ShortsTV to expand into the world of OTT with Airtel Xstream

Launches a full-fledged video-on-demand service for TV and mobile screens with a unique pricing of INR 99/- per month and INR 499/- for a year

Announces the launch of 2021 ShortsTV Worldwide Film Festival in India, U.S., Latin America, and Europe, giving platform to filmmakers around the globe to showcase their craft

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, 23 February 2021: India has witnessed an unprecedented increase in content consumption on digital platforms. Keeping in stride with the evolving consumer trends and the digital world, ShortsTV, the world’s first and only 24/7 linear TV channel dedicated to short films, ventures into its first partnership with Airtel, India’s premier communications solutions provider. Leveraging Airtel’s core strengths of Network, Data & Distribution, ShortsTV has launched its first video-on-demand service on Airtel Xstream that can be enjoyed on both the mobile app as well as television screens. ShortsTV is now available at a nominal subscription of INR 99/- per month and INR 499/- for a year.

ShortsTV through Airtel Xstream is now ready to entice subscribers with its expansive catalogue of quality short films that includes nominated and winning shorts from internationally acclaimed awards such as The Academy Awards, Cannes, BAFTA, and high-quality CGI animation from international independent filmmakers & local Indian filmmakers. Equipped with a specially curated library of over 4000+ titles from across the globe spanning genres such as comedies, musicals, documentaries, thrillers, dramas, and animation, the service is here to allure all the short film fans and offer a seamless binge-watching experience. The catalogue includes short films across English, foreign, and local Indian languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu.

Speaking about this partnership, Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive, ShortsTV, said, “TV and mobile phones are both integral to the Indian viewing experience—a perfect combination for ShortsTV and our ground-breaking short movie entertainment.  ShortsTV is present in over 60 million TV households in India already, and our partnership with Airtel Xstream will bring us to Airtel’s 340 million subscribers — who are always on the lookout for unique content. From Oscar Nominated movies to Travel Documentaries to exciting new films from India’s hottest new directors – ShortsTV is amazing entertainment.  Binge on, dude!”

“Short films are slowly making their presence felt among mainstream cinema, thus adding momentum to the growth of shorts on the Indian movie map. At ShortsTV, we always believed in providing a global platform for filmmakers to showcase their work since the audience’s affinity towards the short format is growing. Understanding the rise in content consumption on the small screen, our partnership with Airtel Xstream will not only help us extend our reach into the Indian heartland but also provide an opportunity for Indian filmmakers to expand in India and beyond.”, said, Tarun Sawhney President – Asia, ShortsTV.

ShortsTV’s catalogue of short films features critically acclaimed stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Emilia Clarke, Jude Law, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Naseeruddin Shah, Radhika Apte, and others. Some of the unique shorts available on the platform include internationally popular Oscar Winner ‘Skin’, BAFTA nominee ‘The Voorman Problem’, Cannes Jury prize winner ‘Swimsuit 46’.

The top short films from Best of India and Latin America like Natkhat starring Vidya Balan, Shameless starring Sayani Gupta, Safar starring Shweta Tripathi, Soundproof starring Soha Ali Khan, Trapped starring Abhishek Banerjee, The Lillies Seller will be showcased as part of Worldwide Film Festival from 24^th to 27^th Feb. In addition to an enviable selection of short films, the service also features various segments on local film festival coverage, film school vignettes, ‘making-of’ features, interviews with directors, actors, and other leaders in the industry.

Enjoy these Short films on Airtel Xstream with one-month free subscription – https://content.airtel.tv/p/s2h4o

The entertainment doesn’t stop there! With the aim of providing a unified platform to filmmakers around the globe, ShortsTV launched 2021 ShortsTV Worldwide Film Festival in India, U.S., Latin America, and Europe, another milestone step towards promoting regional talent on a global stage. Being the exclusive presenter of Oscar® Nominated Shorts theatrical releases, ShortsTV, will now offer a worldwide short film competition to the most creative storytellers, with shorts from around the globe competing head-to-head for global recognition.  For more information on how to submit and rules for the ShortsTV Worldwide Film Festival, please visithttps://festhome.com/festival/shortstv-worldwide-film-festival.