The new year ushered in notable changes for indieWIRE and IFC.com, two of the most widely read daily hubs of U.S. independent film culture. Flaunting the “indie” banner with business-minded acumen, the pair stand as prime examples of the ways in which commercial online outposts will serve up news, information, and interactive commentary.
IndieWIRE, which began in 1996 as an e-newsletter co-founded by current editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez, has grown exponentially. Back in January, it launched a “re-imagining” of its website to coincide with the Sundance Film Festival’s kickoff, and announced its increasing integration with its new owner, SnagFilms, an online documentary-focused video distribution platform. Now arrayed with the characteristic accoutrements of fashionable journalistic ventures—feeds for news and blog links, rankings of articles, prominent advertising—indieWIRE will further consolidate its status as an alternative to Daily Variety.
IFC’s website astutely raised its own bar by nabbing Berlin-based David Hudson, the man many cinephiles appreciate as the most dedicated film-news aggregator of the moment, thanks to his stewardship of GreenCine Daily. Since January 1st, Hudson has been at the new blog The Daily@IFC.com. Hudson tells us he’s considering new possibilities: “I may begin experimenting with a little gentle evolution at my new digs. Already, I’ve taken advantage of the wider column by presenting larger—and fewer—images so that the ones I do choose have a bit more impact. And there will likely be other areas I may play around with.”
