Bloomsbury acquires Artfilms video streaming service

Bloomsbury has completed the acquisition of certain assets of Artfilms, the video streaming service of Contemporary Arts Media, as it expands its digital resources portfolio.

Artfilms provides streaming access to more than 2,000 films, across top artists, international and independent filmmakers, and is mainly aimed at arts education and arts practitioners. The collection features content that originates from Australia, the UK, the US, Germany, Denmark, France, Hungary, Canada, Switzerland, Pakistan, Indonesia, Africa and Japan. 

The catalogue includes films covering visual and applied arts, film studies, media studies, music and dance, and history and philosophy, among other subjects. Artfilms also includes masterclasses, documentaries and interviews.
 
Kathryn Earle, m.d. at Bloomsbury digital resources, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Artfilms to our product portfolio. The content aligns beautifully with our existing strengths — most notably in the visual and performing arts — and significantly expands our video offering. 

"Streaming has been gaining considerable institutional traction and, as a logical outcome of our success with our Drama Online platform, it represents a core strand in our strategic growth plans. We look forward to working with Artfilms’ content providers and customers to grow the product offering and expand its educational impact globally, as we have done with streaming partners for Drama Online, such as the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre.”

Kriszta Doczy, founder and co-director of Contemporary Arts Media, said of the acquisition: “Artfilms was born out of passion for the beauty and complexity of arts. Our aspiration was to create a curriculum without borders by introducing artist visionaries who inspired the world through decades and centuries.  

"The Artfilms collection was always for the open minded and for the curious as it was reflected in our slogan: Artfilms — educating imagination.  For continuing to grow and to be part of the global conversation that is art and culture we couldn’t have found a better partner for Artfilms than Bloomsbury. We are humbled and honoured by the trust and appreciation when we pass on our precious collection to this inspirational company.”