Selling independent films is a fraught business amid the chaos of the annual film festival circuit, but last year Legion M debuted an ace in its back pocket — hundreds of app users on smartphones, weighing on what titles were most likely to succeed.

That’s how Film Scout was born, the app that lets a mix of public and industry users on the ground at events like Sundance rate titles they’ve screened. In turn, its fan-owned parent company Legion M uses the insights to invest in acquisition titles and partner with filmmakers on future projects.