Foreword

 

The following is an account of my encounters with the American indie film scene of the late 1970’s/early 1980’s. It was a time whenindependent film producers first started to organize themselves for better financing-, distribution- and exhibition opportunities. Organizations were formed, knowledge of the ‘how to’ was getting shared widely. The indie endeavors also started to be noticed and recognized, both abroad and at home. In other words, a different and exciting time.

What is an independent film exactly and why is it an important phenomenon? In an article in the L.A. Times (June 1990) former indie filmmaker and at the time executive producer for the PBS program ‘Point of View’ Marc Weiss described it as follows:

“[…] The thing that really defines independents is that the editorial control is in the hands of the filmmakers. They decide how it’s going to be made, what style it’s going to be and what they will be including and not including. The best of the crop bring a real commitment to their subject, a real kind of passion. It’s totally different than anything you see on commercial TV. […]

What made—and still makes—the best independent films so powerful is their commitment to telling real stories, sometimes stories that take months or even years to unfold. Add fundraising and editing, and it’s not unusual for a film to take four, five or more years to complete. Only a certain tenacity can get the film made, and only a vision can make it powerful. In a public TV system that was essentially cautious and risk-averse, filmmaker’s fierce commitment was seen as a problem. While traditional journalism calls for “objectivity” (a debatable concept), the most interesting indie docs are often the opposite: intensely subjective, made to represent a perspective that the filmmaker feels is missing or distorted in the mainstream media.[…]”

As a Dutch arthouse film programmer I happened to be at the right place at the right time. The American indies, their perseverance, creativity, diversity, filmmaking skills and indeed, above all, their independence, fascinated me immensely and from the start I was eager to promote the results of their labor. First in my own arthouse of course. Later on a national scale via articles in Dutch newspapers and film magazines as well as via festivals and film series in other Dutch arthouses. And later still internationally, when I got the opportunity to come work as market coordinator at the I.F.P. in New York. As I had some knowledge of European distribution and television channels as well as a sensitivity for what the progressive forces, both domestically and abroad, were looking for, the I.F.P. position afforded me a unique opportunity to help widen the audiences for American independent filmmakers.

In the course of those years I met countless filmmakers, some of whom became close friends. Several have passed away by now and it was my fond memories of them that first prompted me to write down this account. My film programming days are now a thing of a distant past. My professional life changed to (satellite) television programming and later to education. But I will never forget the thrills of finding and promoting the new and exciting cinema movement of the American Independents.