Vimeo Wants to License and Fund Your MovieVideo-sharing website Vimeo has launched a $500,000 project to license and distribute crowdfunded films.

New York-based video-sharing websiteVimeoannounced on Thursday plans to help aspiring filmmakers get their movies off the ground through a $500,000Audience Development Fund.

The company will take tocrowdfundingplatforms like Kickstarter, Seed&Spark and Indiegogo to search for projects to license. Creators of films that are ready for distribution and have raised $10,000 on their own will get access to the fund as well as a free one-yearVimeo PRO accountto market their films, in exchange for the rights to premiere the movie onVimeo on Demand, a paid distribution platform which launched atSXSWin 2013.

Related:10 Fun Facts About Crowdfunding

This isn't the 10-year-old company's only foray into the world of independent film. In September, the site offered filmmakers at the Toronto International Film Festival a $10,000 advance to distribute their movies through the site.

It was also announced this week that 13 films that premiered at TIFF will get their digital debut on Vimeo on Demand. The films will live exclusively on Vimeo on Demand for 30 days, or until the site has regained their investment. According tothe Hollywood Reporter, the first film will beavailableon March 21.

It's possible this fund could help the IAC-owned site, which has asubscription baseof more than 400,000 people, and 149 millionmonthly unique viewersstart swimming in the same waters as Netflix or Amazon when it comes to developing original programming.

Related:Crowdfunding Seen Providing $65 Billion Boost to the Global Economy in 2014 (Infographic)