Indie distributor Mongrel Media is collapsing the release windows for select arthouse film imports to better reach Canadian cinephiles.

Mongrel is to simultaneously release at least nine foreign language films in theaters on the same day they stream on newly-launched Netflix Canada.

The following week, Mongrel will market the film’s DVD release on a Tuesday, while Superchannel broadcasts the film on the Wednesday. And then, within a month, Air Canada will make the movie titles available to its in-flight passengers.

Mongrel’s multi-platform release strategy will start October 14 with Tales from the Golden Age from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.

The Romanian film, and eight other titles to be released through April 2011, will be released at Bell Lightbox, the Toronto International Film Festival’s new home in Toronto, and on screens in Vancouver and Calgary.

“Bringing quality art-house films from around the world has been our raison d’etre and we are very proud to have secured cross-media partners to help us make these wonderful films available to Canadians when and where they want to see them,” Hussain Amarshi, president of Mongrel Media, said.