Sundance and YouTube Partner Up for Movie Rentals

“You can map your life through your favorite movies, and no two people’s maps will be the same.” -- Mary Schmich

YouTube + The Sundance Film Festival = Indie Movie Lovers Instant Gratification.

That’s right! Starting Friday, January 22, you’ll be able to morph your YouTube addiction with your passion for film, and rent five movies currently showing out in Park City, Utah. No need to fly out and schlep in knee-deep snow drifts, dodge swag-littered sidewalks and pretend to not be watching out for sun-glassed, bunny suit-clad celebs.

In a statement released on Wednesday, January 20, YouTube said, “While YouTube has offered an easy and economical way for filmmakers — as well as content creators of all kinds — to instantaneously connect with fans around the world, many of them have told us that the ad-supported business model doesn't always meet their distribution and monetization needs.” So in a way, YouTube is simply trying to create a supply for user demand.

Some analysts, however,  think it’s about financial reports. Perhaps Google-owned YouTube is testing the waters, hoping rentals will provide revenue apart from advertising. Three years ago Google paid $1.76 billion in stock for the site and needs to start turning a profit.

The first five films cost $3.99 for 48 hours. But rent quickly because the opportunity to watch the Sundance picks will end on January 31, the last day of the festival (but with a small collection of rental videos to follow weeks ahead).

For more details including the trailers for the 5 chosen Sundance rentals, visit their official YouTube blog.

Photos courtesy qbac07 via Flickr