Posted Fri Nov 16, 2018 at 03:15 PM PST by Steven Cohen
Criterion's streaming channel will return next year.
Following increased outcry from the filmmaking community over the looming closure of FilmStruck, Criterion has announced plans to relaunch that platform's Criterion Channel as a standalone streaming service in the spring of 2019.
The new Criterion Channel will be wholly owned and controlled by the Criterion Collection. And in addition to the company's own service, Criterion will also offer access to its library of titles through a new WarnerMedia digital platform set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2019.
WarnerMedia previously announced the termination of its FilmStruck streaming service last month. The Criterion Channel has been available as an add-on for that platform since its debut in 2016. Though Criterion's streaming presence will live on, FilmStruck, in its current form, is still scheduled to formally close on November 29.
Beyond the company's collection of films, The Criterion Channel will also include curated director spotlights, actor retrospectives, commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, and original documentaries. Likewise, the service will carry on with its guest programmer series, Adventures in Moviegoing, and regular series like Art-House America, Split Screen, and Meet the Filmmakers, along with its Ten Minutes or Less section, Tuesday’s Short + Feature, Friday Night Double Feature, monthly fifteen-minute film school, and Observations on Film Art.
The new Criterion Channel is set to launch in spring 2019 for $10.99 per month or $100 a year. In addition, those interested in signing up for the service can also register as a Charter Subscriber now to lock in a reduced fee of $9.99 per month or $89.99 a year, along with a few other perks.
Source: Criterion
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