Letterboxd, the cinephile-led social platform where users share reviews and thoughts on their favorite films, is set to launch its new film rental program, Video Store.

The launch on Dec. 10 comes at a time when independent film, festival titles, and foreign language offerings are facing increasingly high barriers to entry when it comes to getting in front of potential audiences. “Our thought process was simple: is there a way to build upon that mission and passion, by providing films themselves, in a way that is not being done elsewhere?” Letterboxd CEO and co-founder Matthew Buchanan tells The Hollywood Reporter via email.

At launch, Video Store will be offering a total of nine films, including Todd Haynes’s early offering Poison, international submissions for the 2026 Oscars like Indonesia’s Sore: A Wife from the Future, and 2025 Fantasia Fest and SXSW stand-out It Ends, among others.

“The selection process is directly tied to specific films our members are asking for—via watchlists, ratings, reviews and so on,” says Buchanan. “This has inevitably leant to a focus on films that are undiscovered, unavailable and overlooked—with exclusivity being a bonus—but most of all, films that are sought after by the community.”

The films themselves will be displayed on “shelves,” themed groups of films, with title selection based on member demand. At launch, the store will have two shelves: Unreleased Gems, or recent festival films and older titles that “slipped through the cracks” of the increasingly difficult-to-navigate distribution system, and Lost and Found, which focuses on re-surfacing member-loved titles.

“Video Store is curated not because we believe in limiting film discovery—in fact it’s the opposite: we want every film to receive the support it deserves, in any way we can, so we are starting off with a relatively small set of titles,” adds Buchanan, noting that the introduction of new shelves will be eventized, with a new shelf of titles dropping later this month. He adds, “It’s very intentional programming. But like everything else at Letterboxd, it will shift according to where our community leads us.”

Buchanan says that Unreleased Gems, in particular, is the best example of what will make Video Store unique. He explains, “This shelf was a response to the sheer number of incredible films out there, that for whatever reason, have yet to be more widely distributed, but that we know our community is keen to champion.”

Films under this banner will only be available in the Video Store for 30 days. This timeframe was chosen to extend a film’s “festival life,” says Buchanan, before titles find distribution. “They are purposefully on the service for a limited time,” he says. “It is a temporary, controlled environment where films can earn revenue and, we hope, demonstrate audience demand before they go on to find wider acclaim.”

As for the details: Video Store will function as a TVOD model with no subscription required. It will be available across 23 countries at the time of launch, including the US, UK and Canada, with rental prices and title availability varying by country (in the US, films at launch are priced between $3.99 to $19.99). Video Store titles can be watched on TV, via Apple TV 4K, Chromecast and AirPlay, as well as the web, iOS and Android, with additional smart TV apps planned for future use.

Letterboxd, which has 24 million global members according to the company, has become an increasingly important part of the industry as younger audiences flock to the site, with industry insiders using the platform to track interest in festival titles, filmmakers and upcoming releases. At TIFF earlier this year, NBCUniversal Entertainment chairwoman Donna Langley called out the “Letterboxd generation” for its commitment to moviegoing and the theatrical experience.

As for the future of Video Store, Buchanan hopes to expand into more countries and also offer in-person screenings. “We see endless opportunities for Letterboxd Video Store,” he says. “For now, though, it’s important that we focus on what we have set out to do: surface the films our members want to see, and work with fantastic filmmakers, sales agents and distributors to achieve that.”