List of American independent films

This is a list of notable American independent films (which are also known sometimes as "specialty", "alternative", "indie", and/or "quality")^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} that were made outside of the Hollywood studio system or traditional arthouse/independent filmmaking yet managed to be produced, financed and distributed by the two with varying degrees of success and/or failure.^[8]

Background

The American independent film, prior to the 1980s and first half of the 1990s,^[9][10][11] was previously associated with Poverty Row b movies (e.g. Republic Pictures^[12]) exploitation films, avant-garde underground cinema (when it was known as the New American Cinema^[13]), social and political documentaries, experimental animated shorts (since the mid-1930s featuring works by pioneer animators Mary Ellen Bute and Oskar Fischinger) and social realist dramas.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]}

Throughout the middle of the 1990s, the word "Indiewood" (a.k.a. "indie boom" or "indie film movement")^[21][22][4] was invented to describe a component of the spectrum of American films in which distinctions exist, it seemed as if Hollywood and the independent sector had become blurred.^{[23][24][25][26][27][4]}

Differences from Hollywood

The films are often made for far less money than Hollywood films^[28][29] (some films like Robert Townsend's 1987 satire Hollywood Shuffle, Richard Linklater's 1991 countercultural piece Slacker and Kevin Smith's 1994 Gen X comedy Clerks were funded by using credit cards^[11][30]) and each aspect of the filmmaking process has to undergo less scrutiny by committees. Additionally, within the Indiewood approach the filmmaker can take as long as they need in the post-production phase of their film - whereas in Hollywood they are contracted to finish the film in a specific period of time (usually 10 weeks). In Hollywood, the film then goes on to show in focus group screenings on the studio lot. In Indiewood, the filmmakers can determine the next steps of the film. They also bear striking similarities to as well as were influenced by the "proto-indies" of the 1960s such as Robert Downey Sr's still image film Chafed Elbows (1966), John Cassavetes's Academy Award-nominated Faces and Brian de Palma's Greetings (each from 1968) which in turn were influenced by the culture of the Beat Generation.^[31][17]

Many indie films were made by small companies that were created daily in the 80s and 90s to the point where most of them went bankrupt.^[32]

Most Indiewood films are first shown at film festivals with the hopes of further distribution by being picked up (or purchased) by a larger film company or distributor in order to find broader audiences alongside awards consideration^[33][34] (e.g. 2009's A Single Man).^[35]

Divisions

Indiewood divisions gain from expert experience of the niche industry by hiring leading independent personalities such as Harvey Weinstein^[36] from the Disney fold after the exit of the Weinsteins,^[37][38] and James Schamus, former joint head of Good Machine alongside producer Ted Hope, at Focus Features.^[39][40]

Other "mini-major" subdivisions/indie distributors

• Searchlight Pictures
• Fine Line Features (established by New Line Cinema)
• Lionsgate
• NEON
• A24
• Paramount Vantage
• Summit Entertainment
• Orion Pictures
• Samuel Goldwyn Company
• Warner Independent
• Picturehouse
• United Artists (first founded in 1919 as an independent studio that allowed more creative freedom^[41] for former silent film stars like Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin)
• Blumhouse
• Cannon Films
• Sony Pictures Classics
• IFC Films
• Magnolia Pictures
• Janus Films
• Kino Lorber
• Roadside Attractions
• Bleecker Street
• MUBI
• Amazon Studios (in association with MGM)
• Netflix
• Oscilloscope

Sources

^{[42][2][43][21][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]}

List of selected notable American independent films

Pre-1950s

• Within Our Gates (1920)^[48]≈
• By Right of Birth (1921; now a lost film)^[41]
• Safety Last (1923)^[51]≈
• The Gold Rush (1925)^[52]≈
• The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra (1927)^[53]≈
• The Scar of Shame (1927)^[48]
• The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)^[53]≈
• Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)^[51]≈
• Mamba (1930)^[20]
• Damaged Lives (1933)^[20]
• The Sin of Nora Moran (1933)^[20]
• The Vampire Bat (1933)^[20]
• Maniac (1934)^[54]
• The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936)^[55]≈
• Reefer Madness (1936)^[56][54]
• As the Earth Turns (1938)^[57]
• The Blood of Jesus (1941)^[48]≈
• Native Land (1942)^[58]
• Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)^[59][60]≈
• Hell-Bent for Election (1944)^[61][62]
• Brotherhood of Man (1945)^[63]
• Detour (1945)^{[64][65][66][51]}≈
• Fireworks (1947)^[60]
• Motion Painting No. 1 (1947)^[19][67] ≈

1950s

• Outrage (1950)^[52]≈
• Five (1951)^[68]
• Othello (1952)^[52]
• Park Row (1952)^[69]
• Fear and Desire (1953)^[70][71]
• The Hitch-Hiker (1953)^[51]≈
• Little Fugitive (1953)^{[72][15][17][73]}≈
• Salt of the Earth (1954)^[74]≈
• Bride of the Monster (1955)^[75]
• Killer's Kiss (1955)^[70]
• The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)^[51]≈
• 3rd Ave. El (1955)^[76]
• The Adventures of an * (1957)^[77]
• Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)^[78]
• On the Bowery (1957)^[15][17]≈
• 12 Angry Men (1957)^[48]≈
• Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)^[51]
• The Blob (1958)^[79]
• I Want to Live! (1958)^[51]
• The Screaming Skull (1958)^[78]
• Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)^[78]
• The Cry of Jazz (1959)^[52]≈
• Moonbird (1959)^[77][80]
• Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)^[72]
• Science Friction (1959)^[81]
• Pull My Daisy (1959)^[15][17]≈
• Shadows (1959)^{[82][72][15][17][48][83][74][73][84]}≈
• The Violinist (1959)^[85][81]

1960s

• The Flower Thief (1960)^[17]
• Munro (1960)^[77][86]
• Psycho (1960)^[87]≈
• The Savage Eye (1960)^[73]
• Allures (1961)^[53]≈
• The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)^[88]
• Blast of Silence (1961)^[89][90][91]
• The Connection (1961)^[72][15][73]
• The Exiles (1961)^[17][73]≈
• Night Tide (1961)^[92][93][94]
• Something Wild (1961)^[95][96]
• Carnival of Souls (1962)^{[97][98][99][100][101]}
• Eegah (1962)^[102]
• The Hole (1962)^[77]≈
• Wild Guitar (1962)^[102]
• Beach Party (1963)^[48]
• Blood Feast (1963)^[72][48][73]
• The Cool World (1963)^[15]≈
• The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1963)^[103]
• Mothlight (1963)^[53]
• Pianissimo (1963)^[104]
• The Sadist (1963)^[102]
• The Brig (1964)^[17]
• Help! My Snowman's Burning Down (1964)^[76]
• Nothing But a Man (1964)^[72][74]≈
• Teenage Strangler (1964)^[105]
• Two Thousand Maniacs (1964)^[106]
• Time Piece (1965)^[107][108]
• Vinyl (1965)^[15]
• Chafed Elbows (1966)^[31][15]
• Chelsea Girls (1966)^[74]
• A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature (1966)^[109]
• Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)^[88]
• The Wild Angels (1966)^[48]
• The Box (1967)^[110]
• David Holzman's Diary (1967)^[15]≈
• Dont Look Back (1967)^[74]≈
• The Graduate (1967)^[111]≈
• The Jungle (1967)^[112]≈
• Portrait of Jason (1967)^{[76][17][74][51]}≈
• Spider Baby (1967)^[113]
• The Trip (1967)^[72][48]
• Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1967)^[72]
• Beyond the Law (1968)^[15][17]
• Faces (1968)^{[31][114][15][17][52]}≈
• Greetings (1968)^[31][15]
• Murder a la Mod (1968)^[15]
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)^{[82][72][115][116][48][106][83][117][74][84]}≈
• No More Excuses (1968)^[15]
• Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One (1968)^[17]≈
• Targets (1968)^[118]
• Why Man Creates (1968)^[108]≈
• Wild 90 (1968)^[15][17]
• Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)^[51]
• Easy Rider (1969)^{[82][72][115][15][48][83][74][111]}≈
• The Learning Tree (1969)^[51]≈
• Midnight Cowboy (1969)^[48]≈
• Putney Swope (1969)^[15][119]≈

1970s

• The Further Adventures of Uncle Sam (1970)^[120]
• Husbands (1970)^[15][17]
• Is It Always Right to Be Right? (1970)^[120]
• Joe (1970)^[121]
• Maidstone (1970)^[15][17]
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1970)^{[72][122][83][74]}≈
• Wanda (1970)^{[72][123][51]}≈
• Billy Jack (1971)^[51]
• Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)^[124]
• (nostalgia) (1971)^[53]≈
• Shinbone Alley (1971)^[125]
• THX-1138 (1971)^[115][83]
• Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)^[72][83]≈
• Fritz the Cat (1972)^[125]
• The Last House on the Left (1972)^[124]
• Pink Flamingos (1972)^{[6][72][115][48][74][66][51]}≈
• Badlands (1973)^[15][84]≈
• Coffy (1973)^[113]
• Frank Film (1973)^[18][108]≈
• Ganja & Hess (1973)^[48]
• Heavy Traffic (1973)^[125]
• Mean Streets (1973)^{[82][115][83][74]}≈
• Messiah of Evil (1973)^[126][127]
• Sisters (1973)^[124]
• Benji (1974)^{[87][128][129]}
• Closed Mondays (1974)^[108]
• Dark Star (1974)^{[116][48][83][51]}
• Female Trouble (1974)^[48]
• Fuji (1974)^[53]≈
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)^{[72][115][124][116][48][83][74]}
• A Woman Under the Influence (1974)^{[115][114][48]}≈
• 200 (1975)^[108]
• Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975)^[128]
• Coney (1975)^[130]
• The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)^[131][127]
• Hester Street (1975)^[6][123]≈
• Kick Me (1975)^[18]
• Quasi at the Quackadero (1975)^[19]≈
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)^[48][117]≈
• Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)^[123]≈
• The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)^[51]
• Massacre at Central High (1976)^[127]
• Alambrista! (1977)^[6][15]≈
• Eraserhead (1977)^{[6][82][72][115][124][116][17]}

^{[48][122][83][74][111][84]}≈

• Furies (1977)^[18]
• The Hills Have Eyes (1977)^[124]
• Killer of Sheep (1977)^{[82][132][72][115][17][83][74][84]}≈
• Opening Night (1977)^[48]
• Dawn of the Dead (1978)^[124]
• Gates of Heaven (1978)^[133]
• Girlfriends (1978)^{[134][15][135][123]}≈
• Halloween (1978)^{[72][115][124][116][136]}≈
• Martin (1978)^[124][127]
• Northern Lights (1978)^[6][15]
• Piranha (1978)^[115]
• The Whole Shootin' Match (1978)^[137]
• Asparagus (1979)^[138][139]
• Bush Mama (1979)^[15][128]≈
• Heartland (1979)^[6][15][128]
• Psychotronic Man (1979)^{[140][141][127]}
• The Wizard of Speed and Time (1979)^[19]

1980s

• Atlantic City (1980)^[142]≈
• Friday the 13th (1980)^[82][116]
• The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (1980)^[143]≈
• Moon Breath Beat (1980)^[18]≈
• Out of the Blue (1980)^[7]
• Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)^{[5][72][128][74]}≈
• The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)^[144]≈
• The Evil Dead (1981)^{[82][115][48][83][145]}
• My Dinner with Andre (1981)^[6][48][133]
• One from the Heart (1981)^[66][51]
• Polyester (1981)^[48]
• Will (1981)^[146]
• Zoot Suit (1981)^[147][148]≈
• The Atomic Cafe (1982)^{[149][150][5]}≈
• The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)^{[6][15][116][17]}≈
• Chan Is Missing (1982)^{[5][147][146][133][51]}≈
• Eating Raoul (1982)^[151]
• First Blood (1982)^[21]
• Forbidden Zone (1982)^[152]
• Illusions (1982)^[6]≈
• Liquid Sky (1982)^[6][153]
• Losing Ground (1982)^[6][72][7]≈
• The Loveless (1982)^[6]
• The Secret of NIMH (1982)^{[154][155][156][125]}
• Smithereens (1982)^[46]
• White Dog (1982)^[157]
• Born in Flames (1983)^[74]
• El Norte (1983)^[147][17]≈
• Koyaanisqatsi (1983)^[158][159]≈
• Lianna (1983)^[128]
• My Brother's Wedding (1983)^[7]
• Seventeen (1983)^[146]
• Style Wars (1983)^[64]
• Suburbia (1983)^[7]
• Sundae in New York (1983)^[160]
• Variety (1983)^[151][145]
• Bless Their Little Hearts (1984)^[7]≈
• The Brother from Another Planet (1984)^[5][128]
• Choose Me (1984)^{[6][161][7][145]}
• Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyhead People (1984)^[162][163]≈
• In Heaven There Is No Beer? (1984)^[164]
• The Killing Floor (1984)^[5]
• Love Streams (1984)^[48]
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)^{[21][165][116][48][146]}≈
• Paris, Texas (1984)^[166][145]
• Repo Man (1984)^[167][168]
• Stop Making Sense (1984)^[50]
• Stranger Than Paradise (1984)^{[169][5][166][6][170][83][128][74][157]}

^{[171][72][115][116][17][48][146]}≈

• Streetwise (1984)^[159][7]
• The Terminator (1984)^{[21][5][82][115][136][83][117][145]}≈
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984)^[82][6][146]≈
• The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)^[5][6]≈
• Wildrose (1984)^[172]
• The World of Tomorrow (1984)^[173]
• The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)^[174]
• Blood Simple (1985)^{[3][169][165][82][6][83]}

^{[170][171][15][72][115][116][48]}

• The Breakfast Club (1985)^[175][117]≈
• Desert Hearts (1985)^{[46][72][161][5][145]}
• Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)^[46]≈
• Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)^{[176][3][6][15][5]}
• Mala Noche (1985)^[5]
• Re-Animator (1985)^[5]
• Runaway Train (1985)^[83]
• Smooth Talk (1985)^[6][146][7]
• Teen Wolf (1985)^[136]
• The Toxic Avenger (1985)^[128][145]
• Trip to Bountiful (1985)^[176][15]
• Blue Velvet (1986)^{[82][6][48][146][83][5][145]}
• The Cosmic Eye (1986)^[177]
• Down By Law (1986)^[14]
• Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)^[171][170]
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)^[177][178]
• Hoosiers (1986)^[15][87]≈
• Platoon (1986)^[6][15][145]≈
• Parting Glances (1986)^{[161][7][145]}
• Salvador (1986)^[15][5]
• She's Gotta Have It (1986)^{[21][5][47][82][72][74]}

^{[115][15][116][146][83][111][66]}≈

• Sherman's March (1986)^[146][74][5]≈
• Something Wild (1986)^[6][7]
• Stand By Me (1986)^[15][87]
• True Stories (1986)^[6][5]
• Working Girls (1986)^{[3][46][170][171]}
• The Big Easy (1987)^[15]
• Border Radio (1987)^{[6][17][161][145]}
• The Brave Little Toaster (1987)^{[179][180][136][181]}
• Dirty Dancing (1987)^{[182][72][136]}
• Evil Dead II (1987)^[83][157]
• Hollywood Shuffle (1987)^{[6][146][11][172]}
• House of Games (1987)^[147]
• Matewan (1987)^{[5][48][151][83][128]}≈
• Miami Connection (1987)^[183]
• Near Dark (1987)^[6]
• Raising Arizona (1987)^[5][184][6]
• River's Edge (1987)^{[6][170][146][157]}
• Your Face (1987)^[185]
• The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)^[144]
• Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)^[47]
• Eight Men Out (1988)^[128]
• Hairspray (1988)^{[186][170][171][48]}≈
• Heat and Sunlight (1988)^[17][146]
• Ko-Ko (1988)^[187]
• Lady in White (1988)^[188]
• Let's Get Lost (1988)^[146]
• The Moderns (1988)^[6]
• Patty Hearst (1988)^[47]
• Powaqqatsi (1988)^[158]
• Running on Empty (1988)^[7]
• Stand and Deliver (1988)^[15]≈
• The Thin Blue Line (1988)^{[3][159][116][74]}≈
• Torch Song Trilogy (1988)^[15]
• All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)^[156][189]
• Chameleon Street (1989)^[190][146]
• Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)^[6]
• Do the Right Thing (1989)^{[21][9][15][48][145]}≈
• Drugstore Cowboy (1989)^{[82][72][9][15][48][83]}
• Heathers (1989)^{[6][170][171][15][48][157]}
• Longtime Companion (1989)^[47][6]
• Roger & Me (1989)^{[159][5][47][6][191][171][74][15]}≈
• sex, lies and videotape (1989)^{[22][192][158][193][4][5][146]}

^{[165][47][184][82][194][170][171][72][83][145] [115][178][15][195][116][17][48][74][111]}≈

• Sidewalk Stories (1989)^[15]
• True Love (1989)^{[46][6][170][171]}
• The Unbelievable Truth (1989)^{[22][191][171][72][146]}

1990s

• All My Relations (1990)^[196]
• The Grifters (1990)^{[47][191][171][15]}
• House Party (1990)^{[165][6][191][171][136]}≈
• Jacob's Ladder (1990)^[21]
• Metropolitan (1990)^{[22][5][47][82][6][84]}
• Miller's Crossing (1990)^[5][6][15]
• Mountains of the Moon (1990)^[21]
• Paris Is Burning (1990)^[197][47]≈
• Pump Up the Volume (1990)^[198][199]
• Sink or Swim (1990)^[184][199]≈
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)^{[21][136][200][51]}
• To Sleep with Anger (1990)^{[201][202][132][48]}≈
• Total Recall (1990)^[21]
• Trust (1990)^{[191][171][190]}
• Wild at Heart (1990)^[47][6][15]
• Barton Fink (1991)^[5][6]
• Daughters of the Dust (1991)^{[5][46][6][72][48]}≈
• Dogfight (1991)^[6]
• Homicide (1991)^[15]
• L.A. Story (1991)^[21]
• Truth or Dare (1991)^[159][47]
• Mississippi Masala (1991)^{[6][191][171]}
• My Own Private Idaho (1991)^{[21][159][197][47][82][115][48]}
• Night on Earth (1991)^[47][48]
• Poison (1991)^[184][199]

^{[6][191][171][72][83][74]}

• Queen of Diamonds (1991)^[203]≈
• Rambling Rose (1991)^[6]
• The Rapture (1991)^[204]
• Slacker (1991)^{[22][4][5][45][191][171][72][115]}

^{[74][199][114][17][48][83]}≈

• Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991)^[6]
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)^[21][5][48]≈
• American Me (1992)^[148]
• Bad Lieutenant (1992)^{[82][6][17][83]}
• Basic Instinct (1992)^[21]
• Bob Roberts (1992)^[194]
• A Brief History of Time (1992)^[191][171]
• Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)^[205]
• Gas Food Lodging (1992)^{[4][6][191][171][15][128][199]}
• Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)^[48]
• In the Soup (1992)^[6]
• The Living End (1992)^[5][197][6]
• One False Move (1992)^[206][207]
• Passion Fish (1992)^[5][190]
• The Player (1992)^[208][47][6]
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)^{[22][3][4][209][184][82][199]}

^{[6][191][210][171][48][83][211][84]}

• Simple Men (1992)^[6]
• Swoon (1992)^[6]
• The Tune (1992)^[212]
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)^[48][51]
• Alma's Rainbow (1993)^[162]
• Dazed and Confused (1993)^{[5][213][184][82][6][83][199]}
• El Mariachi (1993)^{[22][21][4][5][214][191][171][72][115][178][48]}≈
• Menace II Society (1993)^[6]
• Mi Vida Loca (1993)^[5][6]
• Red Rock West (1993)^[6]
• Ruby in Paradise (1993)^{[191][171][15]}
• Short Cuts (1993)^{[208][159][82][83]}
• Suture (1993)^[191][171]
• The Wedding Banquet (1993)^[5][6]≈
• Clean, Shaven (1994)^[6]
• Clerks (1994)^{[22][158][3][4][5][165][11][111]}

^{[184][82][6][191][214][87][83][199]}

^{[210][171][72][115][114][48]}≈

• Dumb and Dumber (1994)^[215]
• Fresh (1994)^[6][216]
• Go Fish (1994)^{[5][197][6][191][171]}
• Hoop Dreams (1994)^{[159][4][47][191][171][48]}≈
• The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)^[6]
• I Like It Like That (1994)^[6]
• The Last Seduction (1994)^[6][115]
• Little Odessa (1994)^[217]
• Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)^[6]
• Pulp Fiction (1994)^{[218][219][192][3][193][117][74][111]}

^{[4][209][169][45][6][72][17][48][66]}≈

• The Red Book (1994)^[220][221]≈
• Reality Bites (1994)^[191][171]
• River of Grass (1994)^[46][6]
• Serial Mom (1994)^[222][6][48]
• Spanking the Monkey (1994)^{[22][3][21][191][171][115]}
• What Happened Was... (1994)^[223][199]
• Altair (1995)^[224][221]
• Before Sunrise (1995)^{[82][191][48]}
• The Brothers McMullen (1995)^{[4][6][191][214][171]}
• Crumb (1995)^[159][4]
• Dead Man (1995)^[6]
• Dead Man Walking (1995)^[158][6]
• The Doom Generation (1995)^[128][199]
• Friday (1995)^{[147][198][199]}
• Kicking and Screaming (1995)^{[213][225][199]}
• Kids (1995)^{[3][5][47][82][194][6][72][115][198]}
• Leaving Las Vegas (1995)^[6]
• Living in Oblivion (1995)^{[191][171][115][225]}
• Safe (1995)^{[226][227][5][82][6][15][115]}
• Se7en (1995)^[3]
• Smoke (1995)^[116]
• The Usual Suspects (1995)^{[3][82][6][115][48][83]}
• Basquiat (1996)^[213][228]
• Big Night (1996)^{[6][214][171]}
• Bottle Rocket (1996)^{[229][22][3][82][48][190]}
• Box of Moonlight (1996)^[6]
• Citizen Ruth (1996)^{[229][22][3][5][6]}
• The Daytrippers (1996)^{[213][6][128]}
• The English Patient (1996)^{[176][21][4][47][6]}
• Fargo (1996)^{[176][21][5][6][128]}≈
• Flirting with Disaster (1996)^{[229][3][194][6]}

• Hard Eight (1996)^[22][3]
• I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)^{[6][214][171]}
• Lone Star (1996)^{[5][6][115][83][128]}
• Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)^[230]
• Schizopolis (1996)^[3][6]
• Sling Blade (1996)^{[193][4][5][47][48]}
• The Spitfire Grill (1996)^{[4][214][171][15]}
• Swingers (1996)^{[5][82][214][111]}

^{[171][115][48][83][198][199]}

• Trees Lounge (1996)^[217]
• Waiting for Guffman (1996)^[213][128]
• Walking and Talking (1996)^[5]
• The Watermelon Woman (1996)^[197]≈
• Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996)^{[22][3][4][5][223]}

^{[6][214][87][48][198][199]}

• When We Were Kings (1996)^[214][171]
• The Apostle (1997)^[6]
• Chasing Amy (1997)^{[194][6][198]}
• Cop Land (1997)^[2]
• Eve's Bayou (1997)^[217][51]≈
• Good Will Hunting (1997)^{[231][182][3][193][45][6][48]}
• Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)^[115][83]
• Gummo (1997)^{[21][5][82][115]}
• Henry Fool (1997)^[213][128]
• In the Company of Men (1997)^{[226][223][82][6][83][128][199]}
• Jackie Brown (1997)^[218][48]
• Lost Highway (1997)^[232][226]
• Love Jones (1997)^[217]
• Ulee's Gold (1997)^[15]
• American History X (1998)^[47]
• The Big Lebowski (1998)^{[233][5][111]}≈
• Boogie Nights (1998)^{[234][3][147][5][6][72][111]}
• Buffalo 66 (1998)^{[5][214][171][225][48]}
• Gods and Monsters (1998)^[6]
• Happiness (1998)^{[235][226][5][82][115][83][128]}
• High Art (1998)^{[226][6][214][171][84]}
• More (1998)^[236]
• New Rose Hotel (1998)^[223][199]
• The Opposite of Sex (1998)^[6][214]
• Next Stop Wonderland (1998)^[6]
• Pi (1998)^{[22][4][45][82][6][214][115][48][83]}
• Rushmore (1998)^{[229][3][5][115][74][111]}≈
• Shakespeare in Love (1998)^{[25][1][3][193][4][47]}
• Slam (1998)^[6]
• Smoke Signals (1998)^[5][6][11]≈
• The Spanish Prisoner (1998)^[214][171]
• Velvet Goldmine (1998)^[235][4][6]
• American Beauty (1999)^[25][2][237]
• American Movie (1999)^{[4][114][238]}
• Being John Malkovich (1999)^{[232][229][25][22][82][115][83]}
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)^{[219][158][21][4][237][45][82][214][210][171]}

^{[117][72][87][48][83][74]}

• The Boondock Saints (1999)^[198]
• Boys Don't Cry (1999)^{[235][5][197][128][11]}≈
• Buena Vista Social Club (1999)^[159]≈
• Cruel Intentions (1999)^[87]
• Dogma (1999)^[235][47]
• Election (1999)^{[235][229][3][5]}
• Fight Club (1999)^{[229][192][237]}
• Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (1999)^[82][83]
• Julien Donkey-Boy (1999)^[223][199]
• Magnolia (1999)^{[229][239][147][5][47]}
• The Sixth Sense (1999)^[237]
• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)^[240]
• The Straight Story (1999)^[15]
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)^[237]
• Three Kings (1999)^{[235][229][25]}
• The Virgin Suicides (1999)^{[198][47][211]}

2000s

• Almost Famous (2000)^[48]
• American Psycho (2000)^{[232][48][117]}
• Best in Show (2000)^[48]
• Chuck & Buck (2000)^{[5][241][171]}
• Finding Forrester (2000)^[242]
• George Washington (2000)^[48]
• Girlfight (2000)^{[241][171][128]}
• Memento (2000)^{[232][82][241][72][115][48][83][117][111]}≈
• Nurse Betty (2000)^[27]
• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)^[27][5]
• Pitch Black (2000)^[83]
• Rejected (2000)^[185]
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)^{[82][228][243]}
• State and Main (2000)^[147]
• Traffic (2000)^{[25][182][147]}
• The Yards (2000)^[27]
• You Can Count on Me (2000)^{[5][241][171][225][243]}
• Donnie Darko (2001)^{[5][82][115][48][117][111]}
• Ghost World (2001)^{[218][5][243]}
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)^[241][171]
• In the Bedroom (2001)^[241]
• Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)^[48]
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)^[48]≈
• The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)^[5]
• Monster's Ball (2001)^[244]
• Mulholland Drive (2001)^{[232][48][243]}
• The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)^{[218][158][48]}
• Waking Life (2001)^[245][246]
• Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)^[44]
• 25th Hour (2002)^[243]
• Adaptation (2002)^{[232][25][247][147][48]}
• Antwone Fisher (2002)^[147]
• Bend It Like Beckham (2002)^[248]
• Bowling for Columbine (2002)^[244][159]
• Chicago (2002)^[1][2][147]
• Far from Heaven (2002)^{[249][114][243]}
• Funny Ha Ha (2002)^[72][17][74]
• Gangs of New York (2002)^[147][47]
• Gerry (2002)^[17]
• Laurel Canyon (2002)^[225]
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)^{[219][244][43][5][72][48]}
• Naqoyqatsi (2002)^[158][159]
• Personal Velocity (2002)^[213]
• Punch-Drunk Love (2002)^[229][250]
• Real Women Have Curves (2002)^[241][171]≈
• Roger Dodger (2002)^[115]
• Secretary (2002)^[115][225]
• Solaris (2002)^[25]
• Spellbound (2002)^[244]
• 25th Hour (2002)^[48]
• American Splendor (2003)^{[232][244][241][251][115][114]}
• Capturing the Friedmans (2003)^{[244][159][241][243]}
• Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)^[248]
• Cold Mountain (2003)^[147]
• The Cooler (2003)^[248]
• Elephant (2003)^[43][17]
• The Fog of War (2003)^{[248][244][159]}≈
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)^[248]
• In America (2003)^[248]
• Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)^[218]
• Lost in Translation (2003)^{[248][219][244][5][169][111]}

^{[82][72][115][114][48][83][243]}

• Monster (2003)^{[248][244][147]}
• Open Water (2003)^[244]
• The Room (2003)^[252]
• Shattered Glass (2003)^[248]
• The Station Agent (2003)^{[244][5][241][253][115]}
• Taranation (2003)^{[244][21][159]}
• Thirteen (2003)^{[248][244][5]}
• 21 Grams (2003)^[248]
• The Aviator (2004)^[244]
• Baadasssss! (2004)^[248]
• Before Sunset (2004)^[248][243]
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)^{[232][248][25][82][48]}
• Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)^{[248][244][3][159]}
• Garden State (2004)^{[158][5][210][171][72][48]}
• Keane (2004)^[225]
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)^[239]
• Maria Full of Grace (2004)^[43][241]
• Mean Creek (2004)^[250]
• The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)^[44][254]
• Napoleon Dynamite (2004)^{[219][244][158][255][241][210][171][115][48][117][111][243]}
• Palindromes (2004)^[48]
• The Passion of the Christ (2004)^{[248][219][244][115]}
• Primer (2004)^{[5][82][241][171][72][115][114][48]}
• Saw (2004)^[5][48]
• Sideways (2004)^{[256][219][244][147][5][115][114][48]}
• Silver City (2004)^[257]
• Super Size Me (2004)^{[219][244][158][159][241][171]}
• Take Out (2004)^[17]
• A Very Long Engagement (2004)^[244][43]
• We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004)^[43]
• The Aristocrats (2005)^[219]
• Brick (2005)^{[258][241][171][48]}
• Brokeback Mountain (2005)^{[258][35][256][114][48][243]}≈
• Capote (2005)^{[258][259][147]}
• Corpse Bride (2005)^[260]
• Crash (2005)^{[258][261][1][147]}
• Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)^[15]
• Good Night and Good Luck (2005)^{[43][259][147]}
• Hostel (2005)^[5][48]
• Hustle & Flow (2005)^[219][241]
• Man Push Cart (2005)^[114]
• Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)^[262][241]
• Mutual Appreciation (2005)^[17]
• The Notorious Betty Page (2005)^[258]
• Pride & Prejudice (2005)^[259]
• The Puffy Chair (2005)^[29][48]
• The Squid and the Whale (2005)^{[251][48][243]}
• Syriana (2005)^[5]
• Babel (2006)^[258]
• Barnyard (2006)^[212]
• Bobby (2006)^[258]
• Facing the Giants (2006)^[263][264]
• For Your Consideration (2006)^[43]
• Friends with Money (2006)^[258]
• Half Nelson (2006)^[258]
• Hoodwinked! (2006)^[212]
• An Inconvenient Truth (2006)^{[258][265][171]}
• Iraq in Fragments (2006)^[258]
• Inland Empire (2006)^{[232][5][266][243]}
• Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)^[258]
• Jesus Camp (2006)^[258]
• Little Children (2006)^[258]
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)^{[258][255][74][111]}

^{[265][210][171][246][72][114][87][48][83][243]}

• Marie Antoinette (2006)^[258]
• Nacho Libre (2006)^[158]
• The Namesake (2006)^[256]
• Old Joy (2006)^[225]
• The Painted Veil (2006)^[43]
• Pan's Labyrinth (2006)^{[258][44][114]}
• A Prairie Home Companion (2006)^[258]
• Quinceañera (2006)^{[265][171][114]}
• A Scanner Darkly (2006)^{[258][43][147]}
• Southland Tales (2006)^[256]
• Thank You for Smoking (2006)^[258][247]
• The Darjeeling Limited (2007)^[147]
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)^[43]
• I'm Not There (2007)^[43]
• In Bruges (2007)^[267][48]
• In the Valley of Elah (2007)^[256][43]
• Juno (2007)^{[256][43][182][5][115][114][87][48][111][243]}
• Margot at the Wedding (2007)^[256][5]
• A Mighty Heart (2007)^[256]
• No Country for Old Men (2007)^{[43][2][15][48]}
• No End in Sight (2007)^[256][114]
• Paranormal Activity (2007)^{[5][210][72][48][51]}
• The Savages (2007)^[43][147]
• Sicko (2007)^[256]
• Sunshine (2007)^[256]
• There Will Be Blood (2007)^{[43][147][194]}
• Waitress (2007)^{[256][265][225][243]}
• The Visitor (2007)^{[267][5][254]}
• American Teen (2008)^[268]
• Baghead (2008)^[29]
• Be Kind Rewind (2008)^[269]
• Fireproof (2008)^[264][267]
• Frozen River (2008)^{[209][46][267][15][225]}
• In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2008)^[83]
• Man on Wire (2008)^[265]
• Rachel Getting Married (2008)^{[5][267][225][243]}
• Sita Sings the Blues (2008)^[270][271]
• Synecdoche, New York (2008)^[169][5][48]
• Twilight (2008)^[5]
• Tyson (2008)^[159]
• Wendy and Lucy (2008)^[5][243]
• The Wrestler (2008)^{[253][114][83]}
• Adventureland (2009)^[5]
• Coraline (2009)^[272]
• The Cove (2009)^[265][171]
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)^[272]
• 500 Days of Summer (2009)^[48]
• The Hurt Locker (2009)^[1][2][273]≈
• Inglourious Basterds (2009)^[182][147]
• Moon (2009)^[247][48]
• My Dog Tulip (2009)^[212]
• Precious (2009)^{[274][5][275][265][171][114]}
• Revolutionary Road (2009)^[43]
• A Serious Man (2009)^[48][243]
• A Single Man (2009)^{[35][246][243][276]}
• Sin Nombre (2009)^[254]
• Trash Humpers (2009)^[277]

2010s

• Beginners (2010)^[278][48]
• Black Swan (2010)^{[114][147][48][83][243]}
• Blue Valentine (2010)^{[147][265][171][48][243]}
• Catfish (2010)^[159]
• Greenberg (2010)^[43]
• Inside Job (2010)^[159]
• The Kids Are All Right (2010)^[35][279]
• The King's Speech (2010)^[2]
• Meek's Cutoff (2010)^[46]
• Winter's Bone (2010)^{[28][209][46][265][15][115][114][225][48][83]}
• The Color Wheel (2011)^[280]
• The Descendants (2011)^[147]
• Drive (2011)^[48][243]
• Margaret (2011)^[243]
• Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)^[48]
• Pariah (2011)^{[281][282][275][225]}≈
• Project Nim (2011)^[159]
• Take Shelter (2011)^[283][204]
• The Tree of Life (2011)^[48]
• Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)^{[28][82][265][114][48][84]}
• Frances Ha (2012)^{[72][243][211]}
• Fresh Guacamole (2012)^[284][285]
• It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)^{[270][139][286]}
• The Master (2012)^[147]
• Middle of Nowhere (2012)^{[287][288][275]}
• Paranorman (2012)^[272]
• The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)^[48]
• Spring Breakers (2012)^[48][243]
• Dallas Buyers Club (2013)^{[28][147][51]}
• Fruitvale Station (2013)^{[289][171][48]}
• Moonrise Kingdom (2013)^[48][243]
• Nebraska (2013)^[247]
• Only God Forgives (2013)^[48]
• 12 Years a Slave (2013)^[1][2]≈
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)^[87]
• Birdman (2014)^[28][176][1]
• The Boxtrolls (2014)^[272]
• Boyhood (2014)^{[28][176][2][48]}
• Ex Machina (2014)^[290]
• Foxcatcher (2014)^[28]
• Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)^{[28][176][48]}
• The Imitation Game (2014)^[176][2]
• Listen Up Philip (2014)^[291]
• Nightcrawler (2014)^[247]
• The Theory of Everything (2014)^[176][2]
• Whiplash (2014)^{[28][176][2][289][171][247][48][243]}
• Carol (2015)^[243]
• Dope (2015)^[292][48]
• It Follows (2015)^[48]
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)^[48]
• Spotlight (2015)^[1][2]
• Tangerine (2015)^{[293][29][17][48][243]}
• The VVitch (2015)^{[290][48][243]}
• World of Tomorrow (2015)^[294]
• American Honey (2016)^[290]
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)^[48]
• Manchester by the Sea (2016)^[48]
• Moonlight (2016)^{[279][2][45][290][72][48][243]}
• Swiss Army Man (2016)^[48]
• 20th Century Women (2016)^{[295][290][48]}
• Call Me By Your Name (2017)^[296][48]
• The Disaster Artist (2017)^[296]
• First Reformed (2017)^[290]
• The Florida Project (2017)^{[45][290][48][243]}
• Get Out (2017)^[45][72][48]
• Good Time (2017)^[48]
• I, Tonya (2017)^[296][297]
• Lady Bird (2017)^{[45][290][296][243]}
• Phantom Thread (2017)^[48]
• The Shape of Water (2017)^{[2][296][297]}
• Eighth Grade (2018)^{[290][82][48][243]}
• Hereditary (2018)^[290][48]
• Isle of Dogs (2018)^[272]
• The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2018)^[290][243]
• Minding the Gap (2018)^[243]
• The Rider (2018)^[298][299]
• The Farewell (2019)^[290][243]
• First Cow (2019)^[290]
• Hair Love (2019)^[300]
• Jojo Rabbit (2019)^[2]
• The Lighthouse (2019)^[48]
• Marriage Story (2019)^[301]
• The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)^[246]
• Uncut Gems (2019)^[290][48]

2020s

• Cryptozoo (2020)^{[302][303][304]}
• The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)^[51]
• Minari (2020)^[290][243]
• Nomadland (2020)^{[305][306][51]}
• Zola (2020)^{[290][72][243]}
• CODA (2021)^[307][72]
• Jockey (2021)^[298][308]
• Pig (2021)^[243]
• Shiva Baby (2021)^[309]
• Summer of Soul (2021)^[310][311]
• Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)^{[312][313][290][314][72][48][315]}
• Fire of Love (2022)^[316]
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022)^{[317][318][319][320]}
• My Year of Dicks (2022)^[321][322]
• Tár (2022)^[323]
• The Whale (2022)^[323]
• American Fiction (2023)^[50]
• Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023)^[33]
• The Holdovers (2023)^[50]
• Kokomo City (2023)^[33]
• Ninety-Five Senses (2023)^[324]
• Past Lives (2023)^[50][243]
• Poor Things (2023)^[50]
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023)^[50]
• Saltburn (2023)^[50]
• Sound of Freedom (2023)^[325][50]
• Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)^[50]
• A Thousand and One (2023)^[243]
• War Is Over! (2023)^[326]

List of notable American independent filmmakers

References

Bibliography

• Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes: A Guided Tour Across a Decade of American Independent Cinema, John Pierson
• A Killer Life, Christine Vachon
• Down & Dirty Pictures, Peter Biskind
• Indie: An American Film Culture, Michael Z. Newman Ph.D.
• American Independent Cinema, Geoff King
• Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Charles Solomon
• Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents, Stephen Thrower

Notes

• ≈ indicates a National Film Registry inductee

See also

• New Hollywood
• American Eccentric Cinema
• Independent animation
• List of rediscovered films
• Classical Hollywood cinema

External links

• Indiewood Finally Figures Out That Their Movies Are Depressing on Vulture
• Indie, Inc. on Project MUSE
• 10 Indies We Love Archives on Film Independent
• "The Edge of Hollywood" episode of American Cinema on Annenberg Learner
• BAM's Indie 80s trailer on Vimeo
• Low-Budget, Independent Films, 1981 – Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews
• AFS Essential Cinema: The Original Indies: The Birth of American Independent Cinema on official YouTube channel
• The Real Indies: A Close Look at Orphan Films at Oscars.org
• American Independents on The Criterion Channel