LOS ANGELES, CA -- 06/18/08 --
LAUNCH EVENT - HENRY FONDA'S MUSIC BOX --
YouTube™ today announced The YouTube Screening Room for filmmakers around
the world to distribute their work, build an audience, and generate
revenue. This dedicated area on YouTube will showcase an international
selection of films. The YouTube Screening Room
(
www.youtube.com/ytscreeningroom) will feature four new high-quality short
films every two weeks, as well as feature-length films on a case-by-case
basis, creating new business opportunities for filmmakers and bringing
informative, timely and entertaining films to the YouTube community around
the world.
In its first month of programming, The YouTube Screening Room will include
short films from Norway, Sweden, Canada, the UK and the US, featuring
well-known actors and award-winning filmmakers alongside undiscovered
talent. Over the next few months, films from Germany, Austria, France,
Kenya, Australia, Ireland and the UK will be screened.
"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. 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," said
Daniel Dubiecki, a producer of "Juno," as well as the short film "The Big
Empty," which will debut in the program on July 4th. "I'm really looking
forward to seeing the community's feedback on our film."
The YouTube Screening Room will showcase a wide range of films: some that
have never before been screened in front of a wide audience and others that
may have appeared in film festivals around the world. In the coming
months, all filmmakers will have the opportunity to submit their work for
consideration through an online submission process.
People will be able to communicate directly with filmmakers to share
thoughts, exchange opinions with fans, and provide honest feedback using
YouTube's features to comment, rate, and share films. The YouTube Screening
Room will also include a "Buy Now" button, allowing filmmakers to link to
websites selling DVDs and digital downloads of their films, as well as a
High Quality player, which offers users the best viewing experience
possible.
"One of the fantastic things about the digital present is that means of
production are so much more egalitarian than in the past," said Moby, whose
MobyGratis program allows filmmakers to use his music in their films for
free. "The YouTube Screening Room is about empowering filmmakers and
helping them get their work seen. What drives good artists, both filmmakers
and musicians, is to create something they love and have other people
experience it."
"YouTube is a natural place for filmmakers and audiences to connect. The
YouTube Screening Room will serve as a focused destination for people to
discover new talent while being entertained and informed through film,"
said Sara Pollack, film manager for YouTube. "We are excited to offer
filmmakers around the world a new distribution opportunity and to encourage
more conversation within our community around film."
About the Films
In the first month of programming, The YouTube Screening Room will feature
a diverse collection of films, including:
2006 Academy Award nominee, "Our Time Is Up," written and directed by Rob
Pearlstein, starring Kevin Pollak
2007 Academy Award winner, "The Danish Poet," written and directed by
Torill Kove and presented by The National Film Board of Canada
"Are You The Favorite Person Of Anybody?," directed by Miguel Arteta,
written by Miranda July, starring John C. Reilly, Mike White and Miranda
July, presented by Wholphin
2007 Los Angeles Film Festival winner, "Love and War," written and directed
by Fredrik Emilson and produced by Tomas Michaelsson
2006 Tribeca Film Festival winner, "The Shovel," written and directed by
Nick Childs, starring David Strathairn
2005 USA Film Festival winner, "The Big Empty," adapted and directed by J.
Lisa Chang and Newton Thomas Sigel, produced by Daniel Dubiecki and Jason
Blumenfeld, starring Selma Blair, presented by Wholphin
2008 Academy Award nominee, "I Met The Walrus," written and directed by
John Raskin, produced by Jerry Levitan
2007 WorldFest Houston winner, "The Clap," written and directed by Geoff
Lindsey, presented by Future Shorts
About YouTube
YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing
millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos.
YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others
across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content
creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San
Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
