Sunday, May 31, 2015

Cuddle Up With Indie Movies Online

By Ericka Marsh


By definition, any film made in the US outside of the major Hollywood studio network will be classified as an indie film. Practically speaking, it represents a large section made up of nearly all films produced outside of the major Hollywood studios. Movies like this face steep obstacles blocking their distribution, even in the big coastal cities, with their established film cultures. Those seeking these hard to find gems need to cuddle up with indie movies online.

From the standpoint of quality, one should bring certain expectations. The films aren't typically just low budget versions of the same old Hollywood formulas, but typically explore themes and techniques the can't usually be found there. They take advantage of the fact that they don't have to earn one hundred million dollars, and try to appeal to a smaller, more discriminating audience.

Probably the back bone of the indie film movement is the hard band of indie film-makers, typically armed with an MFA in film, a little money, and a lot of nerve. These films are often the work of film-makers who are even more independent, lacking any degree or connections. This group of producers and directors and those from the schools do work that informs each other, with the un-degreed perhaps more likely to resort to genre films such as horror movies.

The nature of entertainment nearly dictates that there are going to be genres that almost never hit the marketplace jackpot. First among these is the documentary. Documentaries are of out-sized importance in the indie film market. They have a rare capacity to shine a spotlight upon issues that are ignored by Hollywood, and which are ignored by the nightly news as well.

The documentary has been forged into a resistance weapon to be wielded by those lacking power. Often these films highlight places being ignored by the larger world, like Rwanda or Indonesia. Within the United States, documentaries have helped give a voice to powerless people living on the margins. One committed documentarian can help even the advantages held by despotic regimes and indifferent international corporations.

Because independent filmmaking is so close to the film school, the websites where bone can find it often are great sources for the various streams from which filmmakers learn their craft. One of these is foreign film, which is well-represented and in as much national diversity as possible. Another of these is silent film, a grand tradition today's impatient public can no longer tolerate.

Minority communities have a special relationship with independent films. These movies help form an alternative media reality to go with their distinct lifestyle. Perhaps first among these people are gays and lesbians, a community with a standing need to see representations of romance that do not reduce to the standard, heterosexual story of a boy and a girl.

Another community is made up of evangelical Christians and other traditionalist groups, including a new wave of Mormon filmmakers. These groups often feel that the values of mainstream, Hollywood media fare too rarely reflects their values, and are building their own media environment one movie at a time. The reasons to invest a little time, and possibly just a little money, finding independent films on the internet grow each year.




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