Everyone wants their own streaming service these days. Audiences have seen multiple companies launch their own platforms to become the next Netflix or Prime Video. More recently, JustWatch announced its own streaming service, JustWatch TV, to share classic and original content. And now, the independent film/TV RecDek app will soon feature its own platform designed specifically for indie filmmakers: The Drive-In.
According to Variety, this new Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) streaming service will launch on October 17, with the London Film Festival previewing it alongside a founding group of indie filmmakers. Like Letterboxd, RecDek started out in 2023 as an app for people to recommend movies and TV shows. However, its RecDek House hub has evolved into an online community of 17,000 directors, producers, talent, financiers, and distributors.
When streaming platforms and distributors take ownership of indie films, they don’t reach as wide an audience as they could. If The Drive-In succeeds, it should help filmmakers share their movies as much as possible for whatever price they choose. According to The Drive-In’s creators, their new platform “turns a festival-season relationship with the industry into a year-round collaboration.”
What exactly is The Drive-In?
A streaming service by filmmakers for filmmakers
What sets The Drive-In apart from competitors is that it allows independent filmmakers to share their movies with audiences. However, creators can retain ownership of their intellectual property even after it is published. Additionally, while streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ charge a monthly fee for an entire library, The Drive-In charges users to rent or buy a single movie, and filmmakers receive most of what people pay to watch their movies.
Overall, the creators have full control over what happens to their film. They can set the cost of renting and buying their movie and keep most of the money earned with each purchase. Users can even keep track of who’s watching their film.
Ed Rigg, founder of RecDek, said that The Drive-In will “exist for when filmmakers decide to take their film’s future into their own hands” and that filmmakers “keep everything that should be theirs and our community on the app, and in the wider industry, get a place to watch the shows we have been shouting about.”
“We champion the voices studios drown out, and for too long it had been unclear exactly how filmmakers get their movies distributed,” Rigg added. “Sure, you can pitch, screen your work, hustle, and so you should. Go after wherever you think your movie will be looked after best.”
How can I access The Drive-In?
Stream and submit films today
Filmmakers can now submit their films for The Drive-In through RecDekHouse.com. The service will be officially accessible on October 17. RecDek will launch The Drive-In with the support of Hiway, a digital infrastructure program that allows independent filmmakers, creators, and film festivals to sell and stream their content to fans. David Orman, founder and CEO of Hiway, said that RecDek has “built one of the most connected communities” in independent film, but the piece they were missing before was “a screen of their own.”
“The Drive-In gives them that, on terms the industry rarely offers: every filmmaker keeps their IP, their audience, and the majority of their revenue,” said Orman. “RecDek owns the brand and the relationship; we provide the rails. The tools now exist for RecDek to run their own show.”
The Drive-In will ultimately give filmmakers another platform to showcase their work and advance their careers. In an age when online creators like Curry Barker and Markiplier have broken out by distributing films themselves, this streaming platform should appeal to creatives who want to share their work on their own terms.
