Independent Film Quotes

I've made a number of independent films that didn't receive theatrical distribution, that a lot of people haven't heard of, and as a result, I've conditioned myself to go into small independent films with the expectation that they will not, and therefore, I have to find my reward elsewhere. ~ William Mapother

Many of us had this idea of doing independent film, of making personal, relevant films, as opposed to Hollywood fluff. I directed a few. ~ Robert Kane Pappas

I love doing independent films, but it's very hard to make a living that way. ~ Dennis Quaid

It's very difficult to break into motion pictures, but it's oddly easier for directors today because of independent films and cable, who have inherited for the most part those films of substance that the studios are reluctant to finance. ~ Mark Rydell

I would define independent film as a movie that is not financed by any of the smaller film companies. Because then, those are movies that in all likelihood are made without stars. And then they have to rely just on the material. ~ Steven Shainberg

When you're making an independent film what you don't have in time and money you have to make up with creativity and diligence. ~ Matthew Lillard

I love independent film making. So much real love and passion go into them and you can feel it while you watch. As for my career, I don't want to be famous. I just want to be a part of as many beautiful, crazy, unique films as possible. ~ Alicia Sixtos

When you are making an independent film, money is never an issue. ~ Salman Rushdie

There are lots of great movies coming out of the U.S. but it's not something I've ever really been interested in. They're great films but I much prefer the smaller independent films, which are more thought provoking and experimental. ~ Billie Piper

For me, whether or not a film has some kind of massive budget or is an independent film, or however it's getting made, it's always about the filmmaker and, hopefully, being a vessel for the filmmaker's vision. That's what really attracts me to projects. ~ Bryce Dallas Howard

I come from Venezuela, from the independent film arena, and you work with one camera. ~ Edgar Ramirez

Independent film is almost nonexistent right now, because all the distributers that used to love to put out these little art films are all out of business right now, because it costs so much to open a movie. ~ Ron Perlman

Basically, independent film doesn't exist anymore. It does if you have two or three stars in your film, but it's just very difficult. ~ Steven Shainberg

I knew nothing about the independent film industry. I didn't know much about the industry itself. All I knew was how to watch movies, how to enjoy them, how to hate them, how not to like them. ~ Michelle Rodriguez

And you know, we did it as an independent film, and we weren't expecting it to be on television, and Lifetime ended up buying it. And the viewers responded intensely to that film. ~ Jenna Elfman

It's always fun to get to do independent film because I believe that that's the life blood of film. It's about writers and directors who truly have their own vision, and that's hard. ~ Steve Buscemi

So most of my acting experience came in college when I was living away from them. I acted in various independent films, and I got some commercial work and stuff like that. ~ Maria Menounos

The great thing about an independent film is that you're too busy working, and you're too busy hoping to God to get it done. ~ Ann Dowd

I did a film when I was about 30; it's a coming of age story called 'Gas Food Lodging,' and I'm so proud of that little independent film. I play this young English geologist, and he's such a simple, loving kind of guy. Doesn't talk too much. He's just a quiet guy, and he gets the girl. ~ Robert Knepper

I've been lucky to have things come to me that creatively fulfill me, and those are usually the independent films just because you have a little bit more freedom. ~ Jennifer Aniston

Independent film is such a huge deal in the UK. There aren't many big budget studio movies that get greenlit at all. The indie film industy is a great opportunity that I'm trying to seize. ~ Aml Ameen

In some ways, many of the skills you have as a producer on independent films also apply to making big tentpole films: You surround yourself with a brilliant director, great script and talented people in every department who are smarter than you. ~ David Heyman

I think that there's a lot more freedom in the low budget, the independent films where, unfortunately, you don't have the money, necessarily, to get the orchestras in there to play a lot of stuff. But, you have a lot more freedom, very often. ~ Danny Elfman

The only place that I'd be worried about being typecast is the independent film world. ~ Michelle Rodriguez

There is a sort of creative purity in an independent film, in the passion of the director, the passion of the crew. They're not getting a whole lot of money, so you know they are not there because they want to get rich. Instead, they are there because they want to make a movie. In the bigger films, I remember when I used to do those, it's just a job for a lot of people, so there is less of an intense energy devoted to the whole project. ~ Amy Irving

Independent film is not only an oxymoron; it doesn't exist anymore. ~ Martha Plimpton

This fall I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm starring in a film, an independent film. ~ Michael W. Smith

All in all, I'd like to venture into film. Films are my staple diet, so I would love to be part of a feature film, independent film ... it all just depends on the story and the people behind it, really. ~ Tom Weston-Jones

There's a strange sense of accomplishment in making an independent film. Everything's against you; there's no time, and even less money - you bring a bottle of glue, chip in twenty bucks, and hope you all make it through the day. If you manage to finish it and it actually turns out to be pretty good, it's thrilling. ~ Eric Stoltz

When the small independent film, which depends on its artistic appeal rather than wide commercial distribution by an MPAA member, is now denied access, the playing field becomes unfair and uneven. ~ Norman Jewison

But, I love making independent films. I love it! You create a family, and you sweat, you bleed, you cry, you shout, you laugh and you hug. It's such an extraordinary experience, making independent films. ~ Juno Temple

To make a real independent film where the filmmaker is in charge creatively, one must sacrifice personal, financial, and physical well-being. ~ Mark Polish

It's just hard to get an independent film made. ~ Luke Evans

I did a film called The Jesuit, which was an independent film. I did that shortly after Mistresses. I was still feeling soft and I was nursing, but it was a character I'd never played before. That was a Paul Schrader script, with an up-and-coming Mexican director, named Alfonso Ulloa. That has Tim Roth and Paz Vega in it, and I enjoyed that, as well. ~ Shannyn Sossamon

With independent film, as an actor, you have more involvement - it's very much more connected. It's not just like I'm showing up and there's another actor on the call sheet; you're very attached to it. ~ Alia Shawkat

I might do my own independent film, that my husband wrote for me, if all the ducks are in a row. ~ Erica Durance

Doing that, then doing a lot of theater, which I love. Doing guest stars, did two independent films that are going around to all these festivals. Both of them are going to be at the Lake Tahoe Film Festival. ~ Austin Peck

When I hear the word 'independent' I reach for my revolver. At this point, what the hell does that mean? The English Patient is an independent film. Hootie and the Blowfish are alternative music. I'm the Queen of Denmark. I don't know what it means anymore. ~ Jim Jarmusch

Independent film is taking risks in all areas. It's not just about complicated women. ~ Anne Heche

I still want to do a romantic comedy or a western or a gritty independent film ... there's so much that I still want to do. ~ Laura Vandervoort

It's a unique experience when you're doing an independent film where you have one person who puts up all the funds to make the film. ~ Forest Whitaker

There was a golden era in film-making in Hollywood back in the 1970s, and although there is some great independent film-making in America, it's actually very hard to get independent films made in the United States. It's much more feasible from Europe. ~ Lenny Abrahamson

Because audiences all over the world can see an independent film almost anywhere and anytime, these new distribution outlets have opened a door that is revolutionizing the movie-going experience. ~ Gren Wells

The good thing about the studio is that, when the movie comes out, they will put their marketing and their money behind it, which isn't necessarily true with indie movies, just by the nature of it being an independent film. ~ Jamie Linden

Intimacy between humans need not be relegated to independent film. Real characters can exist no matter what the scale of a movie is. ~ Colin Trevorrow

It's so hard to raise money for independent films and the fact of the matter is that the bigger my star or whatever is, as a result of doing bigger pictures, the easier it is for me to get money for my own projects. ~ Edward Burns

I like independent films ... European films. I do go and see popular films as well because my kids force me. ~ Frances O'Grady

The biggest problem with the independent film sector in Toronto is that they find themselves having to make that budget show on screen. ~ Atom Egoyan

Well, the whole trick to doing an independent film, is to keep great pace and momentum. You're shooting maybe three times as many scenes in one day that you would on a big, luxurious budget on a luxurious schedule, and you try not to sacrifice quality for that. Things are just compressed, but essentially the same. ~ Kevin Kline

In the beginning, it wasn't even a question of deciding I'm going to do independent film and not commercial films - I wasn't being offered any commercial films, and there wasn't an independent scene. ~ Steve Buscemi

A few nights ago I went to a Hollywood screening of a small independent film made by Sally Kirkland, an old friend of mine who also did terrific job acting in it. There were other actors in it and they were all terrific. ~ Nick Mancuso

At the end of the day, it's all one version of telling a story. I treated this as if it was a two million dollar independent film. I did a lot more physical work than I'd probably have to do for a two million dollar independent film with four months of training and stuff. But as far as the character's psychology or emotional life goes, I treat it just the same. ~ Colin Farrell

For the most part, the American film market has become very corporatised, even independent film to a degree, and because of the corporate management mentality, they want to take the safe way. ~ Anthony LaPaglia

No, I just thought of a story and wrote down what I saw. It was about two kids in Ireland who went around killing people. It was called Travelers, and it was made as an independent film. ~ Neil Jordan

It's never easy getting an independent film made and distributed - even when it's easy. ~ Paul Dinello

The only reason I ever do an independent film is that I believe in it, and I think it has something special to offer. I'm certainly not doing it to be a millionaire. ~ Jason Ritter

In independent film you tend to have stories that involve more of a community, and the smaller characters are important to the story. ~ David Morse

I've had a lot of experience in independent film, and about how to choose. You've got to be very discerning about where you put your five bucks, and where you cut and what you don't cut. ~ Ethan Hawke

I have great respect for actors like Jodie Foster and Natalie Portman who went to school the entire time they were acting. All I did was one small little independent film, and I realised I couldn't balance both lives. ~ Nikki Reed

On the set of an independent film you can tell that nobody is doing it for the money. Everyone is there because they love the script. A smaller budget sort of unifies everyone; it's a real team effort and that's amazing. But these opportunities just don't present themselves that often for me, so basically any chance I get to do something different I jump on it. ~ Will Ferrell

Independent films in this country are in the same position. Miramax and Fine Line are not independent - they're with Disney! Come on. Or they're with Warner Brothers. They're all with somebody. ~ Dennis Hopper

Independent films are really one of the greatest resources these days to actually find unfiltered truth. ~ Josh Tickell

I think that in America there is a new movement of underground movies that wants to kick the ass of independent films that they think whine too much. ~ John Waters

The independent films are really where I kind of come from and where I feel comfortable. ~ Mia Wasikowska

I went to the top of the mountain in television and could do anything I wanted, but I wanted to do an independent film, which results in you paying your own way, fighting like hell to get distribution, and maybe 30 people will see it. That was a good idea. ~ Joel Surnow

I still have auditions for independent films. I've been still working. ~ Creed Bratton

You have the massive world that was created by Marvel, and then you have these very intimate actors around you. There was as much character work on this as there would be on a little independent film. So, I felt very fortunate in that sense. ~ Chris Hemsworth

I feel my fuller-bodied characters are all in the independent films I do, and in the studio productions, I have to work harder to dimensionalize the characters. And that's certainly part of the job description of an actor - that's what you're supposed to do - but you have to work harder at it in the characters that I've encountered in studio films. ~ Vera Farmiga

With any independent film, it's all about getting everyone's schedules in line and everything together at the same time and just doing the best you can do when that happens - if it happens. ~ Jennifer Westfeldt

I was still making movies so it wasnt as if I were working in a bar, but they were independent films that couldnt find distributors. ~ Linda Fiorentino

The network shows have this very commercial voice that you have to adhere to, and the cable shows, it's kind of like winning the lottery. The independent film world is a world you can actually get to. You can get the under-a-million-dollar film by finding a good cast and financing. ~ Jill Soloway

A lot of people just go to movies that feed into their preexisting and not so noble needs and desires: They just go to action pictures, and things like that. ~ Roger Ebert

I'm really interested in making movies that people see: I've made a lot of independent films and it's really depressing when no one sees them. ~ Elizabeth Banks

It's always a challenge to make an independent film. It's always a challenge to make a low budget film. ~ Anne Heche

Independent films are very hard to get made, but I'm lucky enough to get them made, so I'm going to keep doing it. I like my independence. I like being able to tell a story the way I want to tell a story. I don't like developing it with a team. I like coming to a story and deciding whether I want to do it or not. ~ Paul Haggis

The lifeblood of my career has been independent film. ~ James Woods

I try to balance independent films with commercial films, and I've done a pretty good job of it over the years. ~ John Travolta

I like working in both movies and television. Television is faster, not very much rehearsal and a lot of material is shot in a day. Big budget movies are luxurious in terms of the schedule. Independent films often shoot fast as well. ~ Juliet Landau

When independent films break through and actually make it into any level of mainstream-ness or get seen by people or find a life actually in theaters, it's extraordinary. And it doesn't happen that often. ~ Karen Allen

The size of a studio film lets you see technology in a way that you wouldn't on an independent film, like the gadgets and the angles and all that. ~ Juno Temple

As far as acting in films, there is not much out there that is very interesting to do. The ones that are interesting to me are independent films and they have trouble raising money. With people putting their money into blockbusters, there is not much left for the independents. ~ Karen Allen

There aren't many American directors here trying to direct a Japanese yakuza film. When you combine that with the fact that I don't speak much Japanese and this was an independent film I was financing myself - people were curious about what I was doing. ~ John Foster

Most of my movies are indies. The best scripts I can find are independent films. But I love big-budget movies, I love craft services! ~ Anthony Mackie

I've always felt that an independent film is a film that almost doesn't get made. ~ Glenn Close

In terms of doing another franchise after 'Transformers,' I don't know if that would be best for me. I'm really happy to inhabit the world of independent film. ~ Jack Reynor

I'm just looking for the best story being told by the best people and the best part that I can find. If those things add up, I want to be a part of it whether it's a studio film or, more likely in that instance, an independent film. ~ John Hawkes

My forever mission is to take the best elements of both commercial and independent films and bring them together. I learned so much about the art of independent films and I have so much fun in commercial ones. I think that a mix of both is good. ~ Michael B. Jordan

On an independent film you're lucky if you get one, but ostensibly the job is the same. There's very little difference, apart from the knowledge that there's a captive audience at the end of it - which you can't always guarantee with a movie. ~ Charles Dance

Newlyweds shooting budget: 5k for actors, 2k insurance, 2k food and drink. 9k in the can. We only shot 12 days. That's how to make an independent film. ~ Edward Burns

I think distribution has become a lot harder. With the whole explosion of digital video, there's just a lot more people making films. Distributors have a lot more choice. I do think there's an audience out there for small films. It's obvious to me what the studios do: they've co-opted independent film. They all have their independent arm. They can afford to crush the competition. ~ Steve Buscemi

I watch many, many, many independent films every year that you see once in a film festival and they're never heard of ever again. Many of them are very, very good. ~ Karen Allen

I want to have the illegitimate child of independent film making and the budget to make it. That's my aspiration. ~ Duncan Jones

Independent films have a very different cachet than success films. ~ Diane Lane

I do love directing. I'm only comfortable working in the independent film arena for a very small budget where I have creative control and I can put my stamp on it. ~ Vera Farmiga

Id like to do an action film or a dark sort of independent piece. ~ Devon Sawa

Right now my career is totally schizophrenic, because when an American production like Hitchcock Presents asks to see my work I would never dream of showing them my independent films. ~ Atom Egoyan

The truth for me is that I've been doing independent film since the get-go, so that's a big passion of mine, but the big ones are really fun, too. I like my world to be eclectic. ~ Lynn Collins

I was lucky enough to come in at the beginning of the independent film movement and its really shaped my life and career. ~ Julianne Moore

I believe that independent film making is the last frontier of creative expression available. So I'm always willing to lend a helping hand to a young film maker who's just getting into the business. ~ Lloyd Kaufman

The first time I took acid, I made the decision that I would stay in New York and find an independent film company to get a job with. ~ Lloyd Kaufman