When I was programming Perth Revelation International Film Festival in July I selected a terrific DIY documentary callled DIY or DIE: How To Survive As An Independent Artist. It might seem old school to some, stating the obvious about the DIY ‘anti-corporate’ ethos, but I felt it possessed some inspiring commentaries and ideas about the importance of creating your own culture. It wasn’t so much anti-commerce as it was more anti-compromise.

The director of the film Michael W. Dean has just announced that he is “giving away the entire film as eight episodic chapters over eight weeks’ time, one per week as free video downloads” as podcasts.

Goodbye copyright as we know it.

Some of his reasons for this crazy act of ‘benevolence’? “It’s my gift to the world” and “the film has inspired many people”…

Most importantly if we’re looking at one of the BIG discussions that will be explored in DestFest: “I think that posting the whole film might actually drive DVD sales, not reduce sales. This is a film people seem to want to enjoy in a room with other people… Hell, I put the DVD out without copy protection and encouraged people to make copies for their friends. Press and word of mouth from that drove sales… “DIY or DIE” has sold over 4000 copies, and it’s on NetFlix, Blockbuster, GreenCine and on a lot of other video rental services, as well in some video rental stores. I think that at this point, people who would dig the film have either already purchased or rented the DVD, or else they’ve not yet heard of the film. I can’t imagine there are many people saying, “I’ve heard of that film, and really want to see it, but the DVD is EIGHT bucks, I’m gonna put it off.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about Dean’s new venture go to www.stinkfight.com/2007/11/11/high-quality-free-download-of-diy-or-die

And if you’re interested in posting your opinion about this idea please do so below - and come along to Week 3of Destfest which will look at this very issue.