VOD gets starring role at film festival

Cinequest, an organizer of independent film festivals, on Wednesday said it will offer a video-on-demand service to distribute movies over the Internet. The service, called Cinequest Online, will allow audiences to download or stream full-length, DVD-quality films onto PCs and some handheld devices. The service will offer more than 100 films showing at the San Jose Film Festival, which Cinequest organizes. Cinequest Online will use technology from Kontiki to deliver its movies. Handheld maker PalmOne will support the service wirelessly on its Tungsten C devices.

Cinequest joins a growing list of companies already offering video on demand over the Internet, such as Hollywood-supported Movielink and CinemaNow. The independent film community has pushed the envelope on incorporating digital technology into filmmaking and movie screens around the country.