Element Pictures launches videos on demand service 'Volta'

After reopening the Light House last week, film/television production company and film distributor Element Pictures today launches a new Irish video on demand service called Volta.

The online service - www.volta.ie - offers access to the best of Irish and international independent films for rent from €3.99 and for purchase from €6.99. The service does not require subscription fees, and users can stream or download films in full.

Volta is unlike any other video on demand service currently operating in Ireland as it offers strictly independent Irish and world cinema. It is also unique in that it offers select films on the same day as their theatrical release. Other films will be made available on the site at the same time as their DVD release.

This is currently the only VOD platform currently offering The Guard. Other highlights from Irish cinema available on the service are The Secret of Kells, Garage, As If I Am Not There and The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Sensation and Parked will soon join the growing catalogue of films, which already includes hundreds of titles.

The site also features editorial content with exclusive features, interviews and behind the scenes footage from many of the films it offers. Users can browse for films by director, cast, crew, year, country of origin or keyword. These search and filter features are not provided by other similar services. A Volta CinePass is also available, offering substantial savings for users who pre-purchase rental credits. Users can also browse the entire catalogue before entering any personal or payment information.

Looking forward, Volta also has plans to partner with RTÉ to acquire premium RTÉ-produced drama that will feature on the service.

Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, officially launched Volta today, alongside Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element pictures, and guests from the Irish Film board and Irish film industry.

Minister Deenihan spoke of the significance of the service for Irish consumers and the Irish film industry, stating, “As part of the Element Picture group, Volta marks a major shift in the development of online platforms for film consumption in Ireland. Developments such as this will provide the Irish film industry with a distribution channel, which has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of homes in Ireland. The impact Volta will have on the film industry is likely to be significant, especially in its efforts to combat film piracy.”

Speaking at the launch, Andrew Lowe stated, “We are delighted to launch Volta, the first Irish owned video on demand service in the Irish market . . . We are launching Volta now as advances in technology and broadband infrastructure make the service technically viable, changes in the retail sector make it essential to create a space where specialist cinema can be discovered and consumed, and there is an onus on the industry to provide safe and legal alternatives to pirated films.”

Volta was the name of the first cinema ever opened in Ireland, in 1909 by James Joyce. It seems fitting that the name is now adopted by this new first for Irish cinema. My, how things have changed.

Check out this brand new VOD service at www.volta.ie.