Vimeo adds three female-led films to its slate of originals
LOS ANGELES -- Vimeo is rolling out three new originals from female filmmakers, the latest additions to its Share the Screen initiative, designed to "elevate and empower female filmmakers."
The slate includes Marina Abramovic in Brazil: The Space in Between, a feature length documentary from the titular artist; Loyiso Gola: Live in New York, a comedy special from the South African comic; and 555, a comedy miniseries from John Early, Kate Berlant and Andrew DeYoung.
"We are really, really proud that we were able to fulfill the commitment we made in January at Sundance Film Festival to have original programming from talented female creators," Sam Toles, Vimeo's Head of Global Content Acquisition and Distribution, told Mashable. "The new slate celebrates the fact that we can get gender equality in the programming, and that's something we will continue to push and strive for."
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Vimeo, which launched in 2004, had been primarily known as the go-to for independent creators looking to sell content directly to consumers. The division of IAC attracted talent with favorable revenue splits and tools that give the site the opportunity to set up its own paywalls.
But after the success of the 2012 hit High Maintenance, which got picked up by HBO, the New York-based company has been building up its original content library and investing heavily in its creators.
Recently, Lionsgate announced it is partnering up with Vimeo to launch a Global Television Store.
The service, which will roll out Oct. 18, offers premium scripted U.S. content — from Lionsgate's movie and TV library — to consumers in over 150 countries. That means Orange Is The New Black, Mad Men, Hulu's Casual, The Royals, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Boss, Blue Mountain State and Manhattan will soon be available on Vimeo.
Toles said the hope is that other studios and networks will join Lionsgate in partnering with the video platform.
Having diverse programming from across the globe, he said, will help both draw in viewers and Hollywood studios.
"Two out of three of our new programs in this slate come from global territories," Toles said. "Vimeo clearly has global ambitions and we want to lean into our worldwide audience. We are hoping many other studios and producers of great TV content join the party."
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
