Independent films: A true independent film is often a low-budget film
(costing anywhere from $5,000 to $1 million) because the filmmaker
has to raise money to make the film on his or her own, independent of
a studio for the financing. Many films circulating the film-festival circuit
are independent films, produced independently of the studios.
Independent studio films: A studio’s independent division is really a
smaller “boutique” division of the big company, with smaller budgets
and possibly fewer black suits deciding how to make and distribute
the films that come from these divisions. Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine,
and Juno are perfect examples of independent studio films — they were
all distributed by Twentieth Century Fox’ independent division, Fox
Searchlight — but all received the exposure that a big studio picture
expects, including studio marketing dollars when they are nominated
during the major awards season.
The term “independent studio films” is actually oxymoronic because a
film produced by a studio is not truly independent. A film made by a
studio’s “independent” division is a studio film, in disguise.