Independent Film Research

Independent Film Research

An Independent Film is a professional film production that results in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major Hollywood production companies such as 20^th century fox, Warner bros., paramount pictures, Columbia pictures etc. examples of independent film companies would be The Weinstein Company, lions gate films, summit entertainment, film4 productions etc. These independent films are usually made with a considerable lower budget than that of major film studios. Generally, the marketing of independent films is characterized by limited release, but can also have major marketing campaigns and a wide release. An independent film production can rival a mainstream film production if it has the necessary funding and distribution

How to identify if the film is independent or Hollywood:

The following table illustrates the categories commonly used to characterize the Hollywood system.

The Big Five majors	The Little Three majors	Poverty Row (top four of many)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	United Artists	Grand National
Paramount Pictures	Columbia Pictures	Republic Pictures
20th Century Fox	Universal Studios	Monogram Pictures
Warner Bros.		Producers Releasing Corporation (aka PRC)
RKO Pictures

The acquisitions of the smaller studios by conglomerate Hollywood was a plan in part to take over the independent film industry and at the same time start independent studios of their own. The following are all indie studios owned by conglomerate Hollywood:

• Sony Pictures Classics 1992
• Fox Searchlight Pictures 1995
• Paramount Vantage 1998
• Focus Features 2002
• Warner Independent Pictures 2003

By the early 2000s, Hollywood was producing three different classes of films: 1) Big Budget Blockbusters 2) Art films, specialty films and niche-market films produced by the conglomerate-owned indies and 3) Genre and specialty films coming from true indie studios and producers. The third category comprised over half the features released in the United States and usually cost between $5 and $10 million to produce.

Below are the independent studios and what films they have produced:

Film4 Productions

Walter 12 Years A Slave (UK and co-production distribution only with eOne UK and Channel 4, co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, Regency Enterprises, River Road Entertainment and Plan B Entertainment) 127 Hours (co-production with Pathé, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Cloud Eight Films, Darlow Smithson Productions and Warner Bros. Pictures) 24 Hour Party People (co-production with United Artists, UK Film Council and Baby Cow Productions) A Field in England A Month in the Country (co-production with Euston Films) A Room with a View (co-production with Merchant Ivory Productions and Goldcrest Films) A Zed and Two Noughts (co-production with British Film Institute and Artificial Eye) And When Did You Last See Your Father? Another Year Attack the Block (co-production with Big Talk Pictures, StudioCanal and UK Film Council) Beautiful Thing Berberian Sound Studio (co-production with Warp X Productions, Screen Yorkshire and UK Film Council) Bhaji on the Beach Birthday Girl Blue (co-production with BBC Radio 3 and Arts Council of Great Britain) Brassed Off (co-production with Miramax Films and Prominent Features) Brothers of the Head Buena Vista Social Club Buffalo Soldiers (co-production with Good Machine and Miramax Films) Bunny and the Bull (co-production with Warp X Productions, Wild Bunch, Optimum Releasing, Screen Yorkshire and UK Film Council) Carla's Song Charlotte Gray (co-production with Ecosse Films and Warner Bros.) Christmas Carol: The Movie (co-production with UK Film Council) Dancer in the Dark (co-production with Canal+, France 3 Cinéma, Zentropa and Fine Line Features) Dead Man's Shoes Comrades (co-production with now-defunct National Film Finance Corporation) Death To Smoochy (co-production with Senator Film and Warner Bros.) Deep Water Dogma (produced by View Askew) Donkey Punch (co-production with EM Media, Madman Entertainment, Screen Yorkshire, UK Film Council and Warp X Productions) East Is East Eat The Rich (co-production with Michael White) Elizabeth (co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films) Enduring Love Fever Pitch Four Lions (co-production with Warp Films, Wild Bunch and Optimum Releasing) Four Weddings and a Funeral (co-production with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films) Franklyn (co-production with Recorded Picture Company, HanWay Films and UK Film Council) Funny Games (co-production with Warner Independent Pictures and Tartan Films) Gangster No. 1 (co-production with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Road Movies Filmproduktion and BSkyB) Hallam Foe Happy-Go-Lucky (co-production with Ingenious Film Partners and Summit Entertainment) Hidden City How I Live Now (co-production with British Film Institute, Magnolia Pictures and Passion Pictures) How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Hush (co-production with Warp X, Pathé, Screen Yorkshire, UK Film Council and Optimum Releasing) Hyde Park on Hudson (co-production with Daybreak Pictures and Focus Features) In Bruges (co-production with Focus Features Invincible (co-production with Fine Line Features) The Iron Lady (co-production with Pathé, UK Film Council and The Weinstein Company) Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten

K-PAX ((co-production with Universal Pictures and Intermedia Films) Kill List (co-production with UK Film Council, Warp X, Screen Yorkshire and Rook Films) Late Night Shopping Lucky Break (co-production with Paramount Pictures and Miramax Films) Me and You and Everyone We Know My Beautiful Laundrette (co-production with SAF Productions and Working Title Films) Neds (co-production with Scottish Screen, UK Film Council and Wild Bunch) Never Let Me Go (co-production with DNA Films and Fox Searchlight Pictures) Nowhere Boy (co-production with UK Film Council, Ecosse Films and The Weinstein Company) On The Road (co-production with American Zoetrope, MK2, France Télévisions, Canal+, Ciné+, France 2 Cinéma and Vanguard Films) P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang Red Monarch Series 7: The Contenders (co-production with USA Films) Seven Psychopaths (co-production with British Film Institute, HanWay Films and CBS Films) Sexy Beast (Co-production with Kanzaman, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Recorded Picture Company) Shame (co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, UK Film Council, See-Saw Films, HanWay Films and Momentum Pictures/Alliance Films) Shaun of the Dead (co-production with Big Talk Productions, Working Title Films, StudioCanal, Universal Studios and Rogue Pictures) Sightseers (co-production with Big Talk Pictures) Slumdog Millionaire (co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Pathé and Celador Films) Submarine (co-production with Red Hour Films and Warp Films) Sunshine (co-production with Alliance Atlantis, Eurimages, Telefilm Canada, The Movie Network, Kinowelt, TV2, ORF and Paramount Classics) The Crying Game (co-production with British Screen, Eurotrustees, Nippon Film Development and Finance and Palace Pictures) The Deep Blue Sea (co-production with UK Film Council and Artificial Eye) The Double (co-production with Alcove Entertainment and British Film Institute) The Eagle (co-production with Focus Features) The Great Bear The House of Mirth (co-production with Granada Productions, Kinowelt, Arts Council of England, Showtime Networks and The Scottish Arts Council) The Inbetweeners Movie (co-production with Bwark Productions, Young Films and Entertainment Film Distributors) The Last King of Scotland (co-production with DNA Films and Fox Searchlight Pictures) The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (Co-production with Universal Pictures and Tiger Aspect) The Lovely Bones (co-production with DreamWorks Pictures) The Madness of King George (co-production with The Samuel Goldwyn Company) The Motorcycle Diaries The Pope Must Die (co production with Miramax Films, Palace Pictures and Michael White) The Red Violin (co-production with New Line Cinema, Lionsgate, Telefilm Canada and CITY-TV) The Scouting Book for Boys (co-production with Celador Films, Screen East and Pathé) The Spirit of '45 The Stone Roses: Made of Stone (co-production with Warp Films) The Straight Story (co-production with StudioCanal and Walt Disney Pictures) The Woman in the Fifth (co-production with UK Film Council, Canal+, Orange Cinéma Séries and Artificial Eye) This Is England Touching the Void Trainspotting Trance (co-production with Pathé, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Cloud Eight Films and Indian Paintbrush) Tyrannosaur (co-production with Warp X, Inflammable Films, UK Film Council, Screen Yorkshire, EM Media, and Optimum Releasing (as StudioCanal UK)) Venus (co-production with UK Film Council and Miramax Films) Warcraft (co-production with Universal Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Atlas Entertainment) Wish You Were Here Wuthering Heights (co-production with HanWay Films, Ecosse Films, UK Film Council, Goldcrest Films and Screen Yorkshire)

Lions Gate Films

The Twilight Saga (partially), The Hunger Games, Saw and The Expendables, American Psycho, Affliction, Gods and Monsters,^[2] Dogma, Saw, Fahrenheit 9/11, Total Recall, Reservoir Dogs, On Golden Pond, Super Mario Bros., Young Guns, Dirty Dancing, It's a Wonderful Life, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights ,The Prince & Me ,The Day After Tomorrow, Hotel Rwanda, 

Summit Entertainment

American Pie, P2, Penelope, Sex Drive, Twilight, Knowing, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Spider-Man 3, The Dark Knight ,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Next Day Air, The Hurt Locker, Astro Boy, Sorority Row, Push, Bandslam, Letters to Juliet, RED, Twilight. 

Overture Films (out of business)

Released movies:

Title	Release Date
Mad Money	January 18, 2008
Sleepwalking	March 14, 2008
The Visitor	April 18, 2008
Henry Poole Is Here	August 15, 2008
Traitor	August 27, 2008
Righteous Kill	September 12, 2008
Nothing Like the Holidays	December 12, 2008
Last Chance Harvey	January 16, 2009
Sunshine Cleaning	March 27, 2009
Paper Heart	August 7, 2009
Pandorum	September 25, 2009
Capitalism: A Love Story	October 2, 2009
Law Abiding Citizen	October 16, 2009
The Men Who Stare at Goats	November 6, 2009
The Crazies	February 26, 2010
Brooklyn's Finest	March 5, 2010
Jack Goes Boating	September 17, 2010
Let Me In	October 1, 2010
Stone	October 8, 2010

Hannover House

TBA

• T3K: Terminator 3000
• Wild Oats
• The Mothman Chronicles
• Hostage
• Return to Oz
• Mother Goose

2012

Theatrical:

• Toys in the Attic
• The Weather Station
• Borrar de la Memoria

2011

Theatrical:

• Turtle: The Incredible Journey (film)
• All's Faire in Love (film)
• Cook County (film)
• Humans Vs. Zombies

DVD:

• Turtle: The Incredible Journey (film)
• Boggy Creek: The legend is True

VOD:

• Turtle: The Incredible Journey (film)
• Twelve (film)
• Racing Dreams (film)

2010

Theatrical:

• Twelve (film)
• Racing Dreams (film)

DVD:

• Racing Dreams
• Sensored
• War Eagle, Arkansas
• Chelsea on the Rocks
• 2 Dudes and a Dream
• Boiler Maker

2009

• The Hiding
• The Last Brickmaker in America
• Come Away Home
• Hounddog (film)

2008 and earlier

• Grand Champion

• Teen Yoga
• Blonde and Blonder
• The Fun Park
• Ambrose Bierce: Civil War Stories
• Fat Rose and Squeaky
• Livin' It Up with the Bratz
• Glitz 'N' Glamour with the Bratz
• On Life and Enlightenment: Principles of Buddhism with His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• Why Wal-Mart Works; and Why That Drives Some People C-R-A-Z-Y
• New Sounds of Cuba
• The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam
• Dawn of the Living Dead
• Samurai: The Last Warrior
• Off the Lip
• Animal Clinic
• Los Van Van: Live in Cuba
• The Roswell Crash: Startling New Evidence
• Out of the Blue (2002 film)
• AFP: American Fighter Pilot
• Island of Champions
• Kids World
• Christmas in the Clouds
• Delivering Milo
• Razor Sharpe
• The New Adventures of Pinocchio
• Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box
• D.R.E.A.M. Team
• The Joyriders
• Savage Land
• Future Shock
• Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart
• Moon of the Desperados
• Mind Your Manners

IFC Films

Over 300 releases have followed, including:

• Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
• Spring Forward
• Casa de los Babys (2002)
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
• Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980, restored 2002)
• XX/XY (2002)
• Camp (2003)
• The Brother from Another Planet (1984, restored 2003)
• Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
• Land of Plenty (2004)
• Nobody Knows (2004)
• Touching the Void (2004)
• Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
• The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)
• Transamerica (2005)
• Sherrybaby (2006)
• This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
• Wordplay (2006)
• I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2007)
• Mister Lonely (2007)
• My Winnipeg (2007)
• Strangers (2007)
• Afterschool (2008)
• 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2008)
• Paranoid Park (2008)
• Mad Detective (2008)
• Home Movie (2008)
• Che (2008)
• I Sell the Dead (2008)
• Flame & Citron (2008)
• The Disappeared (2009)
• The Wild Man of the Navidad (2009)
• Dead Snow (2009)
• Pontypool (2009)
• Life During Wartime (2009)
• My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009)
• Americanese (2009)
• Looking for Eric (2009)
• Antichrist (2009)
• The Killer Inside Me (2010)
• The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2010)
• Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
• The Other Woman (2010)
• Fish Tank (2010)
• Super (2010)
• The Possession of David O'Reilly (2010)
• Peep World (2010) –
• Vincere (2010)
• We Are What We Are (Somos Lo Que Hay)(2010)
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
• The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)
• Chalet Girl (2011)
• Salvation Boulevard (2011)
• Sleepwalk with Me (2012)
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)
• Errors of the Human Body (2012)
• ATM (2012)
• The Moth Diaries (2012)
• Fury (2012)
• The Angels' Share (2012) (as IFC Midnight)
• Grabbers (2012)
• Frances Ha (2012)
• Sightseers (2013)
• Crystal Fairy (2013)
• The Look of Love (2013)
• Dealing with Idiots (2013)
• The Jeffrey Dahmer Files (2013)
• The Canyons (2013)
• Maniac (2013)

Upcoming releases:

• The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) (2013)
• Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)
• The Face of Love (2013)
• Almost Human (2013)

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Films:

• Me Without You (2001) (with Capitol Films)
• Tortilla Soup (2001)
• Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2002) (with Destination Films, Sunrise Animation and Bones)
• The Man From Elysian Fields (2002)
• Mambo Italiano (2003)
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) (with Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax Films and Universal Pictures)
• What the Bleep Do We Know? (2004)
• Super Size Me (2004) (with Roadside Attractions)
• The Squid and the Whale (2005)
• MirrorMask (2005)
• Blind Dating (2005)
• Facing the Giants (2006) (with Destination Films and Sherwood Pictures)
• Seraphim Falls (2006)
• Amazing Grace (2006)
• Fireproof (2008) (with Affirm Films and Sherwood Pictures)
• Brothers at War (2009)
• American Violet (2009)
• The Merry Gentleman (2009)
• Management (2009)
• Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)
• Cold Souls (2009)
• (Untitled) (2009)
• Mao's Last Dancer (2010)
• Harry Brown (2010)
• The Dead Sea (2010)
• Legendary (2010) (with WWE Studios)
• Kucklehead (2010) (with WWE Studios)
• Welcome to the Rileys (2010)
• The Whistleblower (2011)
• The Chaperone (2011) (with WWE Studios)
• That's What I Am (2011) (with WWE Studios)
• Bloodworth (2011)
• There Be Dragons (2011)
• Assassination Games (2011)
• Inside Out (2011) (with WWE Studios)
• A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011)
• October Baby (2012) (with American Family Studios and Provident Films)
• Upside Down (2012) (with Millennium Entertainment, Warner Bros {France}, Onyx Films and Studio 37) (uncredited) (US only)
• Cowgirls 'n Angels (with Paramount Pictures)
• The First Time (2012)
• Home Run (2013)
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) (with Twentieth Century Fox and Dune Entertainment)
• Left Behind (2014)

The Weinstein Company/Dimension Films

2000s

Title Release Date Notes Derailed November 11, 2005 first release The Libertine November 25, 2005 second release Hoodwinked! December 16, 2005 the studio's first animated film Transamerica December 23, 2005 Mrs Henderson Presents December 25, 2005 The Matador December 30, 2005 Doogal February 24, 2006 the company's second animated film Lucky Number Slevin April 7, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Wordplay June 23, 2006 Clerks II July 21, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Protector September 8, 2006 Stormbreaker October 6, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Shut Up & Sing November 10, 2006 Bobby November 23, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Factory Girl December 29, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Miss Potter December 29, 2006 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Arthur and the Invisibles January 12, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Alone with Her January 17, 2007 Breaking and Entering February 9, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; with Miramax Films Hannibal Rising February 9, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; produced by DDLC Dino De Laurentiis Company TMNT March 23, 2007 co-production with Warner Bros. and Imagi Animation Studios The Ex May 11, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Sicko June 22, 2007 co-distributed with Lionsgate Films Dedication August 24, 2007 The Nanny Diaries August 24, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; co-production with FilmColony I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With September 5, 2007 The Hunting Party September 14, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Great Debaters December 25, 2007 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; co-production with Harpo Films Cassandra's Dream January 18, 2008 distribution only, produced by Wild Bunch and Virtual Studios Rambo January 25, 2008 co-production with Lionsgate Films La Misma Luna March 19, 2008 co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, Creando Films, Fidecine, and Potomac Pictures Boy A July 23, 2008 distribution only, produced by Cuba Pictures for Channel 4 Vicky Cristina Barcelona August 15, 2008 distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; co-production with Mediapro and Wild Bunch Elite Squad September 19, 2008 Zack and Miri Make a Porno October 31, 2008[32] Outlander January 23, 2009 Killshot January 23, 2009 The Reader January 30, 2009 Fanboys February 6, 2009 Crossing Over February 27, 2009 Inglourious Basterds August 21, 2009 co production with Universal Pictures and A Band Apart A Single Man September 11, 2009 Capitalism: A Love Story October 2, 2009 Nine December 18, 2009 2010s Title Release Date Notes Shelter May 5, 2010 Le Concert July 30, 2010 The Tillman Story August 20, 2010 Nowhere Boy October 8, 2010 The Fighter December 10, 2010 international distribution The King's Speech December 24, 2010 Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture Blue Valentine December 29, 2010 The Company Men January 21, 2011 Miral March 25, 2011 co-production with Pathé Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil April 29, 2011 The studio's first animated sequel Submarine June 3, 2011 Sarah's Key July 22, 2011 Our Idiot Brother August 26, 2011 only USA, UK, Germany, France, and Japan I Don't Know How She Does It September 16, 2011 Dirty Girl October 7, 2011 My Week with Marilyn November 23, 2011 The Artist November 23, 2011 only USA and Australia. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture The Iron Lady December 30, 2011 only USA Coriolanus January 20, 2012 W.E. February 3, 2012 Undefeated February 17, 2012 Bully March 30, 2012 The Intouchables May 25, 2012 Lawless August 29, 2012 The Master September 14, 2012 Butter October 5, 2012 This Must Be the Place November 2, 2012 only USA Silver Linings Playbook November 16, 2012 Killing Them Softly November 30, 2012 So Undercover December 6, 2012 Django Unchained December 25, 2012 co-production with Columbia Pictures Escape from Planet Earth February 15, 2013 co-production with Rainmaker Entertainment 20 Feet from Stardom June 21, 2013 Fruitvale Station July 12, 2013 The Butler August 16, 2013 Haute Cuisine September 20, 2013 All the Boys Love Mandy Lane October 11, 2013 under their units Dimension Films and Radius-TWC Dimension releases Title Release Date Notes Scary Movie 4 April 14, 2006 Distributed by Dimension Films and Miramax Films Pulse August 11, 2006 Feast September 22, 2006 School for Scoundrels September 29, 2006 Grindhouse (Planet Terror & Death Proof) April 6, 2007 DOA: Dead or Alive June 15, 2007 Halloween August 31, 2007 co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Promotion June 6, 2008 Hell Ride August 8, 2008 Halloween II August 28, 2009 Janky Promoters October 16, 2009 The Road November 25, 2009 Youth in Revolt January 8, 2010 Hurricane Season February 9, 2010 Piranha 3D August 20, 2010 Scream 4 April 15, 2011 Spy Kids: All the Time in the World August 19, 2011 co-production with Walt Disney Pictures and Troublemaker Studios Apollo 18 September 2, 2011 Piranha 3DD June 1, 2012 Scary Movie 5 April 12, 2013 Aftershock May 10, 2013 co-production with Dimension Films and Radius-TWC Other films Title Release Date Notes Freddie as F.R.O.7 August 28, 1992 Theatrically released by Miramax Family Films (DVD, TBA) The Thief and the Cobbler 1995 Theatrically released by Miramax Family Films (DVD) The Promise December 15, 2005 Acquired North American distribution rights, then sold them to Warner Independent Pictures. Love Wrecked 2005 Acquired the North American rights from Media 8 Entertainment, then sold them to the ABC Family Network. Nomad 2005 Acquired North American distribution rights. The Forbidden Kingdom April 18, 2008 With Lionsgate Films and Relativity Media Igor September 19, 2008 Developed by and originally intended for release by TWC, but sold their rights to co-distributor MGM All Good Things December 3, 2010 Acquired North American and International distribution rights. The North American rights were eventually purchased back by the film's director. However, the company will still release the film internationally. Bachelorette September 7, 2012 Distributed by RADiUs-TWC Erased May 17, 2013 Distributed by RADiUs-TWC Only God Forgives July 19, 2013 Distributed by RADiUs-TWC; co production with FilmDistrict, Gaumont, and Wild Bunch Cutie and the Boxer August 16, 2013 Distributed by RADiUS-TWC The Grandmaster August 23, 2013 Upcoming films 2013 One Chance: 10/25 (UK) Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom: 11/29 August: Osage County: 12/25 Snowpiercer 2014 Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters: 2/14 Grace of Monaco: 3/14 The Giver: 8/15 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: 8/22 (Distributed by Dimension Films) Big Eyes The Nut Job (international release, excluding Russia, Israel & Korea, Open Road Films holds US rights) St. Vincent de Van Nuys Yves Saint Laurent TBD Satanic Concussion[33] Leo the Lion[34] Nicolas (co-production with Rhythm and Hues Studios) The Trick or Treaters[34] Santapprentice[34] Can a Song Save Your Life?[35] Clerks III[34]