Vimeo Launches Full Length Film Programming in Pay-to-View Scenario

In what could become a giant, global art cinema, IAC unit Vimeo, the popular video sharing site for the creative community, has announced the first steps in presenting full length films on a pay-to-view basis. The program will begin with six films this month with a bigger roll-out in 2013.

The first batch of movies, selected by the Vimeo staff, cover a range of topics, from JavierBardem's passion project Sons of theClouds addressing human rights in the Western Sahara, to an exploration ofthe trials and tribulations of the creative process through the eyes of artistWayne White in Beauty is Embarrassing.

The films, rented for about $5, are saved to a Vimeo account and then streamed to various devices over an access period of 24 hours to a week. Some of the films are accessible outside the United States.

Earlier this year, we spoke with Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor who outlined plans for the new monetization schemes for creators including the "tip jar" for voluntary contributions by viewersm and the "pay-to-view" scenario which he addresses at about 1:30 into the clip.