YouTube enables independent cinema fans across the globe to view part of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival program in the digital space for free. People can watch and vote with their views for 15 short films from this year’s program. Additionally, the audience can follow the Live @ Sundance streaming that covers the latest news related to the event, rolling out these days (January16–26) in Utah, USA.

Viewers from all corners of the world are given an opportunity to watch the short films online prior to their official screenings in the cinemas. The shorts range from Gregory Go Boom, a dark comedy starring Michael Cera as a paraplegic guy seeking independence, to an animated city symphony, Passer Passer, that celebrates the hidden world of background noise. The film which will generate most views between January 16 and 24, will be presented the YouTube Audience Award. Detailed information on these and other shorts can be found here.

“There’s about 50,000 people who come through to the festival, but YouTube reaches a billion people every month,” noted Danielle Tiedt, vice president for marketing at YouTube. “It’s the type of content that doesn’t get blockbuster billing, but there’s a huge community for it, and that’s what YouTube is built for-helping people find content that they really care about and can’t get anywhere else.”

Along with watching short films, viewers can follow the festival and watch the one-hour talk “Live @ Sundance” shows for hottest festival news, exclusive sneak peeks and other behind-the-scene moments. The shows, aired daily at 11 a.m. MST between January 17-24, are hosted by famous YouTube faces, Shira Lazar, Casey Neistat and Jimmy Conrad, at the the Sundance Film Festival channel.