YouTube Rentals is now live, and one of the offerings is a selection of films that screened at Sundance this year (and last). Dig it:

As you may have heard, we recently introduced YouTube Rentals. We’re very excited about this new offering as it will add to the great selection of movies already available on YouTube, including a group of independent films we’d like to tell you about now.

Until January 31st, you can rent five feature films from the 2009 and 2010 Sundance Film Festivals on YouTube. From last year’s documentary hit “The Cove” to selections from the brand new NEXT Category, there should be enough to keep you busy through the end of the Festival. The films available are:

“Children of Invention” explores the American Dream as seen through the eyes of a Chinese American family living in suburban Boston.

In “Homewrecker,” a prisoner on work release and a live-wire kook take a day-long ride in a seemingly stolen vehicle that neither of them will soon forget.

In “The Cove” an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Japan, and shine a light on a dark and deadly secret.

When humble Linas, kicked off of his friends couch and spurned by his lover, finds a forgotten van on a llama farm outside Seattle, he begins lurching east with nothing to lose in “Bass Ackwards”

In “One Too Many Mornings,” Fisher and Pete are two dudes with dude problems — one drinks too much and one just got cheated on by his girlfriend — and few prospects of helping each other out.

Head on over and check out the rentals. They’re 3.99 a piece looks like.

UPDATE: the film is currently available for rental on Youtube – Rent “Bass Ackwards” on YouTube for $3.99

“Bass Acwkards”, a new film recently screening at Sundance, is set to premiere in the US on VOD one day after the film fest comes to a close: Feb 1st, 2010. Check it out:

In an unprecedented distribution maneuver that will bypass theatrical and other traditional windows, the highly anticipated film, Bass Ackwards, which will have its World Premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, will be available nationwide one day after the festival closes. Through this unusual distribution deal with New York based New Video and Zipline Entertainment, Bass Ackwards will be available for purchase and download in tens of millions of homes via major digital retailers, cable VOD and DVD on demand beginning Monday, February 1, 2010. A full retail DVD release in the spring will include in-depth bonus material documenting the unique distribution strategy. This ground-breaking deal is a first of its kind for a feature-length film out of a premier festival like Sundance.

The film, executive produced by Sundance veteran Mark Duplass and marketing executive Marian Koltai-Levine, produced by Thomas Woodrow and directed by actor Linas Phillips, also stars Phillips as a man who embarks on a lyrical, strange and comedic cross-country journey in a modified VW bus after ending a disastrous affair with a married woman.

There’s also a short video from the film’s producer discussing why they’re going this route for distribution.

For more info, check out the Bass Ackwards website. Apparently they were trying to raise money for the premiere, though they have only met 10% of their goal. It is not clear whether or not that has impacted the release. Still, a step in the right direction if it happens.

Thanks Rotten Tomatoes.

Trailer for “Stingray Sam”

Some Indie studio favorites such as Criterion Collection, Docurama, Magnolia Pictures, Strand Releasing, and Virgil Films are among the studios offering films with 7 day rental periods instead of Amazon’s typical rental. The details:

While Walt Disney Studios, Warner Home Video and Lionsgate have begun extending the viewing window for video-on-demand rentals through Comcast this summer, a number of indie suppliers have gone even further with Amazon Video On Demand.Criterion Collection, Docurama, Magnolia Pictures, Strand Releasing, Virgil Films and Entertainment and Zeitgeist Films are among those offering VOD rentals on Amazon with a seven-day viewing period. Films available include new releases such as Criterion’s Grey Gardens, Virgil’s Super Size Me and Magnolia’s Man on Wire.

First Look, meanwhile, is offering rentals with a three-day viewing period on Amazon.

Major studios and even indie suppliers have traditionally stuck to a 24-hour viewing period on VOD rentals. For downloads and streams, that means consumers have 24 hours to watch the film once they click play before the content is no longer viewable.

That’s longer than a lot of DVD rental places, so consider that next time you’re in the mood to rent a flick. No driving required, unelss you’re out of popcorn of course. Thanks VidBiz.

The latest in YouTube’s Screening Room showcase is a collection of short horror/black comedy films that have been featured in many film festivals over the past few years. Check out a quick run down:

Spider

In this shocking black comedy, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. “Spider” was an official selection of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Skeletons In the Closet

A woman and a man wake up on the floor in a musty flat, remembering nothing of who they are or why they are there. “Skeletons in the Closet” was an official selection of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.

Beyond Words

In this thriller, a young, deaf woman finds herself being stalked by a mysterious man. “Beyond Words” was a 2009 Tropfest Finalist.

Morsure (Bitten)

Frightened and alone, Clara flees through a dark and sinister forest, pursued by a gun-toting man, bent on her destruction. Clara is taken in by a friendly farmer, but appearances can be deceiving. An official selection of the 2008 London Film Festival.

I’ve only watched two so far, but Spider is definintely pretty hilarious. Check ‘em out!

Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Osiris distributes independent films on DVD, television and now the Internet. In April, Osiris acquired the rights to Westlake Entertainment’s library of 400-plus films, which it has since added to the WebMovieNow site, supplementing a library of horror, thrillers, action, documentary and other genre films. The company also has distribution deals with IFM, Shoreline and other suppliers and independent filmmakers.

Films available on the site include drama Against Time starring Craig T. Nelson from Second Image Studios, documentary Behind the Monsters and Tex Mex Film Co. action flick Blind Heat starring Maria Conchita Alonso. The site also offers a handful of blockbusters such as Charlie’s Angels available to buy on DVD through the mail.

Because WebMovieNow works mostly with smaller suppliers and independent filmmakers, the site is able to offer downloads in more ways than most other sites. Films can be rented for varying periods of time, downloaded to a computer, streamed to the TV or burned to DVD.

We’ll be working on updating the VOD guide soon enough, and this one will certainly be on it. Stay tuned! Thanks again to VidBiz.

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth’s climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

You will be able to watch the entire film for free on YouTube after midnight. Get the popcorn ready and check out the Home page on YouTube.

If you missed the post about the film debuting on HDNet On Demand, Amazon is currently offering a $9.99 rental for “The Girlfriend Experience” before the film hits theaters on May 22nd. The Rated-R film about a high class escort is from director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Traffic) and is continuing Magnolia’s strategy of simultaneous (in this case, pre-emptive) VOD and theatrical releases. The blurb:

Sasha Grey stars as a high-priced… companion in Steven Soderbergh’s new film The Girlfriend Experience (Theatrical Rental). It won’t be in theaters until May 22, but you can rent it right now, only at Amazon Video On Demand.

Check it out for yourself The Girlfriend Experience (Theatrical Rental).

For a documentary, Shelby Knox received a surprising amount of attention at its 2005 release—reviews in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, a broadcast on PBS’s “POV” series, even a mention in a Dixie Chicks song. Since then, though, it’s faded into pop-cultural oblivion. Good luck finding it at Best Buy or Blockbuster.

This is a path followed by most documentaries, and even most movies. But Shelby Knox is still worth watching, even when it falters as a documentary, because of its subjects. Whatever else they do or don’t, Lipschutz and Rosenblatt tackle a thorny issue and a small-town locale, bringing needed attention to both. And Netflix‘s “Instantly Watchable” service continues to provide a home to fascinating but flawed stuff like Shelby Knox and its less-hyped brethren.

If you haven’t given VOD a thought yet, consider this: by viewing content online you eliminate the need to leave your house and track down a film that you may never be able to get in your town. For some people this might be part of the adventure, and I can sort of see that argument. However, if given that choice and the fact that you may never be able to find the film, I think most people would click “download” instead.

Through stunning displays of aerial camerawork, the film will give people from all corners of the world a glimpse of our planet like never before and visually demonstrate the urgency for preservation efforts. In addition to its Internet premiere, “Home” will also be shown in movie theaters, outdoors on the big screens at key locations around the globe, and it will air on TV stations around the world. Using this unique distribution model, one with a massive online and offline effort, the film creators are able to reach the widest audience possible. So whether you’d prefer to head to the theaters, watch it under the stars, or just stay put on the couch — the way you view “Home” is up to you. 

And starting today, YouTube channels in English, French, Spanish and German will feature behind-the-scenes looks from the making of the film, as well as interviews, and extras. To add even more dimension, Google Maps is featuring specially created layers that shed more light on some of the material covered in the movie. You can also use Maps to find a theater location near you. 

We continue to see this trend of premieres happening on multiple formats and the future of VOD is looking great. There’s a nifty countdown and a specialized YouTube page with tons of behind the scenes clips already up. Make sure you check out the film on June 5th. It will be interesting to see how YouTube handles the load.