One of the great things about film festivals is that, every now and again, you'll stumble upon a great little film made for next to no money; The Puffy Chair is just such a film. Directed by Jay Duplass and written by (and starring) his brother Mark, The Puffy Chair is a low-budget indie flick, but sharp dialogue, smart filmmaking and real characters make for a fun, quirky ride through the turmoil a road trip puts on an already shaky relationship. At the heart of the story are Josh, a 20-something musician who has given up playing with his band for the (relatively speaking) more stable life of a booking manager, and his long-time girlfriend, Emily (Kathryn Aselton). Josh (Mark Duplass) finds a purple recliner on the internet -- the puffy chair of the title -- that's just like the chair his dad had when he was a kid. He buys the chair through eBay, with the intent of taking a solitary road trip to pick the chair up and deliver it to his dad for his birthday.

The last deal of Sundance 2005 was announced the day we got to Park City for Sundance 2006. After a year-long tour of festivals worldwide, Mark and Jay Duplass have scored a deal with Roadside Attractions and Netflix to release their relationship comedy,The Puffy Chair. As I understand it, the deal is for both theatrical and DVD distribution, though not, as some are reporting simultaneously. Roadside plans to put the film in theaters next summer with both their logo and Netflix' on the print. Netflix will promote the release through their channels, but when the theatrical window closes and DVD distriubution begins, they'll not hold on to exclusive rights.

It's a pretty traditional deal, by the looks of it, which is sort of disappointing – the film is a cult classic waiting to be discovered, and seems like the perfect candidate for a Cuban-esque simultaneous release.