Mubi

Specialist Online Film Resource

Published 01/28/2011 and rated 3 out of 5 stars by AppAppeal Editor

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Mubi (pronounced mōō'bē) is essentially an online theater that allows users to view auteur films and discover new favorites. Mubi also promotes a social networking aspect through user discussions about the films presented on the site. The application allows users to share their love of film, watch it wherever they go and even share cinema with others who might also enjoy it. Mubi acts as its users’ personal film library, where they can share their cinema knowledge, opinions and spread the word about good films throughout an online community. Mubi was also created on the idea that just because a film is well known or popular doesn’t mean it is necessary a good flick. Through Mubi, lesser known films can gain a following as users uncover movies they might never have come across in mainstream theaters.

Mubi was founded in February of 2007 by Gabe da Silveira and Efe Cakarel. Today the company has locations in Palo Alto, California, London and Paris. The team also includes Director of Content Daniel Kasman and Developer Jatinder Sing. The Mubi project was backed by a number of organizations including the Media Programme of the European Union, the World Cinema Foundation, the Criterion Collection, Celluloid Dreams, Costa Films and Sony Electronics.

Mubi stands out because of its collections of films. Although there are many movie focused websites out there, most are primarily geared towards main stream cinema rather than the cinematic underground. Mubi gives lesser known classic films a place to shine. Users can support their favorites, hold in depth film discussions and share good movies with others who haven’t yet discovered them.

Mubi utilizes a stylish, modern website design to entice users. Rather than sticking with a standard layout, Mubi users a lot of open space and an attractive grey and green color scheme to catch the eye of visitors. Users can view an activity feed that scrolls up from the bottom of the website. After logging in, users can view thumbnail images and titles as well as star ratings for each. Blue links at the bottom of each movie profile allow the user to become a fan or add the film to their watch list.

Users can create a Mubi account by clicking on the green “Sign up” button along the bottom, right hand corner of the homepage. Users can also click the blue “Log in with Facebook” button at the top, right hand corner of the homepage to use their Facebook account instead. The registration form requires an email address, name, password, gender and date of birth. The newsletter opt in box is automatically checked and must be manually unchecked to opt out. The user is also advised by a note at the bottom of the form that submitting their information means that they agree to the site’s privacy policy and terms of service.

Anyone can create a Mubi account for free. There are no subscription fees or other charges for creating an account and following films on Mubi. The site does not currently offer a paid membership, either. This is a great way to entice new viewers to check out lesser known films. The site is still in beta so there is always the chance that the free access may change further down the road. For now, anyone can enjoy Mubi for free.

Mubi is definitely a website intended for film fans. Whether the user is a budding newcomer to underground film or a long time lover of it, they can find something enjoyable about Mubi. Users can share favorite titles or check out new ones to discover new collections of good cinema.

• Give film titles ratings that can be seen by other users
• Hold discussions about films
• Make film recommendations to other users
• Add film titles to your watch list
• Become a fan of specific films

Mubi video

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