(CNN) -- Viewers might have a different idea of what they are going to see when they start watching the movie "Strictly Sexual" on Hulu.com, but that hasn't stopped them from making it one of the most popular on the site.
The 2008 film, which despite its suggestive title is more of a love story than an explicit one, has now been watched by millions, much to the delight of its writer -- who previously was clueless about Hulu.
"I didn't even know at first that it was on Hulu or even what Hulu was," said Stevie Long, who also co-stars in the film. "I now spend about half an hour a day responding to fan e-mails."
He knows now -- and "Strictly Sexual" has become his calling card.
The film, which centers around two successful women whose disappointment with love and relationships inspires them to keep a pair of unemployed men as their "boy toys," leads the list of Hulu's "Most Popular Movies" section. (Despite the title, it's not porn. In fact, there's no nudity in the film, prompting chuckles from Long, who's frequently asked that question.)
Long said the movie's distributor got the film onto Hulu, and he didn't realize how popular it had gotten until he started receiving e-mails via his Facebook account from fans around the world, saying they enjoyed his film.
The Web site, which streams television shows, movies, commercials, movie trailers and video collections, has declined to release data about site traffic, but according to the metrics firm comScore, Hulu had more than 1 billion videos viewed in December.
A reprensentative for Hulu.com declined to discuss the film or traffic data for the site.
Long said that the title sparks interest but that it's the film's plot that has helped develop such a strong fan base.
"Pretty quickly into the film, you realize that the title is ironic and that I made a movie that's not about getting naked," he said. "It's about love and trust and understanding."
Kevin Carr, a writer/reviewer for the site Film School Rejects, said the Web has increasingly become a viable option for filmmakers who lack the big budget that comes with being backed by a major studio.
"Any way to get your movie out there, and if you can monetize it, all the better," Carr said. "To get a low-budget or independent film in to theaters and have it be successful is really, really tough, even though it has happened recently with movies like 'Paranormal Activity.' "
Carr said the most a filmmaker used to hope for would be a strong DVD release, but the improvement in online streaming technology makes for a better viewing experience.
"In the next five to 10 years, I could see streaming and downloads becoming the main way to go for independent films," Carr said. "For sites like Hulu, it gives them more content and diversifies the content that they have."
Long said his little movie, whose initial budget hovered around $100,000, has now made 10 times that amount, thanks to a deal that splits the ad revenue between Hulu and the content provider.
The success of the film has also raised his visibility, Long said, and he's been approached about work on possible TV sitcoms and projects with Hollywood notables such as Chris McQuarrie, who won an Academy Award for the screenplay to "The Usual Suspects."
Long is funneling his profits into his next film, titled "Porn Star: The Ugly Life of a Beautiful Girl," which he plans to release directly to the Internet.
Long said he hopes his experience will bode well for others like him.
"I think I am most excited not just for me but for my fellow indie filmmakers," Long said. "Now there is a feasible way for indie filmmakers to make films that are profitable and allow us to keep delivering really good indie films to the American audience."
Indeed, the Web is offering indie filmmakers exposure that didn't exist before, he added.
"These independent films, they don't really find an audience because there is no advertising or promotions behind them," Long said. "The wonderful thing about the film is how it's found an audience on the Internet through Hulu and Netflix. It's really pretty exciting."
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