Sundance Provides Multiplatform Foreplay For 'Green Porno'

Rossellini’s 'Insect' Shorts To Appear Digitally Before Launching On Linear Service

By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 3/14/2008 2:17:00 PM

Isabella Rossellini’s eight-part short film series about the "sex lives of insects" will gain multiplatform exposure before its linear run on Sundance Channel.

Green Porno, debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, will launch on sundancechannel.com/greenporno and Helio’s mobile service May 5. The series will then be available on Sundance Channel VOD in June, before taking its turn on the network the following month.

Meant to be shown individually or as a collection, the shorts, with Rossellini directing and acting out the bits, provide a comical, but insightful look at the curious ways certain creatures “make love.” Inventive costumes and colorful sets contribute to the playfulness of the films, whose graphic look was specifically created for smaller screens such as cellular phones, computers, and various mobile devices. 

The Green Porno minisite will feature all eight films and exclusive Web-only interviews with Rossellini and the cast and crew; exclusive photo galleries of behind-the- scenes shots; the making of footage; and samples of the actress’ hand-drawn storyboards. The exclusive Web content also explores the challenges and opportunities associated with creating short films for the Internet and mobile devices. 

“I’ve always been interested in animals and animal behavior,” said Rossellini in a statement.  “I wanted people to laugh, but then to leave and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know about that.’ That was my green intervention.  It was to make people aware of animal life.”

Added Sundance Channel senior vice president of digital media and business strategy Christopher Barry: “Green Porno was conceived and made for small screens, so it’s only fitting that we launch the films online and via mobile devices. These shorts are perfect for digital viewing: They are concise, engaging and entertaining pieces that explore the sex lives of nature’s smallest creatures.”