In collaboration with New York-based digital distributor Emerging Pictures, The New York Times is be presenting an eight-month film series in theaters in at least 11 rather random-sounding cities, including New York, Tucson, Tulsa, and Scranton, PA. (Since the titles will be distributed digitally, I assume the choice of cities is based on the presence of theaters that have the technology needed to receive and project the films.) The series, which begins later this month with Jem Cohen's Chain, will celebrate the best films from the past year that have failed to get American distribution, based on IndieWIRE's annual Undiscovered Gems list. One film per month will be screened in the series and, at its end, the film chosen by audiences as the best will receive a prize of $50,000, in addition to "theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles and at least five other U.S. cities through 2007 ... and an airing on Sundance Channel."

This sounds like a fantastic idea, both for filmmakers and for the audiences who didn't get to see these films when they played festivals -- I mean, how many people in Tulsa have had a chance to see The Sun?