Industry News: B-Side Shuts Down

As Filmmaker Magazine reports , B-Side Entertainment the distribution and technology company based in Austin, Texas, announced that, due to lack of financing (venture capital fund Valhalla Partners pulled out in late 2009), will close its doors. Launched in 2005 by Chris Hyams, the company has laid off the majority of its staff already, and is currently looking for a home for the films it distributes, as well as the festival scheduling service, Festival Genius, that was used by IFP to schedule the Independent Filmmaker Conference. For more details on the story, see Scott Macaulay's post at the Filmmaker Magazine blog.