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This introduction to American independent cinema offers both a comprehensive industrial and economic history of the sector from the early twentieth century to the present and a study of key individual films and film-makers. Readers will develop an understanding of the complex dynamic relations between independent and mainstream American cinema.The main argument revolves around the idea that American independent cinema has developed alongside mainstream Hollywood cinema with institutional, industrial and economic changes in the latter shaping and informing the former. Consequently, the term ‘independent’ has acquired different meanings at different points in the history of American cinema, evolving according to the impact of changing conditions in the American film industry. These various meanings are examined in the course of the book.The book is ordered chronologically, beginning with independent filmmaking in the studio era (examining both top-rank and low-end independent film production), moving to the 1950s and 1960s (discussing both the adoption of independent filmmaking as the main method of production for the Hollywood majors as well as exploitation filmmaking) and finishing with contemporary American independent cinema (exploring areas such as the New Hollywood, the major independent production and distribution companies and the institutionalisation of independent cinema in the 1990s). Each chapter includes a number of case studies which focus on specific films and/or filmmakers, while a number of independent production and distribution companies are also discussed in detail.

Over her multi-film career, the American independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt has established a highly individual perspectives on questions of gender, feminism, socioeconomics and sexual orientation, set within an aesthetic framework that is guided by the low-budget techniques of ‘slow cinema,’ minimalism and neorealism. ReFocus: The Films of Kelly Reichardt argues that Reichardt’s films have a distinctive look due to stylistic and aesthetic choices prompted by production limitations; Reichardt has embraced the intensive labor involved with low budget filmmaking, establishing signature auteur characteristics. In this close reading of her feature films and experimental shorts, including production methods, E. Dawn Hall defines Reichardt’s auteur characteristics, arguing that she offers a contemporary and sustainable model for independent filmmakers in America. By chronicling Reichardt’s career, ReFocus: The Films of Kelly Reichardt attempts to draw conclusions about women’s career longevity in the independent sector. Through a comprehensive study of production methodology, this book positions Reichardt’s filmmaking as a choice to remain independent and low-budget, highlighting the gendered dimensions of labor, creativity, and challenges contextualized within contemporary industry practices.