Sony announce MUBI partnership for PS3

SCEE’s have today announced that they have teamed up with movie streaming service MUBI to bring on-demand international films to the PlayStation 3.

MUBI will be launching this Autumn and will cater for film buffs who don’t want to opt for a mainstream film but would rather go for something more outside the box.

There’ll be a choice of films from people lie the Coen Brothers and Tarantino alongside Latin American directors and restored shorts from the most obscure of archives.  At launch there’ll be a selection of 300 films to choose from, some being free to watch whilst others being pay-to-view.

Immerse yourself in cinema at home with MUBI

Discover, watch and share a new world of film masterpieces with MUBI, the new PlayStation®3 service that turns your TV into an on-demand international cinema

Cannes, 18th May 2010: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe [SCEE] has announced a partnership with leading online film library MUBI, to bring to PlayStation®3 (PS3™) a new service that will break open the world of independent, international and classic cinema, and introduce PS3 owners to movies outside the mainstream. MUBI will be a free, downloadable application that gives PS3 owners the key to the ever-expanding film library of MUBI – an incredible online ‘cinemateque’ for movie lovers, packed to the rafters with acclaimed independent, foreign and classic films to stream on demand.

This autumn, PS3 users will have access to a treasure trove of celluloid curated by experts – so that even non-experts can enjoy what might otherwise take a lifetime to discover.  MUBI will offer more than 300 films at launch from directors from Audiard to Zeferelli; and they’re all going to be available to stream directly to your PS3. You’ll get to discover movies you never dreamed about, watch your choice of films whenever you like, and talk about the ones you love with your friends.

So how will it all work? First, you download the free MUBI application from PlayStation®Store. Then, you open it up and start watching – it’s really that easy.  Next, you look around in amazement. You find festival gems, classics, famous independent releases and art-house flicks. You discover the work of world-famous directors like the Coen Brothers and Tarantino alongside Latin American directors and restored shorts from the most obscure of archives. You’ll spot free-to-watch movies alongside pay-per-view movies that you can rent for a week – and you’ll be tempted by the thought of an all-you-can-watch monthly subscription. You find exclusive online premieres, Oscar-winners, Palme D’Or winners, collaborations with international film festivals, and so many other choices you might not know where to start. But MUBI offers a whole community of film loving fans so that help is always at hand

Joining SCEE President Andrew House in Cannes at the unveiling of the new service, MUBI founder Efe Çakarel said:  “MUBI is the fastest growing online destination for lovers of independent, foreign and classic film – and it is amazing how many people that covers.
Our partnership with PlayStation® brings online cinema to TV screens in homes around the world giving PlayStation owners a whole new world of entertainment to explore.  And discovery couldn’t be more fun – from finding out about the films behind the latest buzz at Cannes, to taking the film recommendation of MUBI members like Martin Scorsese.”

Andrew House welcomed MUBI to PlayStation adding: “PlayStation is about great entertainment, from games to content, delivered straight to the living room or enjoyed on the go.  Today this ranges from VidZone, the free on demand service music service, through to PlayTV where you can watch, record and rewind live TV at your leisure.  MUBI offers the perfect independent counterpoise to our box-office blockbuster, hi-def, video delivery service, catering for the tastes of an ever broader customer base.  Add in PS3’s DVD and Blu-ray disc player and we have the perfect ticket for film lovers.”

This is cinema for cinema lovers – a movie service that takes you beyond the mainstream and deep into thousands of views of our world through different lenses – all streamed straight to your PS3 to turn your living room into your own private cinema. MUBI for PS3 will be launched this autumn initially in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Iberia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Nordic countries, Australia and New Zealand.  Prepare to dim your lights and enjoy the main feature.

Find out more at www.eu.playstation.com/mubi

ENDS

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PlayStation 3 in November 2006, over 35.7 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level.  Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 144.5 million systems worldwide.  Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 61.5 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market.  With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 47 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 980 million items have been downloaded.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at www.playstation.com

PlayStation, the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PS3 and PSP are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About MUBI
MUBI is the fastest growing online destination for lovers of independent, foreign and classic film; an online cinema, anytime, anywhere. MUBI will give you the latest buzz from the Cannes Film Festival or a restored masterpiece personally chosen by Martin Scorsese (he’s a member, too!).  A social network that can let you find a visual gem that will definitely not be released in the local multiplex, and allows you to find a girl in Tokyo who loves Kubrick (she actually exists, her name is Yuko and she’s into Wong Kar-Wai too…).  MUBI invites you to watch, discover and discuss visionary films from all over the world.  Founded in 2007 by Efe Cakarel, MUBI is backed by Celluloid Dreams, The Criterion Collection and Costa Films and is the exclusive partner of The World Cinema Foundation.  MUBI is based in Palo Alto, New York, Paris, London and anywhere around the world where there’s a movie lover.