A new streaming service has joined the fray today as independent Australian and NZ distributor Umbrella Entertainment announced the launch of Brollie.
Brollie is a free on-demand platform specialising in Australian film and TV content, all coming from Umbrella Entertainment’s trove of classic content.
Consumers should note though that, because it’s free, it will be ad supported.
Brollie will launch with over 300 titles includes gems from Australian independent cinema, such as Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2014) and Two Hands (dir. Gregor Jordan, 1999) alongside rare, cult classics like TV series Sweat (creator John Rapsey, 1996) Erskineville Kings (dir. Alan White, 1999) with Hugh Jackman and Cut (dir. Kimble Rendall, 2000) starring Kylie Minogue.
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The platform will also have a section for Indigenous Australia, including a collection of films starring Aboriginal screen legend David Gulpilil such as Walkabout (dir. Nicolas Roeg, 1971) Storm Boy (dir. Henri Safran, 1976) and The Last Wave (dir. Peter Weir, 1977).
There’ll also be a hefty selection of non-fiction works, including documentaries Servant or Slave (dir. Steven McGregor, 2016) and Ablaze (dir. Alec Morgan, Tiriki Onus, 2021).
Special collections include ‘Australian Nightmares’, exploring the best of Aussie horror, and ‘All Out Ozploitation’, showcasing the best genre films from the 70s and 80s. Special features, a lost art that was usually confined to DVD extras, will also be available to watch with these collections.
Subscribers will also be invited to be part of the Brollie Film Club, in which an in-house team handpick the best of the catalogue twice a month.
‘The Brollie catalogue is full of Australian cult classics, many of which aren’t available on other streaming platforms,’ said Ari Harrison, General Manager and Head of Sales & Acquisitions at Umbrella Entertainment. ‘We know these iconic films and TV shows can find new and old audiences instead of gathering dust on the shelf. Brollie is about helping Aussies to access this world-class storytelling easily and, most importantly, for free so everyone can enjoy our epic screen legacy.’
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Brollie will also be launching a companion podcast on 23 November called Sunburnt Screens: The Australian Cinema Odyssey, hosted by pop culture and film authority Alexei Toliopoulos. On each episode, Toliopoulos will delve into insightful conversations with some of Australia’s most celebrated filmmakers such as Rolf de Heer, Gillian Armstrong, The Spierig Brothers and Natalie Erika James.
You can access Brollie from 23 November, through the Apple and Google Play Store, through Apple TV, Google TV and Android TV, through Chromecast with Google TV and on browser at www.brollie.com.au
