iFilm turns site into movie portal

Online entertainment company iFilm is expanding its business to become a one-stop shop for online and offline movies. The Hollywood-based company said its new directory and revamped site includes 15,000 shorts and 2,500 full-length films that people can view at various Web sites. The directory divides movies into genres and themes. Through each channel, film fans can watch shorts and movies, find movie information, and view a comparison shopping guide for DVDs or videos.

David Card, an analyst at Jupiter Media Metrix, said that although iFilm is offering services people are likely to want online, the company is entering a market filled with established sites such as eOnline, Ticketmaster and Moviefone. iFilm is "going to have to fire on all cylinders, and they're going to have to do it in a cost-effective fashion--and those are tough challenges," he said.