UTV, US firm sign video on demand deal

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) UTV Motion Pictures and Gravitas Ventures, a leading US-based Video on Demand (VOD) distributor of independent content, Wednesday announced a deal in which latest movies from the Indian studio will be available on VOD in the US.

'The partnership with Gravitas Venture will ensure UTV's penetration further into the US market and we hope that more people are able to experience the exciting cinema that our studio has backed,' Lokesh Dhar, senior vice president of UTV Motion Pictures, North America, said in a statement.

Said Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures: 'In an evolving landscape for independent films, we look forward to collaborating with UTV on the distribution and marketing of these works from renowned Indian filmmakers and actors.'

The collaboration started May 1 with the movies 'Dev D' and 'Kaminey' being made available on VOD there.

The accord will next see the release of UTVs much-awaited dark political thriller 'Raajneeti' and 'Peepli Live'.

While Prakash Jha's 'Raajneeti', which releases June 4, will be distributed through Gravitas' agreement with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Aamir Khan's co-production 'Peepli Live', which hits screens Aug 13, will debut across North America on VOD after six weeks of its release.

In the fourth quarter of 2010, Gravitas will also release UTV-produced English movie 'ExTerminators' on VOD in the US.