Since its inception, MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), founded by Hendrik Hey, has aimed to bridge the gap between content creators and their audiences. The platform was created to build community and cultivate an engaging experience for users of all kinds. With many Web3 innovators still working hard to figure out exactly how everyone can effectively utilize the space, MILC’s goal is quite the feat.
A recent partnership with The Film Verdict to launch the Alpha Film Festival, the first-ever film festival to take place solely in the metaverse, illustrates the achievements of MILC. As the event’s success goes hand in hand with MILC accomplishing the goal they originally set for their platform.
Festival Recap
After months of planning, programming, and implementation, the Alpha Film Festival took place in the art tower on the MILC platform from March 3rd through the 7th. The festival featured a futuristic theme and was centered around short films. Ben Nicholson, the writer for The Film Verdict and a short-film expert, curated the festival, which consisted of 30 films from around the world.
The main program included 12 films, available to be streamed throughout the festival, that the community was able to vote on. In addition to the films, there were three evenings of live panel discussions centered around Film3, the use of AI for filmmakers and artists, and creators entwining gaming and film. Plus, there were live film screenings that complimented the panel discussions and mirrored their topics.
High Traffic, High Success
While entry to the festival required tickets, the goal of the event was to provide an exploratory community experience accessible to all. The tickets were priced low while the value of the experience was high, and this was proven by the turnout of the event.
“The Alpha Film Festival was a great exhibit for an event with great quality. Together with industry partners and the audience, we want to make this brand big and relevant. It was also meant to be inclusive and a space for established festivals to expand into. The major advantage is that suddenly a lot more people can participate,” said Hey.
Over the course of the festival, there were over 20,000 side requests, 19% from the U.S, 25% from Germany, and 16% from the U.K. There were around 200 tickets sold, around 9,000 streamed video assets, 296 entries to the Art Gallery to participate in the festival, and 50 posters submitted for the film festival contest.
The gap between the audience and creators was effectively bridged with all that the festival had to offer. Audiences did not just have the opportunity to play an active role in the festival with the creation of the posters, but also by allowing the participants to choose a short-film winner to award. That prize went to Baloji’s film Zombies.
With the development of Web3 being an ongoing process, the film festival was designed to be small and a learning experience that could be built upon in the future. However, the success of the festival turned it into something else entirely.
“The AFF was born, and it will be the most relevant film festival on Web3. Those who know us, know that we never start something without continuously expanding it with diligence and passion. It is one of our greatest strengths,” said Hey.
The partnership between MILC and The Film Verdict has taken the metaverse by storm and leaves many wondering what the future might hold should the relationship continue.
“The Film Verdict is a disruptor. I am a disrupter. Hey is a disrupter. MILC is a disruptor. So, it was only natural that we collaborate and introduce how disruptors, like the Alpha Film Festival, can collaborate with traditional film festivals and offer a new entry point into film festivals for a new generation. The Alpha Film Festival was a real success all around and now we have a showcase to build upon. I am delighted to be working with Hey and his team,” said President of The Film Verdict, Eric Mika.
About MILC
Hendrik Hey is the founder of MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), a blockchain-based content licensing company aimed at democratizing the content media buying and distribution industry. MILC is a sister company of European media giant Welt der Wunder, which Hey also founded more than 25 years ago. For more information about how MILC empowers content creators in Web3, please visit https://www.milc.global.
