The Drive-In is a new streaming platform built for independent filmmakers who want to keep control of their own work. The service launches in October during the London Film Festival, and it promises something unusual: when a producer sells a film to a traditional distributor, they can instantly remove that territory from the platform.
The setup is simple. Indie filmmakers upload their films directly into the platform, which lives inside the RecDek app, a discovery tool for independent film and TV. Prices are set by the producers themselves, and receipts from first sale belong to them. Real-time audience data is available too. The platform says nothing gets handed over, re-uploaded or locked away.
The headline calls it an exclusive, but the story reads like a standard press release — a date, a founder’s quote, a partner’s quote, and a call for submissions. The core idea is worth paying attention to anyway.
RecDek’s Origin Story
RecDek started as an independent entertainment discovery app. Film and TV recommendations came from friends, family, critics and film festivals. Over time, the RecDek House hub grew into a 17,000-strong community of directors, producers, talent, financiers and distributors.
The company now says that growth turned a festival-season relationship into a year-round collaboration. The Drive-In, according to its creators, “turns a festival-season relationship with the industry into a year-round collaboration.”
The Deal With Hiway
RecDek partnered with direct-to-fan economy infrastructure company Hiway to build The Drive-In. The partnership is pitched as a simple way for filmmakers to monetise work that might otherwise never see the light of day.
“We champion the voices studios drown out, and for too long it had been unclear exactly how filmmakers get their movies distributed,” said Ed Rigg, writer/director and founder at RecDek. “Sure you can pitch, screen your work, hustle and so you should. Go after wherever you think your movie will be looked after best.”
Rigg described The Drive-In as a space for filmmakers who want to take their film’s future into their own hands. “Filmmakers keep everything that should be theirs and our community on the app, and in the wider industry, get a place to watch the shows we have been shouting about.”
David Orman, founder and CEO at Hiway, praised RecDek’s connected community. “The missing piece was a screen of their own,” he said. “The Drive-In gives them that, on terms the industry rarely offers: every filmmaker keeps their IP, their audience and the majority of their revenue. RecDek owns the brand and the relationship, we provide the rails. The tools now exist for RecDek to run their own show.”
What Filmmakers Get
The key features break down into a few categories:
- Ownership: Filmmakers keep their IP and retain full rights to their work.
- Control: Producers set their own prices and keep receipts from first sale.
- Data: Real-time audience data is available to each producer.
- Flexibility: If a film sells to a traditional distributor, the territory can be removed instantly.
The platform also allows filmmakers to stream directly from their own library. That means no middleman holding the files or the money.
How It Compares to Other Platforms
| Feature | The Drive-In |
|---|---|
| Who sets the price | Producer |
| Who keeps the revenue | Producer |
| Who owns the IP | Producer |
| Removal rights | Producer can remove instantly |
The comparison makes the logic clear. If a filmmaker wants to distribute through a traditional route, they can do it without giving up their spot on The Drive-In. If they want to keep everything, they can.
Submission and Launch Dates
RecDek is currently accepting filmmaker submissions via RecDekHouse.com. The formal launch is set for Oct. 17, during the London Film Festival.
The platform is designed to support indie films and TV series. It operates as a transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) service, meaning customers buy individual titles rather than subscribing to a monthly bundle.
Our Take on the Pitch
The pitch is sincere. Rigg and Orman talk about championing voices studios ignore, and the platform’s design reflects that. The quotes are boilerplate, the structure is familiar, and the closing date is a reminder that this is a product being launched, not a secret being revealed.
The ambition is real, though. A platform where filmmakers keep their IP, their audience and their revenue is genuinely useful, especially for small-scale productions that might otherwise struggle to find distribution. The instant removal feature is a smart hedge against selling out territory to a distributor who doesn’t share the same interests.
The launch date is Oct. 17. By then, the question will shift from whether the platform exists to whether it’s worth visiting.
Source material: “The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch (EXCLUSIVE),” Variety.
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