The Criterion Channel Announces April Lineup
Today, Criterion provided a lot more detail regarding their new streaming service that is set to premiere on April 8th, including a lineup of featured titles for the first month. Reading their description of the upcoming service, it sounds like the second coming of FilmStruck. I was especially happy to hear that the featured films will include titles from a wide variety of other video labels and studios in addition to Criterion’s home library.
Below is an overview of the service, but be sure to click HERE to view the April film lineup and to create an account:
The Criterion Channel launches on April 8, and we’re excited to share our first month’s lineup! The April calendar of thematic programming highlights an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary films from Hollywood and around the world, many not streaming anywhere else.
The new service will host the Criterion Collection and Janus Films’ ever-growing library of more than 1,000 feature films, 350 shorts, and 3,500 supplementary features, including trailers, introductions, behind-the-scenes documentaries, interviews, video essays, commentary tracks, and rare archival footage. It will also feature a constantly refreshed selection of films from a wide array of studio and independent licensors including Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Lionsgate, IFC Films, Kino Lorber, Cohen Media, Milestone Film and Video, Oscilloscope, Cinema Guild, Strand Releasing, Shout Factory, Film Movement, and Grasshopper Films. Additional licensors will be added in the coming months.
Films in the permanent streaming library will be continuously available to all Criterion Channel subscribers at all times, regardless of whether they are being spotlighted in thematic programming. Films licensed specifically for featured thematic programming may be available for shorter periods, but all films will be available for a minimum of ninety days unless otherwise noted.
The Criterion Channel will launch in the U.S. and Canada and will be available on desktop browsers as well as through apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS, and Android and Android TV devices. Subscribers who sign up by April 7 will enjoy an extended, 30-day free trial (starting April 8), reduced fees for as long as they remain subscribed, and immediate access to a new pre-launch, members-only Movie of the Week every Wednesday between now and the April 8 launch.
There will be something new in the spotlight every day of the week. Tuesdays will offer Short + Feature pairings. Wednesdays are dedicated to women filmmakers. On Fridays there will be a double feature, and on Saturdays, a family-friendly matinee. Criterion Collection editions will let fans dig deep into individual films. Thematic programming will help viewers explore and discover new movies in new ways. Sundays will spotlight the biggest series, such as director or star retrospectives, guest curator selections, long-form cinematic epics, or large thematic programs, while the 10 Minutes or Less section will offer short-form delights for cinephiles on the go.
