Little Miss Sunshine. Sideways. An Inconvenient Truth. What do these three films have in common? They were all produced with limited budget and technology, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and are all products of the independent film world.

But why are independent films so different from mainstream motion pictures? In an independent or “indie” movie, filmmakers explore bright ideas with no restrictions from a production company, creating pieces of art which reflect the vision and passion of all the creators. Then there is Hollywood. Films that come out of major studios are often over-publicized, with dull story lines written for the sole purpose of generating revenue with well-known actors and actresses that are more like “celebrities” than anything else. These people are featured in the news for their love lives rather than their acting careers, and often their films generate revenue rather than positive reviews. Films like Failure to Launch, Dukes of Hazzard, and Just My Luck are examples of this trend, each of which made over $5 million during its opening weekend but received poor reviews.

One of the most exciting, innovative and entertaining parts of independent film is the film festivals in which the movies premiere and the filmmakers themselves.  Independent film manifests itself at WJ through students such as our SGA president, senior Tamir Kalifa, who produced and directed the 2005 and 2006 Homecoming videos. Kalifa has attended several film festivals, such as the District of Columbia High School Film Festival, the New York International Film Festival, and the 48 Hour Film Festival.

“To me, the greatest feeling in the world is seeing your work in hundreds of classrooms or on the big screen,” said Kalifa. Kalifa explains that being an independent filmmaker, though rewarding, is extremely difficult.

“You are motivated by your own ideas, there is very little support, and very little funding and you are working with and limited only by the equipment that you have,” he said.

Filmmakers work tirelessly to create films, and then they debut them at film festivals that often buzz with excitement and hope. Producers from major film studios will often attend these festivals, and if they view a film they have a particular interest in, they will attempt to buy the rights to distribute it. This is essentially the way a film like Little Miss Sunshine makes it to theaters across the country. It sold for a record-setting price of 10.5 million dollars at the Sundance Film Festival to Fox Searchlight Pictures.

The independent film industry is notable also for its edgy themes and daring topics. Independent filmmakers debate controversial issues such as suicide and eating disorders, not to mention our current government administration. Documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth and Fahrenheit 9/11 have already explored this topic, but more recently, the controversial film D.O.A.P. (Death of a President) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.  The film explores