Love, fear and car keys

As the world is starting to see Life in a Day—the documentary distilled from 80,000 videos submitted to YouTube from 190+ countries—many people have asked us how the film is structured. Woven into the collage of videos from Australia to Zambia, from the heart of bustling cities to the remote reaches of the earth, are responses to three universal questions: What do you love? What do you fear? What’s in your pocket? Check out some of the answers to these questions in the Life in a Day trailer:



To celebrate the one year anniversary of Life in a Day’s filming date, we’d love to hear your answer to these questions. So tell us, what do you love, what do you fear and what’s in your pocket? Upload a video to YouTube, share a photo on Google+, tweet us with the #lifeinaday hashtag and invite your family and friends to join. Let’s spark a dialogue and continue the passion of Life in a Day by highlighting the things that connect us across the globe.

For more information about Life in a Day and where to see it this weekend, visit the Life in a Day channel.

Raymond Braun, Entertainment Marketing, recently watched “Life in a Day Teaser #1: Slim Up.”

More about → Love, fear and car keys

Tickets available for Life in a Day screening in 90 U.S. cities this weekend

Life in a Day, the documentary directed by Oscar-winner Kevin MacDonald, produced by Ridley Scott and made out of thousands of YouTube clips, has been inspiring audiences from the Sundance Film Festival to the Berlin Film Festival to the Sydney Film Festival.

On July 24, one year after thousands of you submitted videos to be a part of the film, many of you across the United States will finally have a chance to see the finished project on the big screen! Check out the channel for a list of the 90 U.S. cities where the film will play this weekend, ranging from Los Angeles, CA to Louisville, KY to Providence, RI to Dallas, TX.

Critics have called the film “ingenious and warmhearted,” an “amazing compilation of videos…[that] is one for the ages” and “a spellbinding montage depicting a day in the life of the planet Earth.”

If you don’t see your town listed, don’t panic. You can still vote to bring the film to a theater near you after its theatrical release on July 29 and the folks at National Geographic will do their best to get it to you.

This is your film, and now’s your chance to see a piece of film history!

Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Lead, recently watched “Cobra vs. Mongoose.”

More about → Tickets available for Life in a Day screening in 90 U.S. cities this weekend

Life in a Day: request a screening, create a trailer and more

Today, we’ve got some exciting updates from editor Joe Walker and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald about Life in a Day, the documentary shot by YouTube users about a single day on Earth.

First, as we previously announced, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the film’s making, there will be a sneak-peek premiere in cities across the US on July 24, five days before National Geographic begins to release the film in theaters nationwide. If you want Life in a Day to play in your town, visit the Life in a Day channel and request a screening. National Geographic, in partnership with Cinedigm, will collect your requests from now through August, and will try to bring the film to those towns and cities where the demand is highest (either for the July 24 premiere or the following release).

Second, you can also check out the Life in a Day Trailer Remixer. If you haven't already seen the trailer, we recommend watching it. After that, go to the Life in a Day channel or directly to the Remixer page, where you can edit and publish your own trailer to share with your friends and the world. All of the trailers will appear on the Life in a Day channel, and National Geographic may feature some of their favorites at the film’s premiere.





One more exciting announcement: Life in a Day opened theatrically this weekend in the United Kingdom to critical acclaim! According to a critic from The Telegraph, the 5-star film is "Extraordinary…the summer's most inspiring film." For users in the US, don't fret: National Geographic is bringing the film to theaters across the country in late July.

Be sure to subscribe to the Life in a Day channel for all the latest news, and check out the Life in a Day Facebook page for daily updates.

Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing Manager, recently watched the "Life in a Day Trailer."

More about → Life in a Day: request a screening, create a trailer and more

Shorts From the Cannes Film Festival

Every spring, the Short Film Corner at Cannes features hundreds of the world's best shorts. Now, for the third year running on YouTube, you'll be able to watch 10 of the best, courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada's 7th Annual Online Film Competition.

How does the competition work? The curators at the NFB picked their favorite films from the Short Film Corner, choosing an eclectic mix of languages and genres. To vote, all you have to do is watch and thumbs up the ones you like. Voting is open to users across the globe. NFB will tally the votes and the winner will be announced at Cannes and on the NFB's YouTube channel on May 19.



Enjoy!
Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing Manager, just watched The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger

More about → Shorts From the Cannes Film Festival

Get more into movies on YouTube

Here at YouTube, we can’t get enough video. When it comes to movies, we’re just as excited: YouTube hosts a great selection of movie trailers and showcases a variety of independent films in our Screening Room; last year we announced the ability to rent movies from Sundance Film Festival; and this year at Sundance we premiered Life in a Day, a documentary film about a single day on earth filmed by thousands of YouTube users, produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin Macdonald.

Today, we’re announcing another step in our goal to bring more of the video you love to YouTube: the addition of thousands of full-length feature films from major Hollywood studios available to rent in the US at youtube.com/movies. In addition to the hundreds of free movies available on the site since 2009, you will be able to find and rent some of your favorite films. From memorable hits and cult classics like Caddyshack, Goodfellas, Scarface, and Taxi Driver to blockbuster new releases like Inception, The King’s Speech, Little Fockers, The Green Hornet and Despicable Me. Movies are available to rent at industry standard pricing, and can be watched with your YouTube account on any computer. The new titles will begin appearing later today and over the coming weeks to www.youtube.com/movies, so keep checking back.

But your movie experience won't begin and end with a single film. With 35 hours of video uploaded every minute to YouTube, there’s a sea of content that can add to your movie experience. Many movie pages feature YouTube Movie Extras -- free behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, parodies, clips and remixes from YouTube’s unique community of content creators. Movie pages also showcase reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, so you’ll see feedback from critics before you decide what movie to get into. Over time we'll also be adding additional videos and features to YouTube Movie Extras so that you can get even more into movies on YouTube.

Learn more about movies on YouTube or visit YouTube.com/movies to start watching now.

Camille Hearst, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "300" and Matt Darby, Product Manager, recently watched "The Matrix."

More about → Get more into movies on YouTube

NYLON Young Hollywood Comes to YouTube

This May, NYLON’s Young Hollywood issue comes to YouTube for the second year in a row. Visit the NYLON channel for coverage of the hottest young stars including Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Chloe Moretz, Lucy Hale, and not one, but two Harry Potter witches. Check out exclusive interviews only seen on YouTube and behind the scenes footage from the NYLON photoshoot, and here's a video to get you started:

For their Young Hollywood issue, NYLON magazine visits film sets all over the world and shoots the newest screen stars just as they're beginning to blaze. With NYLON + YouTube's Young Hollywood videos, you can:

• Learn about Scream with Emma Roberts
• Get a boxing lesson with Rory Culkin
• Go behind the scenes at a fashion shoot with Chloe Moretz
• Howl with the cast of MTV's new show Teen Wolf
• Go backstage at The View with Hayden Panettiere
• Watch Lucy Hale try out some of Spring's biggest beauty trends

From Harry Potter's Nataia Tena to Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka and The Vampire Diaries Kat Graham, you'll see the next generation of stars like never before - up close, personal, and with a killer rock 'n roll soundtrack. The Young Hollywood issue is also on stands now!

Lee Hadlow, Ad Programs Associate, recently watched "YOUNG HOLLYWOOD 2011 - HAYDEN PANETTIERE."

More about → NYLON Young Hollywood Comes to YouTube

Life in a Day - coming to theaters this summer

On July 24, 2010, thousands of people around the world uploaded videos of their day to YouTube to take part in Life in a Day, a historic cinematic experiment to create a documentary film about a single day on earth. From over 80,000 submissions, executive producer Ridley Scott and Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald have crafted a 90-minute feature film that paints a surprising, moving and entertaining portrait of the world today.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and was simultaneously live streamed here on YouTube. However if you missed it, or want to see it again on the big screen, worry not. National Geographic will be bringing ‘Life in a Day’ to theaters around the US on July 24th, 2011 - the first anniversary of the day the movie was shot.

To whet your appetite, the official trailer for ‘Life in a Day’ has just gone live.



For those outside the US, stay tuned for information about international releases in the coming months, and remember, you can subscribe to the official ‘Life in a Day’ channel to be the first to hear news and updates from the team.

Tim Partridge, Marketing Manager, just watched “The ‘Life in a Day’ trailer.”

More about → Life in a Day - coming to theaters this summer

Hollywood comes to YouTube with "Girl Walks Into A Bar"

Combine some tinseltown stardust with a forward-thinking director and what do you get? Hollywood's first feature-length film created specifically for the internet.



Presented by Lexus and now playing in the YouTube Screening Room, Girl Walks Into A Bar is a comedy about a seemingly unrelated group of characters spending a single night at ten different bars throughout Los Angeles. Directed by Sebastian Gutiérrez, the film stars (among others) Carla Gugino, Zachary Quinto, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Josh Hartnett and Emmanuelle Chriqui as a desperate dentist, an undercover private detective, a pickpocket, a gangster, and an exotic dancer.

Since the movie is chaptered, you can either watch it in its entirety or in installments via the playlist below.



Enjoy!

Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing Manager, just watched "Girl Walks Into A Bar."

More about → Hollywood comes to YouTube with "Girl Walks Into A Bar"

Screening Room now showing short films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival

Can’t make it to Park City, Utah to mingle with independent film’s glitterati at the Sundance Film Festival this year? We’ll bring the magic to you.

To celebrate the kickoff of one of the world’s most acclaimed independent film festivals, YouTube and the Sundance Film Institute are teaming up to present a collection of past and present short films in the YouTube Screening Room. Over the next few weeks, we’ll feature:

• Four career-starting short films from past Sundance Film Festivals
• Four short films from past participants in the Sundance Director’s Lab
• Twelve short films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival

This week’s installment includes four new films from up-and-coming directors. The films’ settings range from a virtual, retro-gaming world to the very real struggles of contemporary Afghanistan.

8 Bits Witness a fight between an 8-bit superhero and a high-def boss, set in a retro-gaming world. Directed by Valere Amirault, Sarah Laufer, Jean Delaunay and Benjamin Mattern.

Andy and Zach Andy tries to set up a new life when his roommate and best friend, Zach, moves out. Directed by Nick Paley.

Skateistan: To Live and Skate in Kabul Skateistan is an oasis where children can be children and build the kind of cross-cultural relationships that Afghanistan needs for future stability. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel.

The High Level Bridge Trevor drops his camera from Edmonton's High Level Bridge in memory of those who have jumped. Directed by Trevor Anderson.

Check out the Screening Room again on January 27, 2011, and February 3, 2011, to catch the next two installments of short films from this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Kinzie Kramer, Associate Product Marketing Manager, just watched Battle of the Bands

More about → Screening Room now showing short films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival

A sneak peek at “Life in a Day”

In December, we announced that “Life in a Day,” a documentary film directed by Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald, produced by Ridley Scott, and filmed on July 24, 2010 by thousands of YouTube users around the world, was finished—and would have its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 27.

Today we’d like to share with you the first in a series of clips we’ll release between now and the world premiere. In this clip, beautifully shot by Toniu Xou and Patricia Marinez del Hoyoa of Spain, a young girl climbs a human castle in the small town of San Jaume dels Domenys in the Spanish province of Tarragona.



If watching this clip gets you excited for more, subscribe to the Life in a Day channel to be automatically updated when new clips are released.

And, most importantly, don’t forget to tune into the world premiere of “Life in a Day” at 5pm PT on Thursday, January 27, to see the 1,125 clips—out of more than 80,000 submitted—that made it into the final film.

Live in an incompatible time zone? Not to worry. The film will be re-broadcast at 7pm on Friday, January 28, in your local time zone, whatever that may be. The film will be closed captioned and subtitled on YouTube in 25 languages, and will provide an additional option for audio description (AD) in English. This will be your only chance to see “Life in a Day” before it is released later in 2011, so don’t miss out!

And for those of you who want to experience Sundance even more intimately, check out the Life in a Day channel daily from January 24 to January 27 to see on-the-ground updates from Kevin Macdonald and a group of contributors to the “Life in a Day” project whom Kevin has invited to join him for the world premiere. You can also submit questions on the channel during that time for a chance to take part in a live Q&A with Kevin and the 20 contributors following the world premiere.

Tim Partridge, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched Homeless Man with Golden Radio Voice."

More about → A sneak peek at “Life in a Day”

The Mexican Revolution on YouTube

November 20 will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution and we’re looking forward to observing that anniversary on YouTube by celebrating a new revolution that’s taking place in Mexico today: a cultural revolution that has pushed Mexican filmmakers onto a global stage.

A number of the nation’s most talented filmmakers, including Gael Garcia Bernal (who starred in Amores Perros, The Motorcycle Diaries and Pedro Almodovar’s Bad Education), Diego Luna (who came to fame with Y tu mama tambien), Carlos Reygadas (who won the jury prize at Cannes for his film Silent Light in 2007), Rodrigo Garcia (who directed the award winning Nine Lives and was nominated for an Emmy for directing an episode of HBO’s Big Love) and Patricia Riggen (who directed 2008 Sundance hit La misma luna), to name just a few, have banded together to create a feature film, Revolución, made up of 10 individual short films that explore the topic of Mexico’s revolution 100 years after it took place. The film has played at numerous film festivals throughout the last year, including the Cannes Film Festival, and will be available on YouTube for 24 hours on November 20 (thanks to YouTube partner Mubi) and for Mexico from November 20th at 23 hrs to November 21st until 23 hrs.

In advance of the film’s premiere, you’re invited to submit questions about the movie, the filmmakers or about the Mexican Revolution at youtube.com/mubi. The filmmakers will answer the most popular questions in videos that will be posted to the Mubi channel on November 20, the day of the film’s premiere.

Get your questions ready after watching this video from the filmmakers of Revolución:

Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Manager, Directors' invitation to watch Revolución

More about → The Mexican Revolution on YouTube

“Fred: The Movie” comes to YouTube

You may have heard of a lil’ someone called Fred, the squealing, hyperactive force behind the first YouTube channel to hit 1 million subscribers. Since he hit that milestone in April 2009, he’s amassed more than 2 million subscribers on YouTube and his videos have been viewed more than 616 million (!) times. Oh yeah -- he made a movie, too.

In honor of “Fred: The Movie” joining the YouTube corpus for rent, we asked the Nebraskan teenager who plays Fred, Lucas Cruikshank, to take us behind the scenes of his movie, tell us what was in his trailer (was he a diva?!), and to spill the beans on the YouTube videos he can’t live without.



1) Some people say the movie’s Fred character is different than Fred in YouTube videos. Do you agree?
He’s a little different than the high-pitched voice on YouTube videos and that’s because I think the audience would get annoyed listening to that voice for the duration of the film. Fred is still obnoxious, but I toned it down for the movie, so he’s not as crazy as in his YouTube videos. He is more energetic and hyper in those videos. The movie consists of a theme rather than random videos, creating a need for calmer, storyline sequences with Fred.

2) Describe your on-set trailer. What was in it?
I am used to being all by myself when shooting my YouTube videos and this was completely different because there was a whole crew and service men placed around the set. It was my first trailer, which had a shower, kitchen, and that was a big change from just me with my camera. There were team members with ideas and creative input versus me making all decisions with editing. It was a good change. I was thinking of expanding “Fred” to another medium and need to be open to change and enjoyed the filming/production process.

3) Tell us a fact about the movie that no one else knows.
Nobody realizes how fast the movie was put together; there were meetings in July with Hollywood producers, and I started shooting in early November. Shooting ended two months later, around Christmas.

4) What was your inspiration behind creating Fred in the first place?
I became addicted to making videos after receiving a video camera for my 13th birthday. My friend recommended checking out YouTube. My show became poking fun at video bloggers who are telling a story, but I am blogging at the age of six, when kids are naïve and throw tantrums. I exaggerate all these naïve and child-like qualities in a high-pitch voice.

5) What advice would you give others in your place?
I would say have fun making videos. There is a notion of getting famous overnight, but you need to be patient and love what you do. I was making videos since 2006 and two years later, it took off, and the videos got popular. You should focus on creativity, not just views or subscribers, and be passionate about it.

Charu Magon, Partnerships, recently rented “Fred: The Movie.”

More about → “Fred: The Movie” comes to YouTube

Explore the Life in a Day video gallery

On July 24, people around the world made history by capturing glimpses of their lives on camera and submitting the videos to Life in a Day, an experiment to create a documentary about a single day on Earth. In total, 80,000 videos were submitted from 197 countries, making this the world's largest user-generated film. Now, you can explore many of these videos in the gallery on the Life in a Day channel .

To make browsing easy, you can sort videos by geography, time of day, mood and more. The film's Academy Award-winning director, Kevin Macdonald, and his team are adding more videos to the Life in a Day gallery as they are reviewed, so check back soon for more content. You'll also find updates from Macdonald and editor Joe Walker as they lead a team of researchers in reviewing and cutting the footage down to the final feature-length film. Remember to subscribe to the channel for more news on the film's progress as Kevin and producer Ridley Scott gear up for the world premiere in January at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Congratulations again to all of the participants. Thanks for making history.

Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing, just watched Dancing Merengue Dog

More about → Explore the Life in a Day video gallery

Lock and Load: It's Life in a Day

What are you doing today? Something routine like cooking breakfast or taking the dog for a walk? Or is it something extraordinary like your child's first soccer game or your wedding day?

Whatever it is, big or small, we hope you’ll capture it on video and take part in "Life in a Day," a user-generated documentary that will tell the story of a single day on Earth, as seen through your eyes. You have until 11:59 p.m. local time to film something, so get going. For more information, visit the Life in a Day channel.

Get out those cameras and let's make film history!

Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing, just watched "The Film Editor’s How-To Guide for Life in a Day."

More about → Lock and Load: It's Life in a Day

Life in a Day

Every day, 6.7 billion people view the world through their own unique lens. Imagine if there was a way to collect all of these perspectives, to aggregate and mold them into the cohesive story of a single day on earth.

Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of “Life in a Day,” a historic cinematic experiment that will attempt to do just that: document one day, as seen through the eyes of people around the world. On July 24, you have 24 hours to capture a snapshot of your life on camera. You can film the ordinary -- a sunrise, the commute to work, a neighborhood soccer match, or the extraordinary -- a baby’s first steps, your reaction to the passing of a loved one, or even a marriage.

Kevin Macdonald, the Oscar-winning director of films such as The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void and One Day in September, will then edit the most compelling footage into a feature documentary film, to be executive produced by Ridley Scott, the director behind films like Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise, Blade Runner and Robin Hood.  LG Electronics is supporting “Life in a Day” as a key part of its long-standing Life’s Good campaign and to support the creation of quality online content that can be shared and enjoyed by all.

The film will premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and if your footage makes it into the final cut, you’ll be credited as a co-director and may be one of 20 contributors selected to attend the premiere.



Want to take part? Here’s what to do.

1. Visit the “Life in a Day” channel and learn more about the project. Be sure to read through the steps you need to take to participate and the guidelines for creating your video(s). Also check out some of the sample videos for inspirational ideas.

2. On July 24, capture your day on camera.

3. Upload your footage to the “Life in a Day” channel any time before July 31.

Regardless of whether your footage makes it into the final film, your video(s) will live on on the “Life in a Day” channel as a time capsule that will tell future generations what it was like to be alive on July 24, 2010.

Be a part of history.

Tim Partridge, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched “Life in a Day trailer.”

More about → Life in a Day

Streaming live from the Twilight Eclipse premiere

Whether you’re on Team Edward or Team Jacob (we’re pretty much split 50/50 here at YouTube), tune in tonight to watch red carpet coverage of the Eclipse premiere, live from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. From 5:30 p.m. PT onwards, Twilight’s YouTube channel will give you a front-row seat to the arrivals area where many of the film’s stars, including the buff Taylor Lautner, beloved Robert Pattinson, and belle Kristen Stewart, will be stopping to chat with Access Hollywood reporter Quddus.

The scene from Hollywood may look nothing like Forks, but all of your favorite vampires and werewolves will be there giving live interviews and greeting fans. Many of these Twilight faithful have been waiting for up to three days in order to catch a glimpse of their favorite pale-faced friends.



The red carpet stream will repeat on the Twilight channel immediately after it premieres so if you miss it the first time, you can see it the necks time around.

Thomas Henry, Display Team, recently watched “New Moon Volturi Fight Scene”.....again.

More about → Streaming live from the Twilight Eclipse premiere

2010 Tribeca Film Festival on YouTube

The 9th annual Tribeca Film Festival came to a close earlier this week in lower Manhattan and we were proud to be a part of it. As a sponsor of the World Documentary Category, we supported the premieres of films from countries around the world that dealt with important issues ranging from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the black market for falcons. We also spent time talking to filmmakers about opportunities to distribute their films on YouTube, which you can learn more about on our Filmmakers Wanted channel.

Fortunately, our partnership with Tribeca goes far beyond our sponsorship of the festival and we're delighted to let you know that six films from this year's festival are now available for rent on the Tribeca Film channel, as are numerous films from previous years.

Here's a snapshot of these newest Tribeca releases: 

Metropia

In the year 2024, all of Europe is united by a vast web of underground railways, populated by an army of downtrodden worker bees. When one such cog starts hearing voices and encounters a femme fatale shampoo model who seems to hold some answers, he finds himself unearthing a vast Orwellian conspiracy in this visually arresting animated noir. With the voices of Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Udo Kier, Stellan Skarsgård, and Alexander Skarsgård. 

The Infidel

Mahmud Nasir (comedian Omid Djalili) may not be the most observant Muslim but deep down he is a true believer. His life is capsized when he not only learns he was adopted, but also, even more scandalous, that his birth mother was Jewish and his given name was Solly Shimshillewitz. As Mahmud tumbles into a full-scale identity crisis, a true comedy of religious errors unfolds. With Richard Schiff and Matt Lucas. 

sex & drugs & rock & roll

Mat Whitecross (codirector of The Road to Guantanamo) paints a stylized, ripsnorting portrait of mercurial British punk rock pioneer Ian Dury (portrayed by BAFTA nominee Andy Serkis). From a troubled childhood and a battle with debilitating polio to the effects of fame on relationships and fatherhood, here are the highs and lows of a life lived sneeringly, unapologetically out loud. With Olivia Williams, Ray Winstone, and Naomie Harris. 

The Trotsky

Like most high schoolers, Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel, Tropic Thunder) is having an identity crisis. What differentiates Leon, however, is that he believes he is the reincarnation of Soviet thinker Leon Trotksy and predestined to follow the same path as his namesake. Tackling issues from students' rights to semi-formal dances, this "revolutionary" comedy will have you united in laughter. 

Road, Movie

Loath to take over the family hair-oil business, young Vishnu jumps at the chance to drive his uncle's beat-up Chevy truck across India to its new owner. The young runaway, wandering old entertainer and beautiful woman he picks up along the way make for a magical journey that will change Vishnu's life. With the sumptuous landscape of India as his canvas, director Dev Benegal paints a delightfully original road movie.  

Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Manager, recently watched "The Sandpit."

More about → 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on YouTube

The Dirty Dancing viewing party

Did you know that in Dirty Dancing the role of the heartbreaker from the wrong side of the tracks, Johnny Castle, was initially offered to Val Kilmer instead of Patrick Swayze? 

If you love random movie trivia like this, then you will not want to miss tonight's viewing party. Just go to Lionsgate's YouTube channel at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, hit play, and use the Twitter gadget beneath the video to share your thoughts on Swayze's moves, Jennifer Grey's outfits, and everything else "Dirty Dancing."  We'll be watching and Tweeting from the gadget, too, sharing our own tidbits about the movie and reading your comments.

See you there!

Nate Weinstein, Marketing Associate, recently watched "One of the Last."

More about → The Dirty Dancing viewing party

Submit questions for YouTube user's interview with James Cameron

If you've got a question for the director of Avatar, now's your chance to ask it. The famous director is opening himself up to the YouTube community, allowing our own DaveyBoyz to interview him based on the questions you submit via the Official Avatar Channel on YouTube.

Questions will be organized into the following categories — the environment, technology, the military-industrial complex, vision of the future, and imagining a society — and you'll have until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 21 to submit and vote on them. DaveyBoyz, who already has experience talking to the cast at the film's London premiere, will pose the 10 most popular questions to the director in an exclusive interview in L.A. on March 23. The interview will be uploaded to YouTube during the week of April 19, so stay tuned to see how it went.

Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing Associate, just watched "Acting for the Camera."

More about → Submit questions for YouTube user's interview with James Cameron

BBQ and Movies

Today marks the last day of the SXSW Film Festival (stay tuned for a "BBQ and Music" blog as the music portion of SXSW kicks off tomorrow), where we continued to roll out our Filmmakers Wanted campaign, launched back at Sundance, to educate filmmakers about opportunities to distribute and make money from their work on YouTube, especially through YouTube's new Rentals program.

Here's a shot of some of our handiwork for those of you who couldn't make it to Austin this year...

But for any filmmakers out there who want more than just my amateur photo of a poster, visit our Filmmakers Wanted channel for information on Rentals and how to become a partner.

As much as we've enjoyed our stay here in Austin, it's never a party unless we get to celebrate with all of you. So we've put together a kickin' collection of music documentaries to transport you to that artistic otherworld where music and film coexist in beautiful harmony (and if this virtual otherworld doesn't do it for you, try to get to Austin next year -- the BBQ's really good, too).

Below are descriptions of the films, which are available for rent, and trailers to help you decide what to watch.

The Socalled Movie

Socalled is a Canadian klezmer/hip hop artist and part-time magician with millions of views on YouTube (and he also happens to be performing at tonight's SXSW Film Closing Party if you're here in Austin!). Find out what drives this eccentric rapper as he blasts through the boundaries that separate music from different cultures, eras and generations in "The Socalled Movie."

loudQUIETloud

In the late 80's and early 90's, The Pixies took the indie rock world by storm until internal strife tore them apart. This rockumentary takes you behind the scenes of their 2004 reunion tour and explores some of the band's darker demons.

DiG!

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, "DiG!" recounts the friendship and rivalry between the American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols.

Air Guitar Nation

In "Air Guitar Nation," a cadre of the nation's greatest would-be guitar heroes - including C-Diddy, Jam Toast and The Shred - converge on the first-ever U.S. Air Guitar Championships, before moving onto the world finals in Finland.

Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Manager, recently watched "Socalled - (Rock the) Belz"

More about → BBQ and Movies