Rialto is launching a new premium streaming platform, Rialto View, for Kiwis to access cinema and art films that are not selected by algorithms.

As streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney+ continue to dominate viewership internationally, more businesses are looking to find gaps in the market and points of difference for local viewers.

Developed in Aotearoa, Rialto View is aiming to draw on decades of curatorial experience, to offer a hand-selected catalogue of international and local works.

The streaming platform is looking to showcase local excellence on screen and offer audiences a considered alternative to algorithm-driven platforms. The new streaming app has been formed around a guiding principle: that cinema and the arts deserve a home, not a feed.

The types of content on offer will include film festival winners, arthouse classics, contemporary releases and performance documentaries.

A flagship title on the new streaming platform is Shakespeare: The Rise of a Genius, which is a documentary series tracing William Shakespeare’s ascent from provincial beginnings to enduring global influence.

The series will feature Dame Judi Dench and leading voices of contemporary theatre to explore how language and imagination shape works that continue to define storytelling even centuries later.

Another key title is Recital, which captures the internationally acclaimed New Zealand tenor Pene Pati, who is well-known as part of the popular musical trio Sol3 Mio, in performance.

Rialto managing director Roger Wyllie said the platform represents a cultural investment in local and international storytelling.

“New Zealanders and Australians have always supported stories with substance,” Wyllie said.

“Rialto View is a place where local filmmakers stand alongside global auteurs, and where cinema, performance and literature can coexist with purpose.”

The platform is placing particular emphasis on New Zealand cinema, such as films by acclaimed New Zealand documentary maker Shirley Horrocks, whose works explore creativity, labour and cultural identity.

Additional titles available on Rialto View include Dance with Rodin, a contemporary dance work by Julien Lestel, as well as Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words, an intimate portrait of the actor told through personal archives and unseen footage.

The platform will be available across mobiles, tablets, smart TVs and browsers.

It aims to stand apart from global streaming giants by prioritising substance over scale through locally built content and the best picks of New Zealand cinema.