Gravitas to Launch 100 "Documentaries on Demand" with PBS

An image from Peter Bisanz's "Beyond Our Differences." [Image courtesy of Gravitas Ventures]

PBS Distribution and Gravitas Ventures unveiled a new monthly transactional On-Demand package for cable, satellite and other providers throughout North America. Featuring 30 hours of titles available to rent, including 10 new hours every month, "Documentaries On-Demand" will debut this Fall.

Under the plan, films viewable via its "Documentaries on Demand" will be available for 90 days, with roughly 100 films to be released through the VOD channel per year. Documentaries on Demand will join Gravitas' lineup of already established VOD channels: Gravitas New Movies on Demand, Gravitas Events on Demand, and Gravitas Horror.

The company announced five films that will be included in the first month of programming. Three are from PBS: Kevin Shaw's "The Street Stops Here," a profile of high school basketball coach Bob Hurley, Sr., Peter Bisanz's "Beyond Our Differences," an exploration of religious dialogue, and Barak Goodman's "My Lai," which documents the Vietnam massacre. And two more are from Gravitas' collection: Chip Mabry's "Brutal Beauty: Tale of the Rose City Rollers," the story of a roller derby team in Portland, Oregon and Bob Corna's "Tiny Tears," in which Danny Glover narrates a journey that explores the lives of chidren affected by HIV/AIDS in Uganda, Thailand, Brazil, and the U.S.

“The PBS brand is synonymous with high-caliber content and we are thrilled to work with them to launch and market the Documentaries On-Demand package," commented Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures. "Through this collaboration, we are able to provide our operator partners a vast roster of over 100 films every year that are sure to enthrall documentary lovers, as well as those captivated by incredible storytelling.”

“We are always exploring new ways to serve a broader audience and generate critical revenue to support the PBS mission,” added Andrea Downing, co-president of PBS Distribution. “Offering our top-performing programs on VOD is a natural next step for us as consumer viewing habits evolve.”

Although the Demand package will include 10 hours of new documentary content every month, each title will also be available to a consumer as a separate film available to rent for $4.99.