Note: I didn't include the groundbreaking In Search of a Midnight Kiss on purpose (although it was made very much in the spirit and aesthetic of DIY) because the producers had mainstream success in Hollywood, so any film from them would be easier to leverage into the marketplace. Or at least thats the rationale.
13 Most Important DIY Films of the Decade:
1) On the Outs (2004)
Along with actress Jace Nicole, I first met Paola Mendoza standing outside of the Film Forum on Houston street, trying to get people to come into the DIY, self-booked theatrical screening of this film. We looked over at the poster inside, and after a double take we made out that she was the star of the film (along with 2 others that were leads). Directed by Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik, and shot on 16mm with a cumulative budget of less than 160k, we knew about the film after it had recently been nominated for a couple of Independent Spirit Awards (including the John Cassavetes award for films made under 500k). And so is the story of this little film that could, made by a passionate and humble group of "kids" from Jersey City, that ended with a theatrical self-distribution plan before going to DVD with Polychrome in 2006. Mendoza would go on to her directorial debut Entre Nos (which she co-directed with Gloria La Morte), which opened at Tribeca this year, and landed her on this summer's Filmmaker Magazine list for 25 New Faces of Independent Film.
2) Funny Ha Ha (2002)
Considered by many to be the first "mumblecore" film (although Andrew Bujalski, the filmmaker, shuns this term and being grouped into it). It was highly influential - if not the most influential film about the post-college anxieties of early, twenty-year-old, caucasian men and women. It was a hit with critics, and praised for its highly observant realism. Shot in 16mm color, the film could be considered a smarter version of Linklater's '90's sensation Slacker. Funny Ha Ha was at times significant by default - Joe Swanberg introduced himself to the world with Kissing On the Mouth, which he says was in part a reaction to Funny Ha Ha. In this way, the film was influential to a whole new breed of filmmakers. Bujalski was influenced by Cassavetes, Swanberg was influenced to comment on Bujalski, and several filmmakers' styles were directly inspired by Swanberg, and the realism of his comment on Funny Ha Ha. The film was self-distributed theatrically before screening on the Sundance Channel and brought to DVD by Wellspring.
3) Mutual Appreciation (2005)
Andrew Bujalski upped the ante, reportedly budgeted the very doable $50,000-range, and this time took to black and white 16mm photography with New York as the location. The film again was highly lauded by critics including Manohla Dargis of the New York Times. It happened to screen at SXSW the same year as Swanberg's LOL, Crumley and Buice's Four Eyed Monsters, Katz's Quiet City, and more films from this collective of friends and collaborators. It would go on to double its production budget in another self-theatrical release, before coming to Image Entertainment for DVD, although you can still access the film straight from its website to amazon.
4) Steal This Film (2006)
This could very well have been the most influential film of the decade for its release strategy, had its concept really caught on to the rest of the community. Later films would follow this model, the latest and most recently noted was Lionshare, before that Star Wreck and Sita Sings the Blues, both successful. The film is a series of two, documenting the movement against intellectual property, produced by The League of Noble Peers and released via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer protocol. The film is famous partly for being one of the most downloaded documentaries to date. According to their manifesto, "IN 2006, A GROUP OF FRIENDS DECIDED TO MAKE A FILM ABOUT FILESHARING THAT *WE* WOULD RECOGNIZE. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW DOCUMENTARIES BY 'OLD MEDIA' CREWS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NET AND SEE PEER-TO-PEER ORGANISATION AS A THREAT TO THEIR LIVELIHOODS. THEY HAVE NO REASON TO REPRESENT THE FILESHARING MOVEMENT POSITIVELY, AND NO CAPACITY TO REPRESENT IT LUCIDLY. WE WANTED TO MAKE A FILM THAT WOULD EXPLORE THIS HUGE POPULAR MOVEMENT IN A WAY THAT EXCITED US, ENGAGED US, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOCUSED ON WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC VISION MANY FILESHARERS AND ARTISTS (THEY ARE OFTEN ONE) HAVE FOR THE FUTURE OF CREATIVITY."
5) Hannah Takes the Stairs (2005)
Easily one of the most talked about film movements of the decade, this film, even if by default, cemented what was perceived to be a movement amongst the digital-aged DIY film collective across the country. It was the film that at once joined the creative forces of directors and actors who worked similarly - loose on scripting, low-fi cameras, (except for Bujalski I must note for both), nearly everyone was at the party. Director Joe Swanberg basically likened himself more a party-thrower than a (capital D) Director on this one, having assembled DIY notables like Mark Duplass, Greta Gerwig, Andrew Bujalski, Kris Swanberg, Tipper Newton, Paul Osborne, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal, Kevin Bewersdorf, and others, many of whom went on to direct or star in other celebrated work, or both. He also credited all of them in some way, most as writers. Seemingly as praised as it is hated, one cannot deny the mark on history it will have, if at least by students of the underground film movement. The film screened at SXSW in '07, and the rest is M-word history.
6) Four Eyed Monsters (2005)
This film will probably be most remembered for being more than just a film. It was a lot of things - a web series, a technological and digital experiment, and now one of the strongest case studies in successful do-it-yourself distribution. Even a botched IFC release couldn't stop this film from making history. Directed by Susan Buice and Arin Crumley, the DVX-100 shot feature film with a budget of less than 100k, went on to screen at Slamdance. After failing to gain a distribution deal, the filmmakers, after being inspired by panels at the festival that discussed using blogs and social networking to promote, they began documenting the failed process of finding a standard distribution deal, and the emotional toll it all began to have on their relationship. Episode 0, was a teaser that was introduced the very same day that Apple released the video ipod. 13 Episodes total, these helped promote the film as good as any marketing campaign from an indie studio. The duo also incorporated a custom google map, that pinpointed where more fans were coming from, which allowed them to leverage the film themselves theatrically, by using the results of this crowdsourcing technique. The theatrical run, although short, was effective and successful (it helps to know exactly who one's audience is). The film partnered with Myspace, and went on to become the first feature film to play on Youtube (legally). Arin and Susan are now regulars on panels, public speaking engagements and in presentations about technology in indie filmmaking, and how to directly reach your audience online. Easily the most important DIY film of the decade (and a damn good one at that).
7) Quiet City (2007)
Made for less than 3 grand and beautifully shot on the HVX-200, Aaron Katz's first feature (technically, since his debut, Dance Party USA was less than 72 minutes) was also screened that famous 2007 year at SXSW, where several other notable films from this group of friends and frequent collaborators also premiered. 'City's accomplishment can be best catagorized as purely an aesthetic one - a film so pleasing visually and emotionally nuanced, yet honest, that it defied the accusations that these kinds of small, DIY films were visually limited, and confined to only the handheld camera to tell its stories (Katz's prior film, Dance Party USA, proved that this was no fluke, for it in fact, may be even more technically "sound"). Andrew Johnston of Time Out New York even called it "one of the most romantic portraits of Brooklyn ever captured on film." Quiet City would go on to perhaps its most impressive achievement - to be nominated for an Independent Spirit Cassavetes Award, which for its budget, I believe was a record for the lowest budgeted film ever to be nominated for a Spirit. It shared space for a week run with several other "New Talkies" other films made similarly that screened at the IFC theater in the village in the summer of '07 (along with Hannah Takes the Stairs which also played a full week). What followed was a DVD distribution deal from Benton films for both Dance Party and Quiet City together in the same package, and eventually a well respected literary agent for Katz. Not bad for less than one month of the average American's mortgage.
8) Medicine for Melancholy (2008)
Say what you want about the world of indie film, it certainly has a knack for redeeming itself. Several in the DIY community began wondering if the M-word thing (at least the coverage of it), or DIY film in general would ever be as an inclusive to non-white males (although not many, a couple of women had in fact made their marks). None were more vocal than known blogger Sujewa Ekanayake, who bravely began the murmurs by making his case (after he had seen Medicine and officially became the first to fully review it). As if to save the day, SXSW premiered the film, by a then unknown Barry Jenkins, a young black male who hadn't even hit his 30's. His film was inventive, lyrical, very smart, and downright beautiful. Thanks to him, people were able to see a different side of the black experience - one that some have admittedly never known existed - that of young, black "indie" or "punk" kids. But he managed to still keep it socially and ethnically conscious, and therefore made one of the most profound cinematic statements of the decade. The press took to it instantly, and it received some of the best press among this group, even being invited to Toronto International Film Festival by September that fall (in addition to Greece and Argentina). The director, and cast made the cover of this winter's Filmmaker Magazine. The film was released for nearly 2 weeks at IFC theater after IFC had acquired it, before it landed On Demand, and eventually (finally) on DVD. Indie film had answered the call, and now continues to do so. Better late than never.
9) Baghead (2008)
Now before some of you argue that the Duplass Brothers already had "a foot in the studio doors," lets remember that they first tried to get this film made in "the system." Of course the studio heads didn't get it, and made it more complicated with way more people and equipment than necessary, and the brothers decided to do it themselves, using their own money. What is significant about this film, is how nearly the same exact aesthetics that were used in their debut The Puffy Chair, were applied here. Handheld cameras, lighting the entire room from the ceiling, DIY alumni Greta Gerwig is one of the leads, subversion of genre, and even poking fun of the movement they were initially a part of. It was crazy to watch Sony Pictures Classics pick it up near its Sundance premiere (even though plenty of naysayers claimed Sony Pictures would "fuck it up" - maybe they did - the film ended up at a little under 150k thru a select theater US release, depending on how you look at it). Either way, all I know is I was watching a DIY digital feature film shot on a shoestring budget in a huge theater in Times Square with a bunch of strangers who had no cares as to how it was shot, edited, or even gave a damn what DIY was, or the m-word, or whatever you want to call it. The Duplass Brothers, quite frankly, are a DIY producer's dream: they are always fully aware of who their audience is, they look to fully engage and entertain yet "enlighten" that audience (its definitely not all about them), and the honest ways they resolve their films' conflicts keep their street cred fully in tact. They are easily my favorite DIY filmmakers of the decade.
10) Alexander the Last (2009)
Joe Swanberg's last feature broke ground in many ways; we watched Joe's camerawork and cinematography grow right before our eyes, as well as his attention to relationship details (sort of like a social scientist), as well as becoming the first of the pack to work with a name actor (Jane Adams), but it's release strategy quickly became the standard in this new age of releasing films alongside the festival premiere - the famous "day and date" release. IFC, who acquired the film earlier than any other of Swanberg's films, set things up so that Festival Direct On Demand would have the film available nationwide, the night of the film's SXSW premiere. So on the night of the premiere of Alexander the Last, my friends and I were able to join in on the festival experience of being amongst the first to see the film during its world premiere. This is a common plan now, where filmmakers in all genres (and budgets) are planning some kind of release in coordination with their film festival premiere.
11) Official Rejection (2009)
There seems to be a bunch of groundbreaking DIY films that were released in 2009, can't quite put my finger on why that is. But who can forget the bible for festival bound, indie filmmakers, Paul Osborne's Official Rejection? Bound to be a must-have in any filmmaker's collection, the film is so necessary as it does us the viewer/filmmaker a favor and exposes some of the top tier film festivals for what they are (you fill in the blanks when you see the film). It also achieves something else besides warning us - it highlights the better festivals, and underscores why film festivals, are still a very significant and necessary part of the independent filmmaking process. Lets not forget the irony here; we know about this film because of film festivals. Thats also why this film achieves so much. The DVD just became available on Amazon. A light and funny movie, yet still, a very, very important piece of work.
12) Humpday (2009)
The crossover appeal of this film, along with its director Lynn Shelton and co-star Mark Duplass, who paid their DIY dues, is the main reason this film is on this list. The film opened in several select theaters across the country, grossed well over its budget with a number a little higher than 400k at the box office, before hitting DVD.
13) Paranormal Activity (2009)
Who cares that after Oren Peli made the film the Hollywood machines got a hold of it? Who cares that they masterfully implemented social networking and internet marketing, something the indie community speaks tirelessly about? All I know is a movie originally made for less than $15,000, this year became the most profitable movie ever made. Nuff said.
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