One of the distinguishing characteristics of independent film is the idiosyncratic creativity of its filmmakers. But in an industry driven by market forces and corporate decision-making, directors can face imposing hurdles in protecting the originality and creative core of their films. When making artistic choices in areas of content, casting, budget, editing, music, and marketing, are directors attempting to reclaim the market power of personal expression? Have director-driven companies been successful in securing greater creative freedom? How are those filmmakers dealing with the incumbent business responsibilities? Is there a resurgence of the kind of autonomy from studio influence that some directors found in the late 1960s and 70s?
As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication.
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