How Streaming Platforms Are Impacting Global and Indie Cinema

It’s a complicated relationship. At first glance, it may seem that streaming has been a blessing to a lot of niche, low budget and global films, it’s a double-edged sword. They have helped several indie films by taking them in when they can’t get into theatres, but it isn’t always that straightforward.

Championing Diversity or Commercial Gatekeeping?

The more mainstream platforms like Netflix and Prime offer a diverse collection of films, including indie and global cinema. In fact, Alfonso Cuaron praised Netflix’s release of Roma, which was rejected by a lot of theatres globally.

Beyond this, Mubi and Criterion Channel offer unique services with Mubi have a collection that is curated every month, promoting lesser known films and foreign films. Criterion preserves older films and showcase films that might not normally be available to the public.

Hidden Biases and the Limits of Algorithmic Curation

However, this does not always function as it may seem. Netflix often buy smaller films for little money, only to bury it behind their algorithm, promoting their content above others. They have even pulled back significantly in acquiring South Indian films, leaving many Tamil and Telugu films unsold. This leads them to sell out cheaply to regional platforms like Zee5, Sun NXT, etc..

Despite rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, streaming platforms maintain strong biases toward studio films and recognizable talent. Farrukh Syed, lead actor of the independent film Aani Mani (2019), revealed that the film, based on the life of a kebab seller whose life was upended by India's beef ban, was rejected by both Netflix and Amazon Prime.

One executive called it "too controversial," while others dismissed it for lacking big producers, actors, or attached names. MUBI approached the filmmakers but offered no money, only a platform, insufficient for filmmakers who need to sustain themselves financially

Director Martin Scorsese criticized streaming platforms for treating viewers "as consumers and nothing else," arguing that algorithmic curation lacks the human judgment that once helped audiences discover groundbreaking films.

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