Snagfilms

SnagFilms

Type	Privately held companies
Founded	2008
Headquarters	New York, New York
Key people	Rick Allen, CEO
Industry	film
Website	www.snagfilms.com

SnagFilms (also incorrectly referenced as Snag Films) is a website that distributes full-length and short free documentaries via the Internet. The company was founded by Ted Leonsis, an entrepreneur, businessman, sports team owner and producer of such documentaries as Nanking and Kicking It. The company acquired independent film news veteran indieWIRE in July 2008. The company is helmed by Rick Allen, former CEO of National Geographic and former Deputy Assistant to President Bill Clinton.

Films are submitted by filmmakers and distributors and selected through a curatorial process. Once a film is accepted, the film is available for viewing via high quality Flash streaming.

Films are categorized by topic:

• Campus
• Environment
• Health
• History
• International
• Life & Culture
• Music & Arts
• Politics
• Science & Nature
• Sports & Hobbies
• Women's Issues

The film library also includes films by a number of well-known distributors: Arts Alliance America, Cactus 3, IndiePix, Media That Matters, National Geographic, Palm Pictures, XPLR Productions and PBS among others.

Charity

The website encourages users to donate "pixels" or money. Each film is paired with a charity to encourage the viewer to learn more about the cause. Most of the charities are enabled through Global Giving. The website partners with Clearspring to utilize widgets which allow users to "put a virtual movie theater on your personal blog or profile page. Snag a widget and show your support! When people find your widget and watch SnagFilms that address issues you care about, then you and your friends are supporting filmmakers and the causes their films champion."

Films

The website has premiered a number of films:

• Inside the Bubble
• The End of America (Naomi Wolf)
• Haze
• 10 Yards (filmmakers of 10 MPH)
• 7 Days in September (premiered on the 9-11 Remembrance event)

In addition, several notable films are included in the library:

• Dig
• Super Size Me
• Hoop Dreams [1]
• Under Our Skin
• The Prisoner or: How I Tried to Kill Tony Blair
• We Are Together (starring Alicia Keyes)
• Keeper of the Kohn
• Hoop Dreams
• Farther Than the Eye Can See

Key investors

• Ted Leonsis
• Steve Case
• Miles Gilburne
• Jean Case
• and a group led by Ted and Jim Pedas, founders of Circle Films

Financials

The website uses advertising to support the free distribution of documentaries.

Additional references

Graham, Jefferson, SnagFilms gives documentaries an online outlet, USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-07-16-leonsis-snagfilms-indie-documentaries_N.htm, retrieved 2008-07-16 

Hayes, Dade, New site snags IndieWire, Variety, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989073.html?categoryid=20&cs=1, retrieved 2008-07-16 

Mossberg, Walt, SnagFilms Finds Virtual Theaters for Documentaries, All Things D, http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20080716/snagfilms-finds-virtual-theaters-for-documentaries/, retrieved 2008-07-16 

Health, Thomas, Leonsis to Launch Next Feature, SnagFilms, Online, Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/16/AR2008071602679.html, retrieved 2008-07-16 

Maney, Kevin, SnagFilms: An Interesting New Model for Documentaries, Condé Nast, http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-tech-observer/2008/07/18/snagfilms-an-interesting-new-model-for-documentaries, retrieved 2008-07-18 

External links

• SnagFilms website
• indieWIRE website
• Review of Snagfilms