Phare Stories

21/10/2025

This is Phare Stories: A Sanctuary for Independent Cinema

The Old World is Broken. For decades, cinema has operated on a model of gatekeepers and exploitation. Powerful, vital stories fade after a brief festival run, and creators are often left behind. We believe it is our duty to build a new world.

Phare Stories was not born in a boardroom; it was forged in the fire of a five-year "David vs. Goliath" battle on the island of Mauritius. Our founder, Deane Thomas, an award-winning filmmaker and green energy innovator, discovered a story of forgotten legacies and alchemical struggle that led to the creation of a digital "Phare" (Lighthouse), built to heal, connect, and ensure our most vital stories live on.

Supported by a grant from the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), PhareStories is a state-of-the-art global streaming platform built on a sacred principle: The Creator is Sovereign. We reject the old model by providing our filmmakers with radical transparency, fair revenue splits, and the revolutionary option to be paid instantly via cryptocurrency, bypassing restrictive traditional banking systems.

This vision is not the work of one person, but of a growing global community. We have forged powerful alliances with the World Film Festival in Cannes, the Cinema Foundation of Armenia, and the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF), the world's largest independent film festival, where our founder proudly serves as a jury member.

Phare Stories is more than a platform; it is proof that a new world, built on integrity, sovereignty, and soul, is not just a dream, but a destiny waiting to be claimed. We invite you, as a filmmaker, a partner, or a viewer, to join us for the soft launching on December 11th 2025 at Phare International Film Festival Mauritius.

Let us be the lighthouse together.

18/09/2025

Phare Stories is now live and in test mode! Feel free to set up a free account, and take a look at the small library of films currently available. All films are available for free viewing, no subscription or rental fee's - just set up an account, and enjoy.
We will be adding more films on a weekly basis, with some interesting projects from Russia and Iran in the pipeline!

The test phase will run until December, when even more projects and channels will be available. Right now we are testing the back end to ensure it all functions as it should!

Feedback is essential in this process, and we appreciate all that we receive.
Thanks to MRIC for the grant to make this a reality - register today

https://ott.pharestories.com

18/09/2025

Phare Stories is now live and in test mode! Feel free to set up a free account, and take a look at the small library of films currently available. All films are available for free viewing, no subscription or rental fee's - just set up an account, and enjoy.

We will be adding more films on a weekly basis, with some interesting projects from Russia and Iran in the pipeline!

The test phase will run until December, when even more projects and channels will be available. Right now we are testing the back end to ensure it all functions as it should!

Feedback is essential in this process, and we appreciate all that we receive.

Thanks to MRIC for the grant to make this a reality - register today

This a true story about the journeys of three men who are shaping the world and guiding humanity into the future through their creations.

09/09/2025

Hello Filmmakers,

What if a festival award was more than a laurel? What if it was a key that unlocked guaranteed global distribution and a new revenue stream for your work?

Introducing the Phare Stories Global Film Awards—a new, online film festival with a revolutionary purpose.

Born from the established Phare International Film Festival, we have built Phare Stories, a new global streaming platform where the "Creator is Sovereign." It's a free-to-watch (AVOD) sanctuary for your work, built on a transparent revenue-share model. Our mission is to give your film the global audience and the long, profitable life it deserves.

How do you get your film on the platform?
To ensure Phare Stories is a true home for exceptional cinema, we have made the Phare Stories Global Film Awards the official and only gateway. The submission and judging process is our curation. This guarantees that every film is professionally assessed and that our library is a trusted, world-class collection of independent stories.

The Prize for Our Winners:
Every award winner at the Phare Stories Global Film Awards receives guaranteed inclusion on the Phare Stories platform. No more searching for distributors. Winning means your film gets:

A permanent home in our "streaming sanctuary."
A global audience through our free-to-watch model.
A share of the revenue it generates.

The platform will have its soft launch this December at a landmark event in Mauritius, featuring a 2025 BAFTA-winning film and hosting some of the biggest names in storytelling.

Your journey to a global audience starts here. Submit your film to the Phare Stories Global Film Awards today and become part of a new, creator-centric movement.

Find our more:https://filmfreeway.com/pharestories

Beyond the Festival. Beyond Borders. The Phare Stories Global Awards is more than just an online competition; it is the official gateway to our main, glob...

27/08/2025

Uploading assets to the new Phare Stories platform, in readiness for the A/B Testing, which will begin in early September.

If anyone would like to assist with the testing phase and provide feedback please let us know and we will provide access to the platform.

We are creating a sanctuary for independent cinema - a place you can call home!

11/08/2025

Behind the Scenes we are building up the content ready for testing in September!