Truthmovies Are Just Beginning

Abstract

In its most common contemporary use, independent or “indie” film refers to works produced or distributed by a company without ties to the major Hollywood studio system or via a subsidiary of one of the larger conglomerates (e.g., Fox Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics). Historically, independent productions shared some broad parameters with studio films — they were feature‐length films produced for theatrical distribution; they had a narrative with a beginning, a middle, and an end; and they featured a cast of characters who often, though not always, were played by professional actors. As Yanni Tzioumakis acknowledges, independent film is a “notoriously difficult concept to define” (2006, 1). On the most general level, however, the business model most independent films have traditionally employed has allowed filmmakers to shift creative and commercial interests away from the hands of industry workers and executives. What is privileged instead is the notion of film as a form of personal expression controlled by individuals who see themselves primarily as artists, regardless of whether they are actors, directors, cinematographers, or writers.