In a perfect world, there would be a way for these films to be made available to the people that want to see them.  Although we may not live in a perfect world, it just got a little better with the advent of SnagFilms.com. 

SnagFilms.com is the brainchild of former AOL executives Ted Leonis and Steve Case, and former CEO of National Geographic Ventures Rick Allen.  So this is no “flash in the pan” venture.  These three business heavyweights have the wherewithal to make SnagFilms.com into everything it can be.

According to their website:

SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, and a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web or send it to friends.  SnagFilms is also one of the most widely distributed non-fiction film networks on the web, with more than 25,000 websites offering one or more of it’s films.

With a library of over 900 films that grows every day, you’re bound to find films that resonate with your interests.  We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about, and to get more involved.

Using our easy-to-use SnagFilms widget, you can open a virtual movie theater on any web site, blog or social networking page so anyone can watch your favorite SnagFilms free.

Here’s how it works: Just log on to SnagFilms.com and choose a film.  You can search by what’s hot, by topic, or alphabetically.  There’s also a search box that let’s you type in a specific film title or topic.  With more than 900 movies currently available, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a documentary you’ll like.

Next, you’ll be taken to a new page that features the movie you chose.  The movie will be preceeded by a short commercial (Hey, they have to pay the bills) and then the film will begin.

The film quality is good, but not great.  It looks pretty good in the smaller screen, but gets a bit grainy when you toggle to full screen mode.  This is a problem experienced by a lot of online video, not just on SnagFilms.com.

When you’re done watching the movie, check out the right sidebar for a selection of similar movies and a box explaining the film’s fundraising efforts.  Every film is supporting an organization that is somehow related to the subject matter of the film.  For instance, if you choose to watch The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998), a film about Jewish baseball player and Hall-of-Famer Hank Greenberg, you’ll see that the film is raising money for Community Building for 1000 Jews and Muslims, a group bringing together school communities of Jews and Muslims.

As a fan of documentary films, I am excited about SnagFilms.com and the potential it holds for making documentaries available to the public and raising funds for deserving causes.  SnagFilms.com just may be the coolest website I have ever visited.

Check it out for yourself.  I know you won’t be disappointed.