An independent film can be made on a shoestring budget. Many of the great independent directors have financed their films using very unconventional methods. Robert Rodriguez sold his body to medical trials in order to finance his first film. One director faked a car accident in order to gain finance from the insurance money for his independent film. Credit cards, loans from family and friends and savings will all go towards a director’s passion for making his own film.

In the nineties, independent film went through a major change. Major studios would not usually bother to touch indies because there was no profit to be made from them, but a small film company called Miramax was instrumental in changing the studio’s mind. The owners of Miramax, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, saw that they could buy films from independent film directors and make huge profits.

Small budget films such as Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting helped change people’s attitudes toward independent film. Compared to the studio pictures, indies were made for very little money, relatively quickly and with first time directors and screenwriters. Independent films began grossing hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, and the studios began to pay attention.

The Sundance film festival was the place to see the first screenings of indie films.