Industry overview
Independent film, in context.
How the motion picture business works, and why independent production brings our projects to life.
$9.5B
Box office sales, 2024
The industry is comprised of studio and independent releases, totaling $9.5 billion in box office sales in 2024, still recovering from the pandemic but showing strong resilience.
The independent advantage
Harder to make. Better to own.
While shooting an independent film is more difficult than a studio film, mainly because of limited resources, there are significant advantages to independent movie-making that bring our projects to life.
- 01 More creative control
- 02 More accurate budgeting
- 03 Lower overhead costs
Two primary activities
The motion picture industry consists of production and distribution.
Production
Involves the development, financing, and physical production of feature films.
Distributor
Involves the promotion and exploitation of these films in a variety of media within the United States and around the world.
- Theatrical exhibition
- Video on demand
- Blu-ray / DVD
- Television
- Ancillary markets
The streaming era
Independents, more relevant than ever.
While "independent" film entities have existed since the beginning of the industry, the number and relevance have increased dramatically following the worldwide growth of streaming platforms and the subsequent proliferation of content providers needing film content.
In recent years, independent films have consistently earned a significant portion of yearly box office revenue and have often collected the most coveted awards in the field.
The major studios have entered the independent production and distribution arena through the acquisition or creation of what has become known as "classics" divisions or "genre" divisions.
The festival circuit
Where films get picked up.
The major film festivals have become venues where independent films are often "picked up" for U.S. or worldwide distribution by these divisions, which can offer producers the opportunity of a well-capitalized theatrical release.
- Austin Film Festival October
- Venice September
- American Film Market November
- Miami April
- Telluride September
Smaller but important festivals, including Miami and Telluride, may be strong markets for upcoming projects.