AI short film service Sofy.TV debuts on Samsung TV Plus

AI assisted film-making company Largo has partnered with Samsung TV to launch a free, ad-supported version of Sofy.tv on Samsung’s TV Plus IP delivered channel service.

Working behind the scenes is Largo.AI, patented artificial intelligence software able to analyse film and TV content to map the ingredients of a film or TV series and predict the audience reaction and potential revenue.

Its makers say this enables Sofy.tv to schedule its content ‘in a highly sophisticated thereby offering highly curated and targeted slates and revolutionising the way people can watch short form content.’

The channel specialises in movie shorts, and launches with a catalogue of over 200 titles, many of which have been sourced from major film festivals including Sundance, Cannes Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. The line-up will be refreshed monthly. In addition, an extra 50 short films will be available on demand, enabling the user to watch anytime on any Samsung TV.

The channel has launched across four European countries including UK, Germany, Switzerland Austria, and will roll out further to include France, Spain, and Italy in December.

The on-demand Sofy.tv entertainment platform, launched in 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival, was specifically created to offer a home for short films.

Sami Arpa, co-founder and CEO,says “We see this partnership with Samsung as a great opportunity to meet the short content form with a wide audience, which has been a mission of Sofy.tv from the start. There are many great short movies that can appeal a variety of the audience, but they stay invisible. Now we bring them to the audience with the special curations and programs”.

Samsung TV Plus is free to watch on any Samsung smart TV from 2016 onwards.