YouTube is partnering with the Sundance Film Festival to offer a selection of movies for rent to its US users for the first time.
The video sharing website is making a total of five films from the 2009 and 2010 editions of the event available to US users on the website from tomorrow (January 22nd) to January 31st on a rental basis.
YouTube says it intends to invite more independent filmmakers and a selection of partners from other industries to join the rental scheme in the next few weeks.
In a post on the YouTube Biz blog, the website explains that the initiative came about after filmmakers said the current advertising model on the video sharing site was not always suitable for their monetisation and distribution requirements.
The new service will offer "unprecedented" control over distribution, as well as allowing filmmakers to set video prices and rental duration, as well as "decide when and where their content is available and ... keep 100 per cent of their rights", according to YouTube.
Sales research conducted by YouTube last year showed that its traditional advertising model - particularly ads placed on the homepage - can be beneficial for brands looking to raise their profile and engage more users.
