YouTube is quietly rolling out an online movie rental service, reports NY Times. The move comes after the online video giant revealed last summer that it was in talks about such an effort with major film studios including Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. NY Times says Google-owned YouTube later ran a closed beta with Google employees using content provided by the studios. The launch of the service, while available to the public, is still being called a “beta” by YouTube. The company is going live with limited content and for a short period of time, offering only five independent films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The service’s run coincides with the festival, launching this Friday and offering rentals until the end of the festival on Jan. 31. The films, each renting for about $4, are The Cove, Bass Ackwards, One Too Many Mornings, Homewrecker, and Children of Invention. YouTube’s entertainment market manager Sara Pollack said the site is providing an outlet for small filmmakers unlikely to get commercial distribution to find an audience. NY Times says YouTube is talking to other content providers including educational and fitness video distributors. The company is also launching a Filmmakers Wanted program to attract independently produced content. YouTube has said that filmmakers will determine pricing for their content and keep the majority of revenue from rentals. Read more at NY Times.