TOP 20 INDEPENDENTLY FINANCED FILMS
Weekend of October 23–25, 2009
Exclusive To Deadline Hollywood
TITLE, DISTRIB, COMPANY, WKD BOX OFFICE, SCREENS/AVERAGE, CUME
1. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (Par/IM Global) $21.1M [1,945/$10,850] $61.5M
2. SAW VI (Lionsgate) $14.1M [3,036/$4,650]
3. LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (Overture) $12.4M [2,890/$4,292] $40.0M
4. ASTRO BOY (Summit/Imagi) $6.7M [3,014/$2,224] $6.7M
5. A SERIOUS MAN (Focus) $1.0M [176/$6,211] $3.1M
6. GOOD HAIR (Roadside Attractions) $945K [466/$2,030] $2.8M
7. CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY (Overture) $726K [636/$1,142] $12.9M
8. WHIP IT (Fox Searchlight/Mandate) $466K [435/$1,071] $12.2M
9. AN EDUCATION (SPC/BBC/Odyssey) $367K [31/$11,851] $940K
10. COCO AVANT CHANEL (SPC/Canal+) $272K [63/$4,321] $1.7M
11. NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU (Vivendi) $230K [110/$2,092] $747K
12. FAME (MGM/Lakeshore) $212K [445/$477] $22.0M
13. BRIGHT STAR (Apparition/TVA) $212K [209/$1,015] $3.9M
14. TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE** (Warner/New Line) $203K [284/$718] $62.8M
15. I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (Lionsgate) $178K [273/$655] $51.6M
16. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Weinstein/Uni) $176K [206/$857] $119.3M
17. DISTRICT 9 (Sony/QED) $148K [232/$638] $115.5M
18. 5150, RUE DES ORMES (Alliance Films) $107K [55/$1,955] $787K
19. MORE THAN A GAME (Lionsgate) $99K [107/$929] $749K
20. THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE (Roadside0 $89K [61/$1,469] $3.4M
** A New Line production distributed through Warner Brothers.
9 comments:
I agree. These don't fit my definition of independent. I self financed my film. Took the risk. My film Beer Wars has nothing in common with any film on this list.
Well at least number one is actually an independent film (albeit with a studio-financed ending).
This is almost a joke if it weren't true. That list is not what the rest of us "indies" would consider "indie".
We definitely need a new term for real indies or a new definition. Most of the general population are completely confussed by the term. And with enough marketing spin, Hollywood can very easily spin films with larger budgets and high profile actors as the same as if it were produced by entirely independent filmmakers. I know the list has some stuff like Paranormal Activity in the list, which was independently produced, but most of the list isn't like that.
Indie, riiiiiiiiiiight.
I've always preferred this definition of Independent film, the definition being completely clear: a film made outside of a studio. Star Wars was an independent film. Amadeus was an independent film. And the ones on this list were too. I can't imagine District 9 being made in a studio.
Whatever happened to art film? I was just listening to this great story George Lucas was telling about Coppola when he made Rain People. He was saying that Coppola wanted to make the movie while driving across the country with just 12 people. He wasn't just looking to make art films, or personal films, he wanted to change the way films were made.
What's wrong with art films?
Astro Boy was an Indie Film? In what universe? Endgame and Imagi are Studios, unless they're counting Tezuka, but even then its kind of hazy. At this point my definition of "Indie" is about to change to include those films financed only by private equity investors, I just don't know what qualifies anymore.
To all of you whiners....
Stop whining about the definition of indie film and just go and make your films already! Your film will be watched by people if you have the accumen to get it made and get it marketed.
You need to stop criticizing studios and start making your own films. Two directors that I admire (Kubrick & Bergman) both stated in interviews years ago that they never watched movies as they were too busy making thier own to care.
We've been building our funding program for our latest indie film and to be honest, I have maybe seen 6 films in the last 18 months.
When films can be distributed for no cost now with tools and resources for fans to follow, support and engage, why do we care about the verbage that studios put on thier independent projects that they market?
Just go make your film.
This simply underscores the point that everyone should be talking about good films vs. bad films as opposed to Hollywood vs. Independent.
Paranormal Activity? This is the extreme of the Great American Independent Film Success Story, no? Who cares? It is a crappy gimmick film distributed under the pretense that it was "demanded" by viewers. You can always trick the masses with these marketing ploys and I have no idea why the indie world is so obsessed with what is really meant by "independent". Everyone is dependent.
Most of the films on this list are no better than Hollywood films. The whole point of having to work outside the studio system as an artist is making one-of-a-kind films that are so different/visionary/diverse/unique/challenging/intelligent that they don't fit into some "system".
This is why Miramax is going to pieces...trying to make an independent studio/system/model.
Why is there never any articles here or websites that focus on the films themselves and how to connect the money to great projects? Who cares if the money comes from a studio or selling Girl Scout cookies?
Everyone is putting the carriage before the horse. Find great scripts/stories/doc subjects/visionary directors first. That's the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Finding some nifty new distribution model means nothing if you believe success is simply producing any and every film that is financed outside of Hollywood no matter how good or bad it is. If a film like Precious can be financially successful and distributed in good old-fashioned movie theaters, any good film can.
Spanish Writer/Producer/Director Carlos Atanes uses the term "Ultra-Independent" I like it.
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