Film Studies Librarian
Lucinda M. Hall
Contact:
Evans Map Room, Baker-Berry Library
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
Dartmouth College
25 N Main ST
Hanover, NH 03755
(603) 646-0962
Website Skype Contact: d1128r8@kiewit.dartmouth.edu
Other library resource(s)
American independent cinema from Oxford Bibliographies Online by Call Number: Electronic resourceISBN: 9780199791286American independent cinema, often called “indie cinema,” has no clear historical starting point and no single definition. Most broadly, the term refers to films made outside the Hollywood system, although some scholars date independent cinema from 1908, when enterprising filmmakers defied the near-monopoly of the Motion Picture Patents Company, formed by Thomas A. Edison and others hoping to control the rapidly expanding industry. ...- American independent cinema, producers from Oxford Bibliographies Online by Call Number: Electronic resourceISBN: 9780199791286The concept of independence in American cinema has been widely debated as a great variety of film production arrangements, including ones associated with the major Hollywood studios’ practices, have claimed the label “independent” for themselves, often perceiving it as a marker of distinction. American independent film production and the companies and people responsible for it can be broadly distinguished between top rank and low end. ...
Film Movement seriesCall Number: Check the online catalog to see individual titlesFilm Movement exists to ensure exceptional independent cinema finds the audience it deserves. We have over 50 films from Film Movement.
Place: 13 essays, 13 filmmakers, 1 city by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .C2 P53 2009Featuring essays by Danishka Esterhazy, Solomon Nagler, Jonas Chernick, Ioannis Mookas, Caelum Vatnsdal, Larissa Fan, Tricia Wasney, Kenneth George Godwin, Miye Bromberg, Matthew Rankin, Geoff Pevere, Jonathan Ball, and Sean Carney.- Screening room DVD seriesCall Number: Jones Media DVD - check catalog for specific numberScreening Room was a 1970s Boston television series that for almost ten years offered independent filmmakers a chance to show and discuss their work on a commercial (ABC-TV) affiliate station. The series was developed and hosted by filmmaker Robert Gardner (Dead Birds, Forest of Bliss), who was Chairman of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies and Director of the Carpenter Center for Visual Arts at Harvard for many years.
Keeping up with the journal literature
Want an easy way to keep up with the journal literature for all facets of Film Studies? And you use a mobile device? You can install the BrowZine app and create a custom Bookshelf of your favorite journal titles. Then you will get the Table of Contents (ToCs) of your favorite journals automatically delivered to you when they become available. Once you have the ToC's you can download and read the articles you want.
You can get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Don't own or use a mobile device? You can still use BrowZine! It's now available in a web version. You can get to it here. The web version works the same way as the app version. Find the journals you like, create a custom Bookshelf, get ToCs and read the articles you want.
A short definition for independent cinema
Independent cinema (US)
1. Films made outside the production, distribution, and exhibition framework of the major Hollywood studios and considered antithetical or oppositional to mainstream commercial cinema.
2. Films aimed at niche audiences made by independent film companies for commercial purposes, often in cooperation with the major film producers.
In its most common use, the term independent film, or ‘indie’ film in the US, broadly corresponds with art cinema in a European context. In 1950s New York, repertory cinemas showing European art films catered to an appreciative audience of cinephiles, inspiring would-be filmmakers to create films outside the commercial sector. Morris Engel, with his wife Ruth Orkin, made The Little Fugitive (1953), Lovers and Lollipops (1955), and Weddings and Babies (1958); and Lionel Rogosin made On the Bowery (1956)—documentary-style films informed by Neorealism. The increasing availability of portable and relatively inexpensive 16 mm cameras and Nagra tape-recording technology encouraged more filmmakers to follow their lead, among them John Cassavetes, who produced and directed Shadows (1959) and is perhaps America’s best-known independent (see also new american cinema). Other New York-based independents, include Shirley Clarke (The Connection (1962), The Cool World (1963), and Portrait of Jason (1967)); Andy Warhol (The Chelsea Girls (1966) and Lonesome Cowboys (1967)); Paul Morrissey, who after working with Warhol went on to direct Flesh (1968), Trash (1970), and Women in Revolt (1971); Robert Kramer (Ice (1969) and Milestones (with John Douglas, (1975)); and Mark Rappaport (Imposters (1979), The Scenic Route (1978)). Working during this same period but based in Los Angeles, Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep (1977), My Brother’s Wedding (1983)) is—along with Julie Dash and Haile Gerima—a prominent African-American independent filmmaker (see black cinema (us)). ...
Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2020). Independent cinema (US). In A Dictionary of Film Studies. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 7 Aug. 2023
Finding library resource about independent film
Resources about Independent film are scattered throughout the PN 1990's. To see what our catalog has, click on one of the following subject searches:
- Independent filmsThe call number range is PN 1990's
- experimental filmsMost works are located on Baker Stack Level 4 in the call number range PN 1995.9 .E96.
Introductory reading(s)
American independent cinema: an introduction by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .U6 T98 2006ISBN: 9780813539713From the prestige films of Cagney Productions to recent, ultra-low budget cult hits, such as Clerks and The Blair Witch Project, American independent cinema has produced some of the most distinctive films ever made. This comprehensive introduction draws on key films, filmmakers, and film companies from the early twentieth century to the present to examine the factors that shaped this vital and evolving mode of filmmaking. ...
Directory of world cinema. American independent by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .U6 A54 2010ISBN: 9781841503684With high-profile Academy Award nominations and an increasing number of big-name actors eager to sign on to promising projects, independent films have been at the forefront in recent years like never before. But the roots of such critical and commercial successes as The Hurt Locker and Precious can be traced to the first boom of independent cinema in the 1960s, when a raft of talented filmmakers emerged to capture the attention of a rapidly growing audience of young viewers. A thorough overview of a thriving area of cultural life, Directory of World Cinema: American Independent chronicles the rise of the independent sector as an outlet for directors who challenge the status quo, yet still produce accessible feature films that not only find wide audiences but enjoy considerable box office appeal without sacrificing critical legitimacy. ...
Directory of world cinema. American Independent 2 by Call Number: Baker/Berry PN 1995.9 .I457 A44 2013ISBN: 9781841506128From Andy Warhol's Factory films to Roger Corman's exploitation productions to contemporary features backed by Hollywood studio subdivisions, American independent cinema has undergone several incarnations since its emergence as a politically charged underground movement in the 1960s.
Independent filmmaking around the globe by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1995.9 .I457 I54 2015ISBN: 9781442626836Independent Filmmaking around the Globe calls attention to the significant changes taking place in independent cinema today, as new production and distribution technology and shifting social dynamics make it more and more possible for independent filmmakers to produce films outside both the mainstream global film industry and their own national film systems. ...
Subversion: the definitive history of underground cinema by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1995.9 .E96 R38 2007ISBN: 9781905674213Subversion: The Definitive History of Underground Cinema is the indispensable history of underground cinema, an untold story that includes the British independent and French avant-garde cinemas of the 1920s, the counterculture film movements of the 1960s, the microcinema resurgence of the 1990s, and beyond. ...
Selected book title(s)
Children of Marx and Coca-Cola: Chinese avant-garde art and independent cinema by Call Number: Baker-Berry NX 583 .A1 L565 2010ISBN: 0824833368Children of Marx and Coca-Cola affords a deep study of Chinese avant-garde art and independent cinema from the mid-1990s to the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Contemporary American independent film: from the margins to the mainstream by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .U6 C636 2005ISBN: 9780415254878From Easy Rider to The Blair Witch Project, this book is a comprehensive examination of the independent film scene. Exploring the uneasy relationship between independent films and the major studios, the contributors trace the changing ideas and definitions of independent cinema, and the diversity of independent film practices. They consider the ways in which indie films are marketed and distributed, and how new technologies such as video, cable and the internet, offered new opportunities for filmmakers to produce and market independent films. ...
Film out of bounds: essays and interviews on non-mainstream cinema worldwide by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1994 .F439134 2007ISBN: 9780786429707Operating outside the commercial boundaries of Hollywood cinema, alternative and independent filmmakers have much to offer the discriminating viewer. Yet they struggle for a place in the popular culture, and even more for recognition by the scholarly community. The specific aim of this book is to provide much-needed critical examination of titles, particularly those by British filmmakers. In-depth commentary from such acclaimed writers as Maitland McDonagh, Jasper Sharp, Johannes Schonherr and Marcus Stiglegger considers filmmakers who work at the very heart of the independent medium, giving the reader specific insight into alternate cinema and the struggles its filmmakers endure. ...
Indie reframed: women's filmmaking and contemporary American independent cinema by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1993.5 .U6 I53 2016ISBN: 9781474403948With the consolidation of "indie" culture in the 21st century, female filmmakers face an increasingly indifferent climate. Within this sector, women work across all aspects of writing, direction, production, editing and design, yet the dominant narrative continues to construe "maverick" white male auteurs such as Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson as the face of indie discourse.
L. A. rebellion: creating a new black cinema by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780520284685L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema is the first book dedicated to the films and filmmakers of the L.A. Rebellion, a group of African, Caribbean, and African American independent film and video artists that formed at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1970s and 1980s. The group--including Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Haile Gerima, Billy Woodberry, Jamaa Fanaka, and Zeinabu Irene Davis--shared a desire to create alternatives to the dominant modes of narrative, style, and practice in American cinema, works that reflected the full complexity of Black experiences.
Spike, Mike, slackers and dykes: a guided tour across a decade of American independent cinema by Call Number: Baker-Berry PN 1998.2 .P56 1995ISBN: 9780786861897An insiders account of what goes on behind the scenes in independent film covers John Piersons pivotal role in the launching of such films as Stranger than Paradise, Clerks, Shes Gotta Have It, and Roger and Me.
Finding scholarly articles & journal title(s)
Articles and other writings about independent film can be found in many publications. Our collection includes 2 publications which look exclusively at experimental films but none that look exclusively at independent films. The titles are listed below. You can use Film & Television Literature Index to find more articles.
- Filmmaker magazine: the magazine of independent film byCall Number: Electronic journalThis magazine is from the Independent Filmmaker Project (ifp). There is a whole section on film-making.
- Millennium film journalCall Number: Electronic journalOnline coverage goes from January 2003 to the present. Coverage in print begins in 1999.
- The independent film & video monthlyCall Number: Electronic journalOnline coverage from March 2002 through June 2005.
Film & television literature index by Call Number: Electronic resourceUse this index to find articles about independent film.
Web of science citation databases by Call Number: Electronic resourceThe online version of 3 separate ISI indexes: Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index and, Social Sciences Citation Index.
Selected movie titles
Find more independent films.
Border radio by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #9775A low-key, semi-improvised postpunk diary, Border Radio features rocker Chris D. of the Flesh Eaters as a singer/songwriter who has stolen loot from a club and gone missing, leaving his wife to track him down with the help of his friends.
For your consideration by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #4503ISBN: 9781419828959It's about an indie movie called Home for Purim, a somewhat inane drama about a dysfunctional Jewish family living in the South during World War II. But while the film is still in production, a reporter for an online entertainment site drops the word -- based on a brief visit to the set -- that one of the ensemble cast performers may be an Oscar contender. It goes on to chronicle how the Oscar buzz affects the director, additional cast members, writers, an agent, a publicist, and the hosts from an Hollywood entertainment-type television program.
A Hollis Frampton odyssey by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #17456ISBN: 1604655674This set contains 24 films by the acclaimed filmmaker produced between 1966 and 1979.
Killer of sheep by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #9841Stan works long hours at a slaughterhouse in Watts, Los Angeles. The monotonous slaughter affects his home life with his wife and two children. Through a series of confusing episodic events—some friends try to involve Stan in a criminal plot, a white woman propositions Stan to work in her store, and Stan and his friend Bracy attempt to buy a car engine—a mosaic of an austere working-class life emerges in which Stan feels unable to affect the course of his life.- Les Blank byCall Number: Jones Media DVD #9955Les Blank screens and discusses his recent film The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins as well as footage for several works in progress.
- New masters of cinema byCall Number: Jones Media DVD #10413One minute past midnight; Fare bene Mìkles; Trafic; Mekong interior & Breaking out.
New world cinema: independent features & shorts, 1990-present by Call Number: Streaming videoThe collection includes approximately 200 full-length feature films from leading independent distributors such as Kino Lorber, First Run Features, Film Movement, MK2, and the Global Films Initiative. The narratives provide a window into a wide range of cultures and sociological issues around the world.
Putty Hill; Hamilton by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #14186ISBN: 9780781513586A beautifully realized portrait of a close-knit community on the outskirts of Baltimore. At a neighborhood karaoke bar, friends and family gather to remember a young man who passed away. Knowing little about his final days, they attempt to reconstruct his life. In the process, they offer a window onto their own lives, an evocative picture of working-class America, dislocated from the progress and mobility around them, but united in pursuit of a shared dream.
The sensation of sight by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #10447ISBN: 9781569946596Finn is an English teacher going through a mid-life crisis. Having just had a recent tragedy in his life, he takes up selling encyclopedias to the town as he looks for meaning in life.
The visitor by Call Number: Jones Media DVD #8013A disaffected college professor develops a friendship with two undocumented immigrants.
Internet resource(s)
- British Independent Film Awards
Created in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British film making, to honor new talent, and to promote British films and film making to a wider public. - Film IndependentThe non-profit member driven organization Independent Feature Project (IFP)/West soon emerged ... with the mission to cultivate the careers of independent filmmakers, build larger audiences for independent film, and champion diversity in the entertainment industry.
- Film MovementA great source to buy small independent films of all types. You can get a subscription.
- IFCIFC (Independent Film Channel) is the first and only network dedicated to independent film and related programming, 24 hours a day.
- Independent Film & Television AllianceThe Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the trade association of independent producers and distributors of motion picture and television programming worldwide. Formerly known as the American Film Marketing Association, the non-profit organization was established in 1980 by a group of independents whose main goal was to expand the independent film business by creating a world-class trade show, the American Film Market (AFM).
- Independent Film WeekThey help independent creators from around the world develop new projects, connect within the industry and champion collaborative and impactful storytelling at all stages.
- IndieWIRE.comThe leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike
- Film Independent Spirit Awards
Founded in 1984, the awards were originally known as the FINDIE ("Friends of Independents") Awards. In 1986, the awards were renamed the Independent Spirit Awards. - Sundance InstituteSundance Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.
- The Chlotrudis Society for Independent FilmThe Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a non-profit organization that teaches people to view films actively, helps people experience the world through independent film, and encourages discussion and discourse about film and the world.
