An independent film is produced outside major studio control, often on a small budget. The term covers a wide range of films, from micro-budget features shot on a smartphone to prestige dramas backed by independent financiers. What they share is a degree of creative freedom. The filmmaker is not answering to a studio executive. They are making the film they want to make.

Independent film has a long history. In the early days of Hollywood, independent producers challenged the studio system. In the 1960s and 1970s, independent cinema flourished with filmmakers like John Cassavetes and Robert Altman. In the 1990s, the indie boom brought Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Kevin Smith to prominence. In the 2000s and 2010s, digital technology made it easier and cheaper to make a film. Streaming platforms have created new opportunities and new challenges.

Independent films often tackle subjects that studios avoid. They take risks, experiment with form, and tell personal stories. They are the source of new talent and new ideas. Some independent films become hits and launch careers. Most do not. The economics are brutal. A filmmaker may spend years on a project that never finds an audience. But the independent spirit persists. It is the lifeblood of cinema.