vimeo-e1378182278821Vimeo has long been known for the quality of their video, and has become a haven for filmmakers who want a higher quality upload than is available from other video sites. Now they are experimenting with a new platform whereby filmmakers who debut their films at the Toronto Film Festival this week are eligible for $10,000 in funding if they distribute through Vimeo On Demand, the site's online distribution channel launched in March earlier this year. Click below to check out this new platform and see what it could mean for indie filmmakers.

Vimeo On Demand will offer filmmakers 90% of sales and a $10,000 advance. While Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor admits this isn't enough to fund most feature films, it could be a real shot in the arm for films that are already at festivals and require additional funding for post-production and marketing:

In exchange, Vimeo gets to be the exclusive distributor of those films online or on other digital platforms for 30 days, or until the film makes back its advance — whichever comes first. After that, filmmakers are free to sell the film on iTunes, license to Netflix or Amazon, or make their movies available wherever they want online.

Many filmmakers have taken advantage of the service so far, including documentary filmmaker Sean Dunne, whose latest film is Oxyana, a feature-length documentary about a West Virginia town ravaged by Oxycontin addiction. Watch the trailer:

Dunne is also the director of the great documentary short American Juggalo, and Vimeo has posted an in-depth interview with him here. Speaking about Vimeo On Demand, the director says:

Vimeo on Demand was something I was drawn to from the first time I heard about it. Tribeca opened a lot of doors but the traditional distribution methods that were being presented to us seemed obsolete and would have tied the film up and prevented it from coming out for a long time.

Check out Dunne's American Juggalos:

What do you think? As an indie filmmaker, how do you feel about this new distribution platform, and would you be willing to pursue a similar path to get your work out there? Let us know!

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[via TechCrunch & paidContent]

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