An Australian film about a hapless* drug mule* has bypassed cinemas to make its debut on the iTunes online store in a novel attempt.

    “The Mule,” available for paid downloads, was the most popular indie* film on iTunes in the United States and Australia over the weekend. It will be launched on DVD on December 3.

    In a promotional campaign targeted at Twitter users, audiences around the world have been invited to watch the black comedy on December 7 while tweeting to the cast and crew using the hashtag* #TheMuleLive.

    “For us, in the absence of having a fully resourced, cinematic marketing campaign, it feels as if the most logical decision is to bypass* cinematic release,” said Angus Sampson, the film’s star, co-director and co-writer.

    “We don’t have a lot of it (money), so I’m trying to spend it wisely,” he said.

    Australian audiences are increasingly watching film and television online, said a report released last week by Screen Australia, the national agency for cinema promotion.

    Web viewership offers new opportunities for Australian feature films that accounted for just 3.5 percent of the country’s total box-office earnings in 2013.(SD-Agencies)