In a move designed to increase the reach of independent cinema, IFC Entertainment, one of the leading distributors of independent and foreign films, and Netflix, the world's largest online movie rental service, today announced a partnership that gives Netflix U.S. rights to 53 unique titles from IFC Entertainment. Through this agreement select titles from IFC Entertainment's eclectic library of independent films will become available to be streamed instantly to televisions and computers via the Netflix service. The deal was announced jointly by Lisa Schwartz, executive vice president for IFC Entertainment, and Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix.

The partnership gives Netflix members on an unlimited plan the opportunity to instantly watch the newly acquired films on their computers or TVs through a range of Netflix ready devices. Those devices include Netflix ready Blu-ray disc players and new Internet TVs from LG Electronics; Blu-ray disc players from Samsung and Best Buy's Insignia brand; the Roku digital video player; Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console and Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system; TiVo digital video recorders, and Internet TVs from Sony and, soon, VIZIO. The films will be available beginning Friday, November 20th.

"Netflix has always championed independent cinema and has creatively built audiences for films in this genre, and we're excited to give their customers instant access to this wide-ranging collection of independent film," said Lisa Schwartz, executive vice president for IFC Entertainment. "Our top priority is to make independent film available to a wider audience and this partnership further underscores that commitment."

"Partnering with IFC Films gives us the opportunity to expand the number of quality films that our subscribers can watch instantly," said Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix. "This deal reinforces our commitment to bringing diversity to the library and properties like this collection of titles bring us closer to that goal."

The deal will include 53 contemporary classic, and recent critically acclaimed titles, including English-language independents from John Sayles' Sundance prize winner The Brother from Another Planet and the award-winning Return of the Secaucus 7, Christopher Nolan's first film Following, Joe Swanberg's Nights and Weekends, James Toback's When Will I Be Loved?, and Rebecca Miller's debut Angela.

The library will also feature documentaries by renowned filmmaker Errol Morris, including the groundbreaking The Thin Blue Line and his debut feature Gates of Heaven. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's award-winning Brother's Keeper, and Jim Stern and Adam Del Deo's political documentary So Goes the Nation are also featured.

In addition, some of the most celebrated foreign language titles of recent years can be instantly streamed from Netflix, including Susanne Bier's Brothers, Patrice Chereau's Gabrielle, Hirokazu Kore-Eda's Cannes prize winner Nobody Knows, Lukas Moodysson's Together, Christophe Honoré's Dans Paris, Catherine Breillat Sex is Comedy, Alfonso Cuaron The Intended and Hou Hsiao Hsien's Three Times.