Bside Entertainment Proves 'The Audience is Never Wrong' at SXSW
SXSW 2006

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2006--After building several
successful partnerships with filmmakers and festivals throughout its
first year in business, Austin-based Bside Entertainment has unveiled
its innovative platform of services at the South By Southwest (SXSW)
2006 Interactive/Film Trade Show. Bside is led by a strong advisory
board that includes writer/producer Steven Bochco, former Polygram
Films president Andrew Fogelson, top entertainment attorney Barry
Hirsch, Slamdance co-founder and former AFI Fest director Jon
Fitzgerald, and Academy Award winning editor Stephen Mirrione. Bside
is the first online community that allows filmgoers to review and
recommend films, filmmakers to interact directly with their audiences,
and festivals to track theater buzz. Bside discovers the best films
playing the festival circuit, and brings those films to audiences --
wherever they are.


When audiences raved about director Scott Allen Perry's documentary,
"The Outdoorsmen: Blood, Sweat, and Beers," at the Austin Film
Festival this past October, Bside listened, offering to distribute the
film. Bside used word-of-mouth marketing and online buzz and within
months, "The Outdoorsmen" was outperforming Oscar-winning Hollywood
favorites at Austin's Alamo Drafthouse, and was reaching new audiences
in theaters from New York City to Anchorage, Alaska. "I knew that my
film belonged in theaters," explained filmmaker Perry. "Bside proved
that it doesn't take millions of dollars to help people connect to a
film." Bside estimates that they spent less than $500 per city in
advertising the movie -- an unprecedented budget even for independent
film.

"The story of 'The Outdoorsmen' is just beginning," said Bside Founder
and CEO Chris Hyams. "By enhancing the film festival experience,
finding terrific films embraced by audiences, and exploring
alternative distribution methods, Bside can help independent films
reach a level of success previously thought impossible." Bside has
partnered with the upcoming Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and San Diego
festivals, and has already selected the second film it will help
market -- IFC Documentary "Rank," which premieres this week at SXSW.
The "Rank" relationship is part of a broader Bside marketing
partnership with IFC, including promotion of IFC films at film
festivals across the nation and the potential incorporation of Bside's
online community into IFC.com. "IFC is very excited to partner with
Bside," relates IFC Marketing and Promotions Director Evan Fleischer.
"Their interactive community, with its unique connection to
independent film audiences, fits the IFC brand perfectly -- enabling
us to bring IFC's great films and programming to an even broader
audience."

About Bside Entertainment

Austin-based Bside Entertainment has developed an innovative approach
to building online communities dedicated to independent film fans,
filmmakers, and film festivals. Based on the principle that "the
audience is never wrong," Bside selects audience favorite films from
festivals around the world for theatrical, DVD, and digital
distribution. Bside was founded in 2005 by technology veteran Chris
Hyams with the goal of giving audiences the opportunity to see great
independent films in theaters, where they belong. Learn more about
Bside and its innovative services for independent filmmakers at
www.bside.com.