Protected: Bryce McLaughlin: Building AB Films TV streaming platform for Independent Filmmakers

AB Films TV is described as 20 years in the making. Where does the story start? Bryce McLaughlin: When I produced my first short film, I didn’t have anywhere to screen it. So I rented a venue and put an ad in the local paper “a call out” to other filmmakers. We had a great turn out that night and the Celebration of Independents was born. Year after year, I saw really good films come through that festival and then disappear. In year five I found myself at a crossroads, looking for sponsorship, seeking investors to help scale and grow the festival, but the big question was, “What makes you different from every other festival?” It was a good question. Later on that year I started working with a couple of guys and began building a website where these films could live and people could freely go and watch them. I felt this would be something I could offer the filmmakers whose work we presented at the festival. There were already two sites out there - Atom Films and IFilm. That year Youtube was founded, but they weren’t dedicated to filmmakers. Anybody could post a video and share. That same year, a good friend of mine introduced me to a work colleague of his. He was already building a website for movies, but he didn’t have the titles. I did. We started talking and discussing what it would look like. A bigger idea sparked: a dedicated place where independent movies and filmmakers could actually find an audience, long after the festival lights went down. We called it “Indiescene”. It didn’t turn into much. An idea. A concept. The idea didn’t leave me. I knew there was something in it. I tried with another group of guys and we added another aspect to the site. It would also become a place to build a film community, where the filmmaker could meet and interact with the film lover. Basically they would find their audience. The dilemma was no one believed that people would watch short films on their phones. What's the core problem you're trying to solve? Bryce McLaughlin: One word. Distribution. You see the challenge was never about making the film. It was about helping audiences discover them. There are great independent films out there that deserve to be seen, but too often they struggle to find a distributor, and it’s not because they aren’t any good. But that’s a whole other conversation. [caption id="attachment_6487" align="aligncenter" width="431"] AB Films TV logo[/caption] You've worked as a writer, director, actor and producer. How did that shape the platform? Bryce McLaughlin: I've spent more than 20 years on the filmmaking side, so I know how much goes into getting a film made, and how little support there is once it's finished. We built AB Films TV to be filmmaker-driven. It's designed with independent filmmakers and audiences in mind, not as an afterthought to a bigger studio catalogue. The platform: What will viewers find when they open AB Films TV? Bryce McLaughlin: Movies, series, documentaries and short films, all in one place. We have more than 120 titles right now, including Mr. Church , Still Breathing , My Wacko Parents and Power of Grayskull , plus films featuring talent like Ryan Reynolds, Eddie Murphy, Brendan Fraser, Michael J. Fox, Gerard Butler and Ella Purnell. People are sometimes surprised by the names. Independent doesn't mean unknown. [caption id="attachment_6488" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Few Titles from AB FILMS TV Library[/caption] Short films rarely get a home on streaming services. Why include them? Bryce McLaughlin: Two reasons. There is a huge audience for them. People love watching short films. Youtube and social media have proven this theory with their take on reels and shorts. But those aren’t short films. They’re content. Crafting a short film on the other hand takes thoughtfulness, skill, and talent. Not everyone can tell and execute a good story in a short period of time. Essentially the short film becomes a filmmaker's calling card. It’s where they showcase their talents, hone their skills, learn the process of making a movie, and are able to take their biggest risks artistically. Leaving them out would mean leaving out a big part of independent film. How does a filmmaker-driven platform differ from the big streamers? Bryce McLaughlin: The big platforms aren’t built for the independents. The majors are like studios. Nor do they have the mindset anymore for the filmmaker. They aren’t risk adverse and they continue to show us that this is a true statement. For us, our whole focus is creating an opportunity for independent filmmakers and producers to reach an audience. Every title on AB Films TV is selected and we curate the site. We’re thoughtful in what we present and represent. We also are keeping in mind an audience that is no longer being served. The younger generation and families. We also notice that there are genres being ignored and overshadowed by movies that the bigger demographic isn’t interested in. Who's on the team behind it? Bryce McLaughlin: We've got decades of combined experience across filmmaking, production, post-production and technology. I oversee development and finance. My long time friend, Michael George, has over 25 years of post-production across film, television, commercials and music videos, leads curation and library development. Nathan Bolanta, who built the site, oversees technology and platform development, with expertise in full-stack development, IT support and web design. We’re a small team, but every part of the pipeline is covered by someone who's done it. You've picked up some notable partners since launch. What's been the biggest milestone? Bryce McLaughlin: We secured a licensing agreement with Filmhub , and we were accepted into AWS' startup program, NVIDIA's Inception program for startups and Web Summit Vancouver's Alpha program. For a young platform, that kind of backing from both the film side and the tech side tells us we're on the right track. AB Films TV attended TIFF 2026 as a buyer. What was that experience like? Bryce McLaughlin: That was our intention, but what we came away with was so much more. The mixer held with TechBeat, Actra Toronto , Prospera Ai and a couple of others was the best thing we could have done at TIFF. I believe this because it felt like we were doing what we designed the site to be – a community builder. As far as being a buyer at the market, I realize we aren’t quite there yet. We had some good conversations, but our focus right now is creating awareness that we are here and are open for business. [caption id="attachment_6489" align="aligncenter" width="694"]<img class="wp-image-6489 size-full" src="https://techbeat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-15-at-4.11.55-PM.png" alt="AB Films TV x ACTRA Toronto x TechBeat Mixer: Celebrating Indie Films during TIFF2026 - Bottom Photo- Zee Hamid, Minister of Culture, Ontario, along with Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto President and Rob Halpin, Executive Director, ACTRA Toronto" width="694" height="855" /> AB Films TV x ACTRA Toronto x TechBeat Mixer: Celebrating Indie Films during TIFF2026 - Bottom Photo- Zee Hamid, Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming along with Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto President and Rob Halpin, Executive Director, ACTRA Toronto[/caption] You also co-hosted Celebrating Indie Films with ACTRA Toronto and TechBeat Media on September 15. Why put on an event during the festival? Bryce McLaughlin: The short film festival grew out of community, and so did this platform. TIFF brings the whole industry to one city for a few days, and we wanted to give independent filmmakers a room of their own in the middle of it. The mixer brought together members of the independent film community to connect and celebrate the filmmakers and stories at the heart of AB Films TV. The response blew us away. We had about 250 independent filmmakers and artists in the room, and we were honoured to be joined by Zee Hamid, Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming . Our partners at ACTRA Toronto were there in force too, including President Kate Ziegler and Executive Director Rob Halpin , along with ACTRA members. Having performers in the room alongside filmmakers was important to us, because independent film only works when everyone on screen and behind the camera is part of the conversation. Having the minister there sent a strong message that independent film matters, not just as art but as part of the province's creative economy. For a lot of the filmmakers in that room, it was a chance to be seen and heard by people who can help shape the industry's future. That's exactly what AB Films TV is about. What does the next year look like? Bryce McLaughlin: Our next year looks ambitious. I would like to see 1 million users by the end of next year. On the tech side of the site we are finished building the app for smart TV’s, phones, tablets. We hope it will be available by mid November. We also are building a top secret interactive tool for the user. We call it Barry and he’ll be our version of Alexa, Siri and Google voice. But we are not ready to talk about that yet. For the promotional side, we’re attending the AFM and have secured a booth at the AFM House where we will be presenting the platform to a large audience. We have plans to rinse and repeat, do the same in Berlin and Cannes with intention to return to TIFF 2027 and be a bigger presence. Yes, we want to grow our library to about 500 titles and it will take raising capital to license those titles and give the filmmakers more than a fair price for that. I really want to make sure the filmmaker wins. We used to. And we can again. Remember, I am one of them. As the saying goes - treat those how you want to be treated. Twenty years from that first festival, how does it feel to see the platform live? Bryce McLaughlin: Surreal. When I get a moment to visit it or show someone the site, I still am in awe that it actually happened. I have Nathan and Michael. My wife and Michael’s wife to thank for this. They really believed in the vision. We got a lot of work ahead of us, but the good news is, it’s built and now the fun begins. Finding films, building an audience and growing the community. Where can readers watch? Bryce McLaughlin: At abfilmstv.com .

Protected: Bryce McLaughlin: Building AB Films TV streaming platform for Independent Filmmakers

Twenty-six years after launching a short film festival for independent filmmakers, Vancouver Filmmaker Bryce McLaughlin has built a streaming home for them.

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