Fandor: Streaming Movies For Indie Lovers

We honestly have never had an issue with Netflix's legacy library. It's the new release library that is oftentimes a disappointment. It's tough for rental companies like Netflix to nab discs early, particularly with movie studios quietly rebelling against these cheap alternatives to buying a movie on disc. But some hardcore independent film lovers would probably argue that Netflix's library of independent movies isn't what it should be. And that's a market that someone else can exploit.

That company is called Fandor, and they just launched this past week. They have around 2,500 indie films right now, with more on the way. They're a streaming-only service, charging $10/month for unlimited viewings of movies that most of the mainstream will never hear of. But there's a big difference between the $10/month that Netflix charges for one of their packages and the $10/month that Fandor is charging.


Fandor plans to set aside half of their subscription revenue for moviemakers who have their films featured on the site, which essentially creates a new revenue stream for indie filmmakers who constantly struggle with financing. It's a very unique business move, and it's one we can really appreciate. By giving back to the filmmakers that provide the content to the service, it essentially creates a cycle of creation whereby new content will eventually become a part of Fandor (by way of Fandor's help). Hopefully more companies will take note and follow suit.