letterboxd. “We are not expecting a whole lot to change!” says von Randow. “We are not suddenly going to have four new bosses.”
The Letterboxd founders chose to sell a controlling stake to Canadian investment firm Tiny — a deal that pegs the company’s value at north of $50 million — because of its relatively laissez-faire philosophy. “Instead of us feeling like we’ve been slurped into something massive,” von Randow says, “their approach is to get involved when founders need help.”
One of Letterboxd’s next big initiatives will be expanding to add TV shows for users to rate, review and track.
- 10/5/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSTiny, a Canadian technology holding company, has completed a majority acquisition of the film-oriented social networking platform Letterboxd, Business Wire reports. Letterboxd’s founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow will continue to lead the business independently as the company scales up.REMEMBERINGThe Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.Michael Gambon has died aged 82. A notable stage actor, Gambon appeared in Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989) before taking on memorable roles in Michael Mann's The Insider (1999), Robert Altman's Gosford Park (2001), and the Harry Potter films, in which he took over the role of Albus Dumbledore from Richard Harris. "Gambon left school aged 15 and, unlike many of his contemporaries, did not receive any formal training at drama school," writes Chris Wiegand in his Guardian obituary.
- 10/4/2023
- MUBI
Letterboxd, the global social platform that’s become a key tool for independent film discovery, promotion and conversation in the current challenging market for movies, is being acquired by Canadian technology holding company, Tiny, which is taking a majority stake.
Letterboxd’s founders will continue to lead the business independently while leveraging their partnership with Tiny to accelerate the platform’s growth as it continues to scale.
Founded in 2011 by film fans and Aukland, New Zealand-based tech executives Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, Letterboxd has experienced significant growth over the past five years, recently surpassing 10 million members across 200+ countries – up from 4.1 million members in 2021 and 1.8 million in 2020. Buchanan told Deadline in an interview last year that the company has been profitable since 2019, in part by capturing the attention of younger audiences aged 18 to 24 looking to connect online around shared interests. Members track what they watch, share reviews and lists,...
Letterboxd’s founders will continue to lead the business independently while leveraging their partnership with Tiny to accelerate the platform’s growth as it continues to scale.
Founded in 2011 by film fans and Aukland, New Zealand-based tech executives Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, Letterboxd has experienced significant growth over the past five years, recently surpassing 10 million members across 200+ countries – up from 4.1 million members in 2021 and 1.8 million in 2020. Buchanan told Deadline in an interview last year that the company has been profitable since 2019, in part by capturing the attention of younger audiences aged 18 to 24 looking to connect online around shared interests. Members track what they watch, share reviews and lists,...
- 9/29/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The social film discussion and discovery platform Letterboxd has a new owner.
The company has sold a majority stake (60 percent) to Tiny, a Canadian technology investment and holding company, in a deal that values Letterboxd at about $50 million. Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, who founded the company in 2011, will continue to lead it.
“Teaming up with Tiny represents a big leap forward for us,” said Buchanan and von Randow in a statement. “Tiny’s impressive track record, which includes spurring the growth of the thriving design community, Dribbble, speaks to their ability to cultivate and grow businesses like ours without altering the fundamental components that have made them successful. We see this as a huge win for our community, enabling us to cement Letterboxd’s future with additional resources without sacrificing the DNA of what makes it special.”
Letterboxd has become a popular platform for lovers of film, and even filmmakers themselves,...
The company has sold a majority stake (60 percent) to Tiny, a Canadian technology investment and holding company, in a deal that values Letterboxd at about $50 million. Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, who founded the company in 2011, will continue to lead it.
“Teaming up with Tiny represents a big leap forward for us,” said Buchanan and von Randow in a statement. “Tiny’s impressive track record, which includes spurring the growth of the thriving design community, Dribbble, speaks to their ability to cultivate and grow businesses like ours without altering the fundamental components that have made them successful. We see this as a huge win for our community, enabling us to cement Letterboxd’s future with additional resources without sacrificing the DNA of what makes it special.”
Letterboxd has become a popular platform for lovers of film, and even filmmakers themselves,...
- 9/29/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Letterboxd has been acquired by Tiny, a Canadian holding company, in a deal that values the popular social site for film fanatics at over $50 million.
Letterboxd was founded in 2011 by two entrepreneurs in New Zealand, Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. It recently topped 10 million registered accounts, after seeing a particularly sizable surge during the Covid pandemic, and has attracted celebrity users including Margot Robbie, Olivia Rodrigo, Ava DuVernay and Christopher McQuarrie.
Tiny, based in Victoria, British Columbia, now owns a 60% majority stake in Letterboxd, giving it a valuation of between $50 million and $60 million, a source familiar with the deal told Variety. Buchanan and von Randow will retain minority positions in the business and continue to lead the company. Letterboxd, known as the “Goodreads for movies,” plans to capitalize on the new ownership of Tiny to further establish the platform as the leading social network for film buffs worldwide.
“Teaming...
Letterboxd was founded in 2011 by two entrepreneurs in New Zealand, Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. It recently topped 10 million registered accounts, after seeing a particularly sizable surge during the Covid pandemic, and has attracted celebrity users including Margot Robbie, Olivia Rodrigo, Ava DuVernay and Christopher McQuarrie.
Tiny, based in Victoria, British Columbia, now owns a 60% majority stake in Letterboxd, giving it a valuation of between $50 million and $60 million, a source familiar with the deal told Variety. Buchanan and von Randow will retain minority positions in the business and continue to lead the company. Letterboxd, known as the “Goodreads for movies,” plans to capitalize on the new ownership of Tiny to further establish the platform as the leading social network for film buffs worldwide.
“Teaming...
- 9/29/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
A New Zealand-based platform where fans track, review and share lists of movies old and new is an increasingly influential marketing tool for specialty film with budgets tight and audiences harder to reach.
Letterboxd, founded as a passion project by Auckland tech entrepreneurs Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow just over a decade ago, recently passed 6.5 million members, with 40-50 in North America followed by the U.K., Europe and breakout markets including Brazil, India, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has 4.4 million monthly visitors and 800 million monthly page views.
Since launch, users have logged a whopping 1 billion films they’ve seen, put 300 million films on watchlists and posted 76.8 million reviews. Average time spent per visitor per month across web and app is about 40 minutes.
Letterboxd has been profitable since 2019, which is “source of immense pride,” Buchanan tells Deadline. The founders early on declined venture capital backing, he said, to...
Letterboxd, founded as a passion project by Auckland tech entrepreneurs Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow just over a decade ago, recently passed 6.5 million members, with 40-50 in North America followed by the U.K., Europe and breakout markets including Brazil, India, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has 4.4 million monthly visitors and 800 million monthly page views.
Since launch, users have logged a whopping 1 billion films they’ve seen, put 300 million films on watchlists and posted 76.8 million reviews. Average time spent per visitor per month across web and app is about 40 minutes.
Letterboxd has been profitable since 2019, which is “source of immense pride,” Buchanan tells Deadline. The founders early on declined venture capital backing, he said, to...
- 8/5/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Photo: Letterboxd About Once the credits begin to roll after watching a great film, there are a few things that people will do. Some immediately turn it off and go onto the next thing, others read every name on the list (very much appreciated), and some will go on their phone and tap Letterboxd. With this app, an account holder can rate, like, and search any film that they can think of; think of it as a more social IMDb. The co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow launched the site in 2011 at the Brooklyn Beta web conference. They both had a love for movies and realized there wasn’t a place dedicated online to share that passion. After the launch of Letterboxd, they had a loyal following for a long time. It wasn’t until the pandemic in 2020 that the number of subscribers nearly doubled and now is around 3 million active accounts.
- 3/25/2022
- by Jack Colin
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
We’re excited to announce that Cinephile Game Night will return for our next episode Monday, July 12th at 8pm Et / 5pm Pt with Letterboxd. The lineup includes Letterboxd’s Gemma Gracewood, Matthew Buchanan, Dominic Corry, Aaron Yap, Mitchell Beaupre, and Matt Kolowski. We’ll also be joined by Film Intuition founder and Watch With Jen podcast host Jen Johans, as well as filmmaker Sophy Romvari whose latest short, Still Processing, you can watch right now on Mubi.
In case you didn’t have a chance to check out the show: Cinephile Game Night is a series where film critics, podcasters, filmmakers, and more go head-to-head to see who is the ultimate cinephile. Hosted by the Film Stage crew, including Jordan Raup, Conor O’Donnell, Dan Mecca, and Cinephile creator Cory Everett, each episode features a rotating guest list of cinephiles from your favorite pop-culture podcasts and websites.
Each episode features...
In case you didn’t have a chance to check out the show: Cinephile Game Night is a series where film critics, podcasters, filmmakers, and more go head-to-head to see who is the ultimate cinephile. Hosted by the Film Stage crew, including Jordan Raup, Conor O’Donnell, Dan Mecca, and Cinephile creator Cory Everett, each episode features a rotating guest list of cinephiles from your favorite pop-culture podcasts and websites.
Each episode features...
- 7/6/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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