And The Trip to Sundance Goes To...

From scores of submissions, the programming team at the Sundance Film Festival whittled down YouTube's Project: Direct competition to 10 finalists, to be voted on by you, the YouTube community. At stake: a trip to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival to meet with the Festival's director of programming, a special industry screening, and invaluable exposure that will help one worthy filmmaker turn their hobby into a career.



Now, after a week of voting, the ballots have been counted, and without further ado, we're pleased to announce this year's winner...







Congratulations to the talented writing and directing team behind Perfecto. In this upbeat tale of true love amidst hidden identities, nothing can stop the romance between a small-town thief and her mysterious Latin fiancé... not even the police. A hilarious and heart-warming film, we're excited to see it make the jump from the YouTube small screen to the Festival big screen.



A hearty congratulations, as well, to the runners-up: White Collar Criminals and Good Deeds and the Damage Done. Last, but certainly not least, we want to thank and congratulate everyone who submitted films to the competition: your hard work is proof positive of the fantastic film talent that lives on YouTube. We can't wait to see your future masterpieces.



To check out the winners and other finalists, just visit the Project: Direct channel.



Happy filmmaking,



Sara P.

YouTube Film