Indie film service Withoutabox adds the rights stuff.

WITHOUTABOX.COM, the Internet company that helps independent and wannabe filmmakers connect to the industry, is taking a large box approach.

In a bid to become a one-stop shop for indie auteurs, the firm has partnered with fights management software company Rightsline and acquired online consulting and marketing firm Film Finders. The moves will further aid the cause of any aspiring D.W. Griffith who happens to have a camera and a computer.

Withoutabox allows filmmakers to submit trailers, production notes, synopses, bios, marketing materials and film lest applications online. All of that material had to be printed, packaged and delivered via special delivery or snail mail in the past, which accounts for the company's moniker.

The company, which was founded in 2000 by Chief Executive David Straus and President Joe Neulight, today has more than 100,000 members from more than 200 countries worldwide and provides access to more than 2,000 film festivals.

"The whole mission of Withoutabox is to democratize and provide opportunity for the independent filmmaker so that they can connect to the audience and the audience can connect to them," said Straus. Besides the networking and informational benefits, the site's Rights creates an open marketplace for filmmakers to hawk their wares.

"It gives them more access to distribution channels and to buyers," says Straus. "It provides access to the buyers who can help them monetize their product."

In addition to a $75-$90 membership fee, Withoutabox.com also charges a small fee on any transactions. But Straus has no dreams of establishing a distribution network. "We're facilitating self-distribution. If the system works, then it's profitable for everybody."

For 18-year-old rights tracking firm Film Finders, the deal provides a broader base.

"They're going to help us an awful lot on computer applications," says Film Finders president Peter Belsito, who runs the company with his wife, Sydney, the chief executive officer. "We're very complementary."

Russell Reeder, founder and chief executive of Rightsline, believes that his firm's partnership with Withoutabox and Film Finders, creates a major force on the Hollywood landscape.

"With Film Finders expertise and Rightsline's robust product offerings--including in-house management coupled with a full-featured online licensing interface--Withoutabox becomes the top advocate for independent rights owners," said Reeder.