Independent American Cinema

In a national cinema dominated by behemoth Hollywood studios, independently produced films have always made for refreshing alternatives.

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Spine # Title Director Country Year
1323 Little Odessa Little Odessa James Gray United States, 1994
1324 American Dream American Dream Barbara Kopple United States, 1990
334 Harlan County USA Harlan County USA Barbara Kopple United States, 1976
1322 I’ll Remind You of Everything: The Films of Mike Mills I’ll Remind You of Everything: The Films of Mike Mills    
1316 Desperate Living Desperate Living John Waters United States, 1977
1315 Hairspray Hairspray John Waters United States, 1988
1314 High Art High Art Lisa Cholodenko United States, 1998
1310 Fresh Kill Fresh Kill Shu Lea Cheang United Kingdom, 1994
1309 The Delta The Delta Ira Sachs United States, 1996
253 A Woman Under the Influence A Woman Under the Influence John Cassavetes United States, 1974
1299 Kiss of the Spider Woman Kiss of the Spider Woman Héctor Babenco United States, 1985
1295 The Dead The Dead John Huston United Kingdom, 1987
919 Dead Man Dead Man Jim Jarmusch United States, 1995
287 Burden of Dreams Burden of Dreams Les Blank United States, 1982
1277 Born in Flames Born in Flames Lizzie Borden United States, 1983
12 This Is Spinal Tap This Is Spinal Tap Rob Reiner United States, 1984
1274 Compensation Compensation Zeinabu irene Davis United States, 1999
1276 Saving Face Saving Face Alice Wu United States, 2004
1271 You Can Count on Me You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan United States, 2000
1262 Killer of Sheep Killer of Sheep Charles Burnett United States, 1977
1259 Anora Anora Sean Baker United States, 2024
1258 Prince of Broadway Prince of Broadway Sean Baker United States, 2008
1260 Basquiat Basquiat Julian Schnabel United States, 1996
1256 Choose Me Choose Me Alan Rudolph United States, 1984
1251 Drugstore Cowboy Drugstore Cowboy Gus Van Sant United States, 1989
1235 Happiness Happiness Todd Solondz United States, 1998
1238 Gummo Gummo Harmony Korine United States, 1997
Totally F***ed Up Totally F***ed Up Gregg Araki United States, 1993
Nowhere Nowhere Gregg Araki United States, 1997
The Doom Generation The Doom Generation Gregg Araki United States, 1995
977 Blue Velvet Blue Velvet David Lynch United States, 1986
1220 Bound Bound Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski United States, 1996
1219 Girlfight Girlfight Karyn Kusama United States, 2000
1209 Nothing but a Man Nothing but a Man Michael Roemer United States, 1964
1202 Lone Star Lone Star John Sayles United States, 1996
834 Blood Simple Blood Simple Joel Coen United States, 1984
428 Blast of Silence Blast of Silence Allen Baron United States, 1961
1198 Mean Streets Mean Streets Martin Scorsese United States, 1973
1196 Nanny Nanny Nikyatu Jusu United States, 2022
1190 Drylongso Drylongso Cauleen Smith United States, 1998
1188 Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart Wayne Wang United States, 1985
1185 After Hours After Hours Martin Scorsese United States, 1985
1184 The Watermelon Woman The Watermelon Woman Cheryl Dunye United States, 1996
1183 Medicine for Melancholy Medicine for Melancholy Barry Jenkins United States, 2008
1175 Inland Empire Inland Empire David Lynch United States, 2006
1154 Eve’s Bayou Eve’s Bayou Kasi Lemmons United States, 1997
909 Night of the Living Dead Night of the Living Dead George A. Romero United States, 1968
1151 Sound of Metal Sound of Metal Darius Marder United States, 2019
1149 Take Out Take Out Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou United States, 2004
1138 Daddy Longlegs Daddy Longlegs Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie United States, 2009
1137 Frownland Frownland Ronald Bronstein United States, 2007
920 The Virgin Suicides The Virgin Suicides Sofia Coppola United States, 1999
1131 Pink Flamingos Pink Flamingos John Waters United States, 1972
1128 Farewell Amor Farewell Amor Ekwa Msangi United States, 2020
1124 Chan Is Missing Chan Is Missing Wayne Wang United States, 1982
1127 Mississippi Masala Mississippi Masala Mira Nair United States, 1991
54 For All Mankind For All Mankind Al Reinert United States, 1989
1101 Uncut Gems Uncut Gems Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie United States, 2019
1096 Don’t Play Us Cheap Don’t Play Us Cheap Melvin Van Peebles United States, 1972
1095 Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song Melvin Van Peebles United States, 1971
1090 Original Cast Album: “Company” Original Cast Album: “Company” D. A. Pennebaker United States, 1970
1087 Working Girls Working Girls Lizzie Borden United States, 1986
681 Frances Ha Frances Ha Noah Baumbach United States, 2013
152 George Washington George Washington David Gordon Green United States, 2000
184 By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One Stan Brakhage United States,
517 By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two Stan Brakhage United States,
1067 Chop Shop Chop Shop Ramin Bahrani United States, 2007
1066 Man Push Cart Man Push Cart Ramin Bahrani United States, 2005
1061 Minding the Gap Minding the Gap Bing Liu United States, 2018
360 Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves William Greaves United States, 1968
1057 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Jim Jarmusch United States, 1999
1055 Girlfriends Girlfriends Claudia Weill United States, 1978
1029 Husbands Husbands John Cassavetes United States, 1970
1030 Scorsese Shorts Scorsese Shorts Martin Scorsese United States,
1031 Wildlife Wildlife Paul Dano United States, 2018
1026 Me and You and Everyone We Know Me and You and Everyone We Know Miranda July United States, 2005
122 Salesman Salesman David Maysles, Albert Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin United States, 1969
1018 Paris Is Burning Paris Is Burning Jennie Livingston United States, 1990
1008 Old Joy Old Joy Kelly Reichardt United States, 2006
1001 The Daytrippers The Daytrippers Greg Mottola Canada, 1996
999 Matewan Matewan John Sayles United States, 1987
995 Polyester Polyester John Waters United States, 1981
982 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig and the Angry Inch John Cameron Mitchell United States, 2001
400 Stranger Than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise Jim Jarmusch United States, 1984
965 Wanda Wanda Barbara Loden United States, 1970
963 To Sleep with Anger To Sleep with Anger Charles Burnett United States, 1990
951 True Stories True Stories David Byrne United States, 1986
941 Smithereens Smithereens Susan Seidelman United States, 1982
940 The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez Robert M. Young United States, 1982
938 sex, lies, and videotape sex, lies, and videotape Steven Soderbergh United States, 1989
929 Female Trouble Female Trouble John Waters United States, 1974
902 Desert Hearts Desert Hearts Donna Deitch United States, 1985
893 Certain Women Certain Women Kelly Reichardt United States, 2016
872 Ghost World Ghost World Terry Zwigoff United States, 2001
863 Multiple Maniacs Multiple Maniacs John Waters United States, 1970
63 Carnival of Souls Carnival of Souls Herk Harvey United States, 1962
807 Barcelona Barcelona Whit Stillman United States, 1994
805 A Poem Is a Naked Person A Poem Is a Naked Person Les Blank United States, 1974
789 Burroughs: The Movie Burroughs: The Movie Howard Brookner United States, 1983
200 The Honeymoon Killers The Honeymoon Killers Leonard Kastle United States, 1969
289 Hoop Dreams Hoop Dreams Steve James United States, 1994
739 Safe Safe Todd Haynes United States, 1995
737 Les Blank: Always for Pleasure Les Blank: Always for Pleasure Les Blank United States, 1968
725 Eraserhead Eraserhead David Lynch United States, 1977
123 Grey Gardens Grey Gardens David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer United States, 1975
250 John Cassavetes: Five Films John Cassavetes: Five Films    
252 Faces Faces John Cassavetes United States, 1968
254 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie The Killing of a Chinese Bookie John Cassavetes United States, 1976
251 Shadows Shadows John Cassavetes United States, 1959
247 Slacker Slacker Richard Linklater United States, 1991
651 Badlands Badlands Terrence Malick United States, 1973
625 Eating Raoul Eating Raoul Paul Bartel United States, 1982
Eclipse Series 35: Maidstone and Other Films by Norman Mailer Eclipse Series 35: Maidstone and Other Films by Norman Mailer    
326 Metropolitan Metropolitan Whit Stillman United States, 1990
166 Down by Law Down by Law Jim Jarmusch United States, 1986
609 ¡Alambrista! ¡Alambrista! Robert M. Young United States, 1977
597 Tiny Furniture Tiny Furniture Lena Dunham United States, 2010
65 Rushmore Rushmore Wes Anderson United States, 1998
557 The Times of Harvey Milk The Times of Harvey Milk Robert Epstein United States, 1984
18 The Naked Kiss The Naked Kiss Samuel Fuller United States, 1964
19 Shock Corridor Shock Corridor Samuel Fuller United States, 1963
532 Louie Bluie Louie Bluie Terry Zwigoff United States, 1985
533 Crumb Crumb Terry Zwigoff United States, 1995
521 Mystery Train Mystery Train Jim Jarmusch United States, 1989
458 El Norte El Norte Gregory Nava Guatemala, 1983
450 Bottle Rocket Bottle Rocket Wes Anderson United States, 1996
407 Mala Noche Mala Noche Gus Van Sant United States, 1985
Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller    
371 Body and Soul Body and Soul Oscar Micheaux United States, 1925
Borderline Borderline Kenneth Macpherson United States, 1930
370 The Emperor Jones The Emperor Jones Dudley Murphy United States, 1933
Native Land Native Land Leo Hurwitz and Paul Strand United States, 1942
362 Border Radio Border Radio Allison Anders, Dean Lent, and Kurt Voss United States, 1987
354 Clean, Shaven Clean, Shaven Lodge Kerrigan United States, 1994
349 Kicking and Screaming Kicking and Screaming Noah Baumbach United States, 1995
338 Equinox Equinox Jack Woods United States, 1970
199 Schizopolis Schizopolis Steven Soderbergh United States, 1996

Directed by

Terry Gilliam

Directed by

Noah Baumbach