iW NEWS | Magnolia Sets YouTube Premiere for Wayne Wang's "Nebraska"

Magnolia Pictures has announced that Wayne Wang's "The Princess of Nebraska will make its world premiere on YouTube next month (on Friday, October 17, 2008). The free release on YouTube's recently launched YouTube Screening Room, a channel dedicated to premium film content, is part of a larger distribution plan, which will launch with Magnolia Pictures' theatrical release on Friday, September 19 of Wang's companion film "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers." Magnolia, Cinetic Rights Management and YouTube worked together to plan the parallel distribution strategy. "The internet's ability to provide free streaming video is going to radically redefine independent film's access and availability to its audience," said Magnolia Pictures' Ray Price in a statement. "It provides a new platform, which can free us from the 'Top Ten' mentality in the same way that FM radio did for the music business." indieWIRE reported on the strategy in a recent article. [Peter Knegt]