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Internet search engine giant Google's popular YouTube video sharing Web site has begun offering free films from acclaimed independent filmmakers worldwide, with the Wednesday evening Los Angeles launch of its new Screening Room program, the San Bruno, California-based company announced. Longer Format For Independent Filmmakers The Screening Room section of YouTube's Web site will initially make four new films available each Friday, many of which have premiered at film festivals worldwide, viewable using a special video delivery system that  offers better image quality than the company's standard video clip player, YouTube said in a statement announcing the platform's launch. The films generally run substantially longer than YouTube's standard ten minute limit, pushing towards more traditional full-length running times, a move the company has hinted at over the past several months. Up-and-coming filmmakers have used YouTube in their efforts to market films in the past, placing preview clips on the site in order to draw attention to their films, however the ten minute limitation has prevented the type of widespread exposure for entire films the new Screening Room program may eventually usher in. Seeking To Help Independent Films Gain Audience Musician Moby, whose MobyGratis program helps filmmakers by allowing some of his music to be used in their films, said the new YouTube program would help film artists. "The YouTube Screening Room is about empowering filmmakers and helping them get their work seen," Moby said in the Wednesday statement. "What drives good artists, both filmmakers and musicians, is to create something they love and have other people experience it," Moby added. An editorial panel at YouTube will select the new weekly Screening Room films from partners such as the Sundance Channel and from various film festivals, beginning with a first month that will include films from Norway, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, YouTube said. Films from Ireland, Kenya, Germany, Australia, France and Austria are planned for inclusion in the Screening Room program over the next several months, as well as films from notable artists in the industry, such as "Juno" producer Daniel Dubiecki. To Provide Feedback For Directors "Having produced over 25 short films and having watched hundreds, if not thousands, I know that The YouTube Screening Room will be a great forum for watching shorts and discussing them," said Dubiecki, whose  short film "The Big Empty" will see its debut in the program on July 4. "It is a very fair and democratic way of allowing people all over the globe to watch films, rate them, and have the opportunity to speak about their feelings. I love watching films in theaters, but I now find myself watching more shorts on YouTube. I'm really looking forward to seeing the community's feedback on our film," Dubiecki added. Some of the films to be shown using the new Screening Room program, such as Dubiecki's latest short, will be seen for the first time by the public, YouTube said. Just as they may when using YouTube's general site, visitors to the Screening Room will be able to comment on films, and rate or share links to them, the company said. Advertising Revenue Sought Each film chosen for the new program was to appear with the permission and involvement of its filmmakers, helping them to "find the audiences they deserve" in a "new generation of filmmaking and distribution," according to YouTube. "YouTube is a natural place for filmmakers and audiences to connect," said YouTube film manager Sara Pollack. "We are excited to offer filmmakers around the world a new distribution opportunity and to encourage more conversation within our community around film," Pollack added. That distribution on the new YouTube site was to be done without changing the company's policy of not paying filmmakers for video material, instead offering them a portion of advertising revenue earned for allowing the Screening Room to show their films. The ability to generate revenue through advertising has long been a goal at Google, which purchased YouTube, the world's largest video sharing Web site, for $1.65 billion in stock compensation in 2006. YouTube Opens Screening Room For Independent Filmmakers YouTube hopes to lead consumers from watching the films shown in the Screening Room to buying them on DVD or as digital downloads through "Buy Now" links on the new site that can  be set up by filmmakers, a feature that could provide a significant number of viewers should the program take off for YouTube, which drew some 69 million visitors during May, according to Web traffic measurement firm Nielsen Online. This method of generating revenue may draw independent directors, however major film studios and large broadcast networks have increasingly turned to streaming their own video content online, such as Fox and NBC with video firm Hulu, and ABC with its Web presence. One of the Screening Room's offerings was the short film "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?" directed by "Chuck and Buck" filmmaker Miguel Artega and written by performance artist Miranda July, who also directed of the 2005 film "Me and You and Everyone We Know." The film also features Academy Award nominated actor John C. Reilly. Related Links:
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