Challenge: Create the New Go-To App for Major Film Festivals Year-Round

Many of The Hollywood Reporter’s (THR’s) readers own more than one device and THR is listed as one of the top 45 mobile websites in the U.S., according to Quantcast. So, when The Hollywood Reporter decided to create a tablet app for the Cannes Film Festival, an event where they consistently have a large presence every year, they had a few important requirements. First, the app needed to be easily updated to accommodate last minute changes to screening guides, venues, times, and product guides. In May, GENWI delivered a successful Cannes app with very high engagement numbers.

That got The Hollywood Reporter thinking. They said, “What if we they created an app that covered all major film festivals throughout the year and continued to gather an audience of hard core movie fans and festival attendees to help create an entirely new monetization channel?” We said, “Let’s do it.”

Solution: The Festivals Smartphone and Tablet App

GENWI mobile Content Management System powers The Hollywood Reporter’s free Festivals App — for smartphones and tablets — that covers film festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Built on the intuitive user experience and powerful functionality of the original Cannes app, users can now choose the festival that they would like to view.

For each festival, the app contains the following:
●      Festival Screening Guide: Screening information about the films officially in each competition. The Hollywood Reporter can manage the app from anywhere and update the screening guides by simply uploading a new spreadsheet into the GENWI mCMS.
●      Cannes News: Articles about the latest happenings and star sightings at Cannes.
●      Show Dailies: Downloadable PDF’s of the printed Show Dailies produced throughout the 8 days of the festival.
●      Movie Reviews: Critical reviews of the movies screened at the festival.
●      Galleries: Slideshows of celebrities and other A-listers attending the event.
●      Videos: Celebrity interviews and movie trailers.
●      Map:  Map of the festival city with pins indicating the locations of theaters, parties, and other events held in surrounding areas. If a tablet has GPS-enabled, then attendees can see where they are in relation to those  locations.

For industry attendees, each app also contains:
●      Market Screening Guide: Contains thousands movie screenings that can be easily sorted by date and theater.
●      Product Listing:  Thousands industry vendor listings with details about which films they are affiliated with.

Benefits: The Big Winner at Film Festivals? The Festivals App!

THR’s Festivals smartphone and tablet app was a big hit at its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival and will continue to be the destination for THR’s unrivaled coverage of Sundance, Tribeca, AFM, Berlin, Toronto, BUSAN, FILMART, and more.

Recent Coverage:

●      9/7/12, The Hollywood Reporter, “The Hollywood Reporter Launches New Festivals App.”

●      9/11/12, Mobile Marketer, “Hollywood Reporter Relies on Mobile App to Boast Festival Coverage.”

Try Out The Hollywood Reporter’s Festivals App for iPhone and iPad