Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
Independent & Avant-Garde
Filmmakers
![avant garde filmmaker Maya Deren [1917-61]](images/MayaDeren.jpg) |
people, A to Z
Robert Greenwald Page Michael Moore Page Godfrey Reggio selected films
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"I was always an independent, even when I had partners."
— movie producer Samuel Goldwyn
"In feature films, the director is God; in documentary films, God is the director."
— Alfred Hitchcock
Art House & International Films at Amazon: on DVD on VHS
Documentary Films category at Amazon: on DVD on VHS
Links
Independent Filmmaker's Forum [last update 1999?]
IndieFilms: network of independent filmmakers
IndieWire: online community [est. 1996]
Screen Actors Guild office for independent filmmakers
Reel Roundtable [est. 1998] in New York City
IndieFilmMaker [requires Flash]
Indie Film Page
Amateur Movie Makers Association
Albuquerque [NM] Independent Film Cooperative
Screen Actors Guild 'Indie' Program [est. 1997]
The Documentary Channel
Women Make Movies independent distribution
International Documentary Assn. [est. 1982]
Independent Filmmakers Alliance
GoFilmFest Independent Film & Film Festival ezine
![Indie Producer [est. 2002] networking site {requires free login}](images/IndieProducer.jpg)
![indie film incubator platform IndieGoGo [2008]](images/IndieGoGo.png)
![Film Independent's Spirit Awards [est. 1984] formerly I.F.P. West & Findie Award [Feb 2009 = #35]](images/FIspiritawards.jpg)
![Film Independent formerly I.F.P. West [est. 1984, renamed 2005]](images/FilmIndependent.gif){kind=small}
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Independent Film Project [est. 1979]
Los Angeles FilmFest [June 2009 = #25] Independent Film Week {formerly I.F.P. Market} [Sept 2009 = #31] East Coast Gotham Independent Film Awards [Nov 2009 = #19] |
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Independent Film Channel [est. 1994]
I.F.C. rant Magazine {subscription} I.F.C. Review quarterly {subscription} IFC Films (independent distribution) |
![Independent Film & Television Alliance [est. 1980]](images/IFTAlogo.gif)
![The Documentary Filmmakers Group [est. 2001]: the U.K.'s national documentary organisation](images/DFGdocs.jpg)
![The D-Word [est. 1996]: the worldwide community of documentary film professionals](images/dwordlogo-final.gif)
![FilmMaker Magazine [est. 1992]](images/FilmMakerMag.gif) | subscription 4 issues/year for $18.00 via Amazon |
Festivals of Independent Films
Freedom Cinema Festival [Jan 2005 = #2] in Park City, UT
Key West [FL] Indie Fest [Easter Weekend]
Dances With Films {festival of independent films} in Santa Monica [April 2005 = #8]
California Independent Film Festival [April 2010 = #12] in Orinda, CA
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival [April 2010 = #13] in Durham, NC
Coachella Independent Film Festival in Indio, CA [May 2004 = #5]
I.F.P. Los Angeles FilmFest [June] [requires Flash]
Intl. Documentary Assn. [est. 1982] DocuWeek Festival in L.A. [Aug 2007 = #11]
Telluride [CO] Indie Fest [Sept]
Channel Islands Indie F/F in Oxnard, CA [Sept 2003 = #6]
IndieMemphis [TN in Oct]
The Indie Gathering [June 2005] in Cleveland, OH
Bluegrass Independent Film Festival in Louisville, KY [Sept]
SoCal Independent Film Festival in Huntington Beach, CA [Sept 2005]
Magic Lantern's 'Film Festivals Around The World' Page
 | "Official Rejection" [indep; festival circuit & DVD release 2009]
107-minute color documentary following a group of filmmakers who take their independent feature Ten 'til Noon [2006] along the film festival circuit – showing the politics, pitfalls, triumphs & comic tragedies they encounter & endure along the way, a report on the indie world and what happens when the shooting is over. (The two-disk version contains 2 hours of bonus features.) Co-produced, written & directed by and co-starring Paul Osborne; co-produced by and co-starring Scott Storm & Paul J. Alessi; co-starring Brian Osborne Shut Up & Shoot Pictures widescreen color DVD [11/2009] 2 disks for $18.99 Shut Up & Shoot Pictures widescreen color DVD [11/2009] for $13.99 full credits at IMDb official movie site Magic Lantern's 'Film Festivals Around The World' Page |
F I L M - M A K E R S
Darren Aronofsky
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Charles Band
Charles and his brother Richard have made over 250 schlock feature films, mostly in the horror genre.
browse Charles Band on DVD official website
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Joe Berlinger
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
 | "Crude: The Real Price of Oil" [First Run Features Sept 2009]
Thirty thousand native residents of the despoiled Amazon rainforest in Ecuador are suing Chevron for $27 billion in reparations, while still living in the heavily-polluted environment. Co-produced & directed by Joe Berlinger; won awards at Dallas, Big Sky, Nashville & Thessalonika film festivals First Run Features color DVD [2/2010] for $20.99 
full credits at IMDb official movie site movie entry at Wikipedia |
documentary filmmaker Les Blank
official website
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Stan Brakhage [1933-2003]
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
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"By Brakhage" Criterion Collection Anthology [2003] 26 films & extras on 2 disks Criterion DVD [6/2003] for $34.99 |
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"Brakhage" [Bravo tv movie 1998] Written & directed by Jim Shedden Zeitgeist color DVD [7/2004] for $26.09 full credits from IMDb |
Charles Burnett
browse Charles Burnett on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
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"Killer of Sheep" [original 1977; re-released 2007]
Long considered a prime example of independent film-making; taught in film schools while until recently not availabale for viewing (due to music rights restrictions). A black man in South Central Los Angeles is disconnected from his wife and his son & daughter and is unable to sleep, while working long hours at the local slaughterhouse. Produced, written, directed & edited by Charles Burnett; starring Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett, Eugene Cherry & Jack Drummond; won FIPRESCI Prize at Berlin International Film Festival (1981); listed on the first National Film Registry (1990) full credits from IMDb official movie site New Yorker/Milestone b&w DVD [11/2007] 2 disks for $29.99 this DVD set also includes four short films by Burnett and his second feature film: "My Brother's Wedding" [shelved 1983; released 2007] A black man working at a dry cleaner in South Central Los Angeles agrees to be best man for his ambitious lawyer brother, whom he despises. Produced, written & directed by Charles Burnett; starring Everett Silas, Jessie Holmes, Gaye Shannon-Burnett, Ronnie Bell, Dennis Kemper & Sally Easter; full credits from IMDb |
John Carpenter
http://www.amazon.com/John-Carpenter-Man-His-Movies/dp/B0001BKALC/
John Cassavetes [1929-89]
browse John Cassavetes on DVD browse books
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
received 3 Oscar nominations [1968-1975]; no wins
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"The Films of John Cassavetes: Pragmatism, Modernism & The Movies" [1994] by Raymond Carney Cambridge Univ Press pb [11/2005] for $28.99 |
John's daughter director Zoe Cassavetes
John's son Nick Cassavetes
John's mother-in-law Lady Rowlands [1904-99]
Robert Carl Cohen makes Radical Films
IMDb listing
Gary Conklin
official website
IMDb listing
Alex Cox
browse Alex Cox on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
 | "Alex Cox: Film Anarchist" [2003] by Steven Paul Davies Batsford U.K. 9¾x7¼ pb [6/2003] out of print/used |
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"X Films: True Confessions of A Radical Filmmaker" autobiography [2008] by Alex Cox Soft Skull Press 9¼x6¼ pb [9/2008] for $13.46 I.B. Tauris 9¼x6½ hardcover [6/2008] out of print/used |
Maya Deren [1917-61]
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
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"Maya Deren: Experimental Films" [1998] Mystic Fire Video b&w DVD [2/2002] for $39.99 Mystic Fire Video b&w VHS [9/98] for $37.49 official movie site |
actor-writer-director Steve Freedman
More East To Go Films, Inc. {with David Castenholz, producer}
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"Ghosts Never Sleep" [indep 2004] Co-produced, co-written & directed by Steve Freedman; starring Tony Goldwyn, Faye Dunaway, Sean Young, Shea Alexander, Joe Rose & Jason Stuart Allumination color DVD [8/2006] for $26.99 credits at IMDb official movie website |
Alex Gibney
browse DVDs IMDb listing
Wikipedia
http://www.amazon.com/David-Halberstams-Fifties-Edward-Herrmann/dp/0767004132/ [1997]
http://www.amazon.com/Enron-Smartest-Guys-Room-Blu-ray/dp/B000GFRII6/ [2006]
http://www.amazon.com/Enron-Smartest-Guys-Room/dp/B000C3L2IO/ [2006]
won shared Oscar for "Taxi To The Dark Side" docufilm [2007] /tt0854678/
http://www.amazon.com/Gonzo-Life-Work-Hunter-Thompson/dp/B001EDFSIQ/ [2008]
http://www.amazon.com/Casino-Jack-United-States-Money/dp/B003L20IGU/ [2010]
"Freakonomics" [2010] /tt1152822/
Untitled Eliot Spitzer Project [2011] /tt1638362/
browse Robert Greenwald on DVD
Henry Jaglom
browse Henry Jaglom on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Jim Jarmusch
browse Jim Jarmusch on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
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"Mystery Train" [Orion Pictures Nov 1989]
Three stories: A Japanese couple obsessed with 1950s America travel by train to Memphis; an Italian widow transporting her husband's body by plane is stuck overnight in Memphis; three Memphis lowlifes head for cover after a botched liquor store robbery – all converging on the same rundown Memphis hotel. Written & directed by Jim Jarmusch; original music by John Lurie; starring Masatoshi Nagase, Youki Kudoh, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco), Stephen Jones, Joe Strummer, Rick Aviles, Steve Buscemi & Tom Waits M.G.M. Home Video widescreen color DVD [3/2000] out of prodn/used M.G.M. Home Video color VHS [3/2000] out of prodn/used Milan Records soundtrack CD [8/94] 16 tracks for $11.98 full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia |
surrealist Alejandro Jodorowsky
browse books
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
official Jodorowsky website {in Spanish; requires Flash}
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"The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky" [2007]
Starz / Anchor Bay color DVD set 5/2007] 5 disks for $33.49 includes "Fando y Lis" [1967]; "El Topo" [1970] starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, his son Brontis Jodorowsky & Alfonso Arau; and "The Holy Mountain" [1973] starring Alejandro Jodorowsky & Horαcio Salinas |
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"Anarchy and Alchemy: The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky" [2007] by Ben Cobb Creation Books 8¼x8 pb [8/2007] for $13.57 |
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"The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky: The Creator of El Topo" [2008] by Alejandro Jodorowsky Park Street Press pb [7/2008] for $12.89 |
"Fando y Lis" [1967]
"El Topo" [1970]
"The Holy Mountain" [1973]
"Tusk" [1978]
"Santa Sangre" [1989]
"The Rainbow Thief" [1990]
"The Jodorowsky Constellation" [1994]
"King Shot" [DUE 2009]
Michael Kang
official weblog
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Barbara Kopple
official website Cabin Creek Films
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Oscar-winner "Harlan County U.S.A." [1976]
"The Making of Harlan County USA" [2006]
Oscar-winner "American Dream" [1990]
George & Mike Kuchar
George Kuchar: IMDb listing [1956-2008]
Wikipedia
Michael John 'Mike' Kuchar: IMDb listing [1956-2009]
Wikipedia
"George & Mike Kuchar: Reflections From A Cinematic Cesspool"
[Zanja Press Dangerous Concepts, 1997] ISBN 0915906341
official website of collaborator Marie Losier
Tom Laughlin
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
 | "The Complete Billy Jack Collection" DVD Box Set [2009]
includes restored versions of "Born Losers" [1967] (written by Elizabeth James); "Billy Jack" [1971]; "The Trial of Billy Jack" [1974]; "Billy Jack Goes To Washington" [1977]; extras include eight commentaries; produced, co-written & directed by and starring Tom Laughlin; co-written by & co-starring Delores Taylor Image Ent. widescreen color DVD set [8/2009] 4 disks for $23.49 |
 | "Billy Jack 35th Anniversary Ultimate Collection" [2005]
Billy Jack Ent. widescreen color DVD set [9/2005] 5 disks - out of prodn/used includes "Born Losers" [1967]; "Billy Jack" [1971]; "The Trial of Billy Jack" [1974]; "Billy Jack Goes To Washington" [1977]; and a bonus disk with many extras; produced, co-written & directed by and starring Tom Laughlin; co-written by & co-starring Delores Taylor |
"Billy Jack" [1971]
"The Trial of Billy Jack" [1974]
"Billy Jack Goes To Washington" [1977]
William Lewis
IMDb listing
official website
Wikipedia
Pare Lorentz [1905-92]
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
I.D.A. Pare Lorentz Film Festival [Oct 2007]
Kent MacKenzie [1930-80]
IMDb listing
 | "The Exiles" [Pathι/Milestone 1961 & 1970 & 2008]
U.S.C. student Kent MacKenzie took a non-traditional career direction and developed "The Exiles" in collaboration with actual residents of the once-elegant neighborhood of Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles. By the late 1950s, the area had become flophouses and seedy mansions, all slated for demolition for replacement by office towers and the Los Angeles Music Center. The brilliant film never received distribution, though Native American writers & activists considered the film as one of the first works of art to portray modern off-reserva-tion life honestly, and teachers in film schools around the world independently re-discovered the lost b&w masterwork. It was not until filmmaker Thom Andersen used a few of MacKenzie's glowing night scenes in the compilation documentary "Los Angeles Plays Itself" [2003], that Hollywood realized the film's worth. Milestone Films acquired the rights from MacKenzie's two daughters, the UCLA Film Archive produced a restored print, and theatrical distribution began in 2008. Bonus features on DVD include Kent Mackenzie shorts "A Skill For Molina" [1960], "Story of A Rodeo Cowboy" [1962], and "Ivan and His Father" [1970]; documentary short "Bunker Hill: A Tale of Urban Renewal" by Greg Kimble; "White Fawn's Devotion" Native American silent short [1910], plus a DVD-ROM with the script, publicity material, Mackenzie's masters thesis, and more. Produced, written & directed by Kent MacKenzie; re-release 'Presented by Sherman Alexie & Charles Burnett'; starring Homer Nish, Yvonne Williams & Tom Reynolds; listed on the National Film Registry (2009) Oscilloscope/Milestone b&w DVD [11/2009] 2 disks for $27.49 full credits from IMDb official movie site film entry at Wikipedia |
writer-director Terrence Malick
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
"Lanton Mills" [1969 (short]
"Badlands" [1973]
"Days of Heaven" [1978]
"The Thin Red Line" [1998]
"The New World" [2005]
"The Tree of Life" [2010]
Chris Marker of France
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Maysles Brothers
IMDb listing for Albert Maysles
IMDb listing for David Maysles [1931-87]
Maysles Brothers entry on Wikipedia
official Maysles Assoc. website
Maysles Institute non-profit [est. 2005]
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"Wild Blue Yonder" documentary [indep 2007] Celia Maysles – daughter of David, neice of Arthur, together important pioneers of veritι documentary filmmaking – was seven years old when her father died. She uses the techniques of veritι documentary filmmaking to explore the past, to find out who her father & uncle were. Co-produced & directed by Celia Maysles video/DVD not available; full credits from IMDb producer's film site {requires Apple Quicktime} |
 | "The Direct Cinema of David and Albert Maysles" [2005] by Jonathan B. Vogels Southern IL Univ 9¼x6 hardcover [7/2005] for $39.15 |
sexploitationist Russ Meyer [1922-2004]
browse Russ Meyer on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
official Russ Meyer website
CAM's Russ Meyer fansite
"Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"
original b&w feature film [indep Aug 1965]
DVD
full credits at IMDb
movie entry at Wikipedia
Announced 2008: color remake [for 2012? release] to be developed by Quentin Tarantino
latest info at IMDb
Warren Miller: skiing & surfing films
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
official Warren Miller website
Surf Shack Page at Spirit of America
![won Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for "Bowling For Columbine" [2002]](images/oscar_sm.gif) | Michael Moore Page |
filmmaker-actor Luis Moro
Moro Films website
IMDb listing
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"Anne B. Real" [indep U.S. release Oct 2003]
Directed by Lisa France; co-written by Luis Moro, Lisa France & Antonio Macia; co-producers Lenny Bier, Josselyne Herman, Luis Moro & Lisa France; co-starring Janice Richardson, Antonio Macia & Luis Moro Universal color DVD [11/2003] for $9.99 full credits from IMDb |
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"Love & Suicide" [indep. U.S. release May 2006]
Directed by Lisa France, written by Lisa France & Luis Moro; co-producers Luis Moro, Demian Lichtenstein & Steven C. Beer; cinematography by Demian Lichtenstein; starring Kamar De Los Reyes, Luis Moro & Daisy McCrackin DVD available from producers full credits at IMDb official movie site |
| | Errol Morris browse Errol Morris on DVD IMDb listing Wikipedia |
Christopher Mόnch
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Jesus Nebot: official website IMDb listing
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"No Turning Back" [U.S. release June 2003]
Co-directed & co-written by Julia Montejo & Jesus Nebot; starring Jesus Nebot & Chelsea Rendon Universal color DVD [3/2004] for $24.28 full credits from IMDb official movie website |
Earl Owensby
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Kimberly Peirce
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
"Boys Don't Cry" [1999] Hilary Swank won Oscar
"Stop Loss" [2008]
Polish Brothers – Mark & Michael
Mark's credits at IMDb
Michael's credits at IMDb
Wikipedia
Godfrey Reggio
IMDb listing
official website
Wikipedia
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"Koyaanisqatsi" [1983] / "Powaqqatsi" [1988] DVD 2-pack
Co-written & directed by Godfrey Reggio; music by Philip Glass MGM/UA widescreen DVD [9/2002] 2 disks for $22.49 "Naqoyqatsi: Life Is War" [Miramax/Qatsi Oct 2002]
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more details (synopses, books, posters, music, links) on the
Godfrey Reggio's 'Qatsi Trilogy' Page
Vanessa Renwick
Oregon Dept. of Kick Ass Film & Video
sexploitationist Joseph W. Sarno [1921-2010]
browse DVDs IMDb listing
Wikipedia
"Inga" [Sweden 1971] /tt0067508/ & /B00005Y71B/
"Young Playthings" [1972] /tt0069527/
"Confessions of A Young American Housewife" [1974] /tt0069914/
"a mini-masterpiece" per critic Richard Corliss
http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Sarno-Girl-Meets-Trilogy/dp/B00080ETWM/
John Sayles
browse John Sayles on DVD browse books
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Kevin Smith
browse Kevin Smith on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
production company View Askew website
Mark Street
IMDb listing
Melvin Van Peebles
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
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"Baadassssss!" aka "How To Get The Man's Foot Outta Your Ass" [Sony May 2004] Mario's documentary/homage to his father's historic 1971 film that was key in birthing Independent Black Cinema. Co-written & directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles (based on the book, below) Sony widescreen color DVD [9/2004] for $17.99 Sony color VHS [1/2005] out of prodn/used B.B.E. soundtrack CD [6/2004] out of prodn/used full credits at IMDb official movie site {requires Flash} movie entry at Wikipedia |
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"Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: A Guerilla Filmmaking Manifesto" [2004] by Melvin Van Peebles Thunder's Mouth Press mass pb [8/2004] for $11.86 |
 | "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" [indep April 1971] Written, co-produced, directed & edited by and starring Melvin Van Peebles, with Simon Chuckster, Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan & young Mario Van Peebles Xenon color DVD [1/2003] for $17.99 Xenon color VHS [2/2002] out of prodn/used Stax soundtrack CD [11/99] 2 disks / out of prodn/rare 11"x17" white poster from Amazon for $9.99 full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia screenplay, diaries & soundtrack CD Interlink pb [9/96] out of print/used |
Melvin's son actor-director Mario Van Peebles
browse Mario Van Peebles on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
John Waters
browse John Waters on DVD IMDb listing
Wikipedia
"Pink Flamingos" [1972]
"Female Trouble" [1974]
"Hairspray" [1988]
"Hairspray: The Musical" [2007]
Frederick Wiseman
DVDs of Frederick Wiseman {sloppy results} at Amazon official website IMDb listing
Wikipedia
musician & filmmaker Neil Young
Neil Young Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
browse music
official website
entry at Wikipedia
Movies Section on the Neil Young Page Neil Young's credits at IMDb
Jessica Yu
IMDb listing
Wikipedia
Collections on DVD
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"Docurama Academy Awards Collection DVD Box Set" [2005]
New Video Group/Docurama DVD set [2/2005] 13 disks for $179.99 box set includes Oscar®-winners for Best Documentary Feature: "Best Boy" [1979]; "From Mao To Mozart: Isaac Stern In China" [1981]; "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" [1994]; "Murder On A Sunday Morning" aka "Un coupable Idιal" [2001]; "Scared Straight!" [1980]; and Oscar®-nominated "Children Underground" [2001]; "Genghis Blues" [1999]; "Nadja Salerno-Sonneberg: Speaking In Strings" [1999]; "Paul Taylor: Dancemaker" [1998]; "Regret To Inform" [1998]; "Sound and Fury" [2000]; "The Weather Underground" [2002]; plus "Best Man" [1997], the sequel to "Best Boy" |
 | "Avant Garde: Experimental Cinema of The 1920s & 1930s" [2005] from the Raymond Rohauer [d. 1987] collection Kino Video 6-hour DVD set [8/2005] 2 disks for $24.99 includes works by Marcel Duchamp [1887-1968], Germaine Dulac, Viking Eggeling, Sergei Eisenstein [1898-1948], Jean Epstein {2 shorts}, Robert Florey [1900-79], Joris Ivens, Dimitri Kirsanoff {2 shorts}, Fernand Leger, Erne Metzmer, Jean Painleve, Man Ray [1890-1976] {3 shorts}, Hans Richter [1888-1976] {2 shorts}, Ralph Steiner [1899-1986] {"H2O" 1929 short}, Paul Strand, Slavko Vorkapich, James Sibley Watson, Mel-ville Webber [1871-1947], Herman G. Weinberg & Orson Welles [1915-85] {"The Hearts of Age" 1934 short} |
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"Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant Garde Film, 1894-1941" Box Set [2005] by Anthology Film Archives Image Ent. b&w DVD set [10/2005] 7 disks for $79.99 no listing on IMDb; official movie site companion book: 8½x5¾ pb [6/2001] out of print/used |
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"Docurama Film Festival I" Box Set [2006]
Docurama color DVD set [6/2006] 10 disks for $206.99 box set includes "Aging Out" [2004]; Oscar winner "Broken Rainbow" [1985]; "Cheeks" [2003]; "Doing Time: Life Inside The Big House" [1980]; "The Fire Next Time" [2005]; Full Frame Documentary Shorts Collection: Vol. 4; "Good Morning Yokohama"; "Good Times" [2002]; "In The Shadow of Eden"; Oscar nominated "Legacy" [2000]; "Miles Above"; "Omar & Pete" [2005]; "The Police Tapes" [1977]; Oscar-nominated short "Sister Rose's Passion" [2004]; "Small Town Secrets" [2005]; and "The Wobblies" [1979] |
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"Docurama Academy Awards Collection DVD Box Set - Volume 2" [2006]
New Video Group/DocuramaDVD set [7/2006] 12 disks for $179.99 box set includes Oscar®-winners for Best Documentary Feature: "Broken Rainbow" [1985]; "I Am A Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School" [1993]; "In The Shadow of The Stars" [1991]; "Marjoe" [1972] starring Marjoe Gortner; "Sister Rose's Passion" [2004]; "Thoth" [2002]; "Who Are The DeBolts? (And Where Did They Get 19 Kids?)" [1977]; and Oscar®-nominated "A Time For Burning" [1967]; "Balseros" [2002]; "Colors Straight Up" [1997]; "Doing Time: Life Inside The Big House" [1991]; "Legacy" [2000]; and "Unfinished Business: The Japanese-American Internment Cases" [1986] |
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"Docurama Film Festival II" Box Set [2006]
Docurama color DVD set [9/2006] 10 disks for $206.99 box set includes "Con Man" [2003]; "The Education of Shelby Knox" [2005]; "Farmingville" [2004]; "The Lady In Question Is Charles Busch" [2005]; "Original Cast Album: Company" [1970] directed by D.A. Pennebaker; "Parallel Lines" [2004]; "Passin' It On" [1993]; "Power Trip" [2003]; "The Shvitz" [1993]; and "Waging A Living" [2005] |
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"Docurama Film Festival III" Box Set [2007]
Docurama color DVD set [3/2007] 10 disks for $206.99 box set includes "Dark Circle" [1983]; "Following Sean" [2006]; "Gitmo: The New Rules of War" [2005]; "Leona's Sister Gerri" [1995]; "Music From The Inside Out" [2004]; "Naked States" [2000]; "Of Civil Wrongs & Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story" [2000]; "Stagedoor" [2006]; "Well-Founded Fear" [2000]; and "Yellow Brick Road" [2005] |
 | "Avant-Garde 2: Experimental Cinema, 1928-1954" [2007]
Kino Video DVD [7/2007] 2 disks for $26.99 includes works by Stan Brakhage [1933-2003] {4 shorts), James Broughton [1913-99], The Cage, Jean Isidore Isou [1925-2007], Dimitri Kirsanoff [1899-1957], Paul Leni [1885-1929], Willard Maas [1906-71] (2 shorts), Gregory Markopoulos [1928-92], Marie Menken [1909-70], Jean Mitry [1907-88], Sidney Peterson [1905-2000], Joseph Vogel, James Sibley Watson [1894-1982] & Melville Webber [1871-1947] |
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"Docurama Film Festival IV" Box Set [2007]
Docurama color DVD set [9/2007] 10 disks for $206.99 box set includes "Beyond The Steps: Alvin Ailey American Dance" [2006]; "Building Bombs" [1991]; "Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?" [2006]; "The Chances of The World Changing" [2006]; "The First Year" [2001]; "I Like Killing Flies" [2004]; "The Panama Deception" [1992]; "Pictures From A Revolution" [1991]; "Plagues and Pleasures On The Salton Sea" [2004]; and "Wanderlust" [2006] |
 | "Treasures From American Film Archives IV: Avant Garde, 1947-1986" [2009]
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 | "Docurama Film Festival V" Box Set [2008]
Docurama color DVD set [9/2008] 13 disks for $251.99 box set includes: Emmy-winning "A Lion In The House" [2006] from P.B.S. on 2 disks; "Arctic Son" [2006] by Andrew Walton; "Cine Manifest" [2006] by Judy Irola (plus 4 shorts); "Cinematographer Style" [2006] by Jon Fauer; "Critical Condition" [2008] from P.B.S.; "Fall From Grace" [2007] by K. Ryan Jones; "Family Name" [1997] by Macky Alston from P.B.S.; "Liberia: An Uncivil War" [2004]; "On The Downlow" [2007] by Abigail Child; "Passing Poston" [2008] by Joe Fox & James Nubile; "Questioning Faith" [2002] by Macky Alston; and "Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place" [2008] from P.B.S. |
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Selected films from past Full Frame Documentary Film Festival [est. 1998] events
in Durham, North Carolina are later released on DVD by Docurama
 | "Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Volume 1" DVD Box Set [2003]
Docurama color DVD [5/2003] for $22.49 contains 7 short documentary films: "Family Values" [2002] by Eva Saks; "Laughing Club of India" [1999] by Mira Nair; "Lucy Tsak Tsak" [2000] by Andrey Paounov; "Mojave Mirage" [2003] by Derek and Kaarina Cleverley Roberto; award-winning "The Sunshine" [2000] by Phil Bertelsen; "We Got Us" [2002] by Joan Brooker-Marks; "Why Can't We Be a Family Again?" [2002] by Murray Nossel & Roger Weisberg |
 | "Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Volume 2" DVD Box Set [2004]
Docurama color DVD [5/2004] for $22.49 contains 7 short documentary films: "Album" [2002] by Barbara Bird; "Crowfilm" [2003] by Edward P. Davee; "Have You Seen This Man?" [2003] by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck; "Iwo Jima: Memories In The Sand" [2001] by Beret E. Strong & John Tweedy; "Miss Alabama Nursing Home" [2001] by Anne Paas; "Nutria" [2003] by Ted Gesing; and "Wood Island" [2001] by Kate T. Williamson |
 | "Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Volume 3" DVD Box Set [2005]
Docurama color DVD [4/2005] out of prodn/used contains 6 short documentary films: "A Thousand Words" [2003] by Melba L. Williams from P.B.S.; "Foxhole" [2003] by Franko Galoso; "The Great Cheesesteak Debate" [2003] by Scott Vosbury; "Journeys" [2003] by Vinayan Kodoth; "Rosalie's Journey" [2005] by Warwick Thornton; and "Texas Hospitality" [2003] by Michael Pfaendtner |
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"Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Volume 4" DVD Box Set [2006]
Docurama color DVD [6/2006] for $24.49 contains 6 short documentary films: "Good Morning YOKOHAMA" [2003] by Satoshi Ono; "Good Times" [2004] by Alessandro Cassigoli & Dalia Castel; "In The Shadow of Eden" [2004] by Rachael Romero; "(Meet The) Cheeks" [2003] by Tal Sharon & Daniel Barcelowsky; "Miles Above" [2005] by Michael Welt; and "Small Town Secrets" [2005] by Katherine Leggett |
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"Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Volume 5" DVD Box Set [2007]
Docurama color DVD [4/2007] for $24.49 contains 6 short documentary films: "Afloat" [2006] by Erin Hudson; "The Angelmakers" [Netherlands 2005] by Astrid Bussink; "High Plains Winter" [2006] by Cindy Stillwell; "The Intimacy of Strangers" [2005] by Eva Weber; "Send Me Somewhere Special" [2004] by Darren Hercher; and "Stand Like Still Living" [Botswana 2005] by Peter Jordan |
Selected Independent Films
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"Putney Swope" [Herald/Cinema V July 1969]
Outrageous is the only word for this jaw-dropper of a satire on the advertising world. The main movie is black-and-white, with color commercials that you will not believe. The bite is still fierce even after 40 years. Written & directed by Robert Downey Sr.; starring Arnold Johnson Rhino Video b&w/color DVD [5/2001] for $17.96 Rhino Video b&w/color VHS [2/95] for $14.95 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster available at AllPosters.com |
Oscar®-winner "Broken Rainbow" [1985]
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"God, Sex & Apple Pie" [Centaur 1998]
Produced & written by & starring Jerome Courshon; directed by Paul Leaf; co-starring Greg Wrangler & Penelope Crabtree Warner/Lightyear on DVD [6/2004] for $9.97 Warner color VHS [2003] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb official movie website |
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"Better Luck Tomorrow" [MTV/Paramount 2002]
The lives of a group of high school students in an upper-class California suburb start to unravel from a combination of boredom, pressure to excel, and easy money. Co-written & directed by Justin Lin; starring Parry Shen, Jason J. Tobin, Sung Kang, Roger Fan, John Cho & Karin Anna Cheung Paramount color VHS [9/2003] out of stock/used Paramount widescreen DVD [9/2003] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb official movie website |
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"Charlotte Sometimes" [Vision Box Media May 2003]
An Asian auto mechanic longs for his next-door neighbor, whose ball-buster sister skews the relationship dynamic; very low-budget, very poetic, remindful of Bertolucci. Co-written, produced & directed by Eric Byler; co-written by Jeff Liu; starring Michael Idemoto, Jacqueline Kim, Eugenia Yuan, Kimberley-Rose Wolter Hart Sharp color VHS [9/2003] for $49.99 Hart Sharp color DVD [9/2003] for $21.24 full credits from IMDb official movie website |
 | "The Corporation" documentary feature [Canada Jan 2004]
Co-directed by Jennifer Abbott & Mark Achbar; co-written by Harold Crooks from Joel Bakan's book; interviewees include Noam Chomsky, Peter Drucker, Milton Freidman, Ray Anderson & Michael Moore Zeitgeist Video color DVD [4/2005] 2 disks for $22.49 full credits from IMDb official movie site movie entry at Wikipedia "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit & Power"[2004] by Joel Bakan Free Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [3/2004] for $17.00 |
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"Burying The Past: Legacy of The Mountain Meadows Massacre" [Patrick Film 2004] Produced, written & directed by Brian F. Patrick VHS & DVD available at website; full credits from IMDb official movie site |
 | "The Squid and The Whale" [Samuel Goldwyn Films Oct 2005]
"One of the best independent films of the past decade." – David Denby, New Yorker Magazine film critic When the wife of a Brooklyn teacher discovers a talent for writing, he becomes jealous and the couple splits up; the two teenage sons take sides and exhibit bizarre behaviour, while the mother starts dating her son's tennis teacher and the father has an affair with the student that his son is pursuing. Written & directed by Noah Baumbach; starring Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Owen Kline, Jesse Eisenberg, William Baldwin & Anna Paquin; nominated for Best Original Screenplay Oscar & W.G.A. Best Original Screenplay Award Sony widescreen color DVD [3/2006] for $11.99 full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia shooting script: Newmarket 9¼x7 pb [9/2005] for $14.96 |
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"Heart of The Beholder" [festival circuit 2005; DVD release 2008]
Based on the true idiocy of American religious fundamentalists committing crimes to ban movies & shut down a video store chain in St. Louis, Missouri. Harrassment and commercial cowardice made distribution difficult to arrange; the official movie website was targeted by the criminal zealots & shut down in 2008 (but is now working); further communications are based at producer River City Entertainment's website. Written, directed & co-produced by Ken Tipton; co-produced by Darlene Lieblich, Arnon Manor & Jeanette Volturno; starring Sarah Brown, Matt Letscher & Katelin Chesna Vanguard color DVD [2/2009] for $19.95 full credits from IMDb official movie site movie entry at Wikipedia |
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"Jesus Camp" [Loki Films Sept 2006] A cinema verite exposure of evangelical brain-washing in the U.S. heartland Co-produced & co-directed by Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady Magnolia widescreen color DVD [1/2007] for $19.99 full credits from IMDb producers' movie site |
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"Crab Orchard" aka "So Others May Live" TV movie [Oct 2008] Family drama for television, location filming in Champaign, Illinois; the events of September 11 cause suffering in a firefighter family in New York; the wife & mother leaves with her teenage son to live with her father on a farm in the Midwest. Written & co-produced by Robin Christian; directed by Michael J. Jacobs; co-produced by Ruby Handler; starring Edward Asner, Judge Reinhold, Dylan Patton, Ruby Handler, Betsy Zajko & Robin Christian; won Directors Gold Award at International Family Film Festival DVD available on official website full credits at IMDb official movie site Mike Jacobs & Ruby Handler operate Rio Grande Studios in Albuquerque, NM |
 | "Ink: A Dark Modern Fable" [Double Edge Films 2009]
Father and daughter are wrenched into a dream world and seperately battle to save the other from subconscious forces exerting power over the conscious world thru nightmares and dreams. Co-produced, written & directed by Jamin Winans; starring Chris Kelly, Jessica Duffy, Quinn Hunchar & Jeremy Make DVD/Blu-ray not yet available; full credits at IMDb producer's movie site |
Reference & Reading Material
 | "Declarations of Independence: American Cinema and The Partiality of Independent Production" [2008] by John Berra This book 'questions the autonomy of independent film, asking if it is possible for a unique filmic vision to thrive in an industry of mass production'. Intellect Ltd. 9x6¾ pb [3/2008] for $40.00 |
 | "The Rough Guide To American Independent Film" [2006] by Jessica Winter Rough Guides 7x6¾ pb [10/2006] for $8.54 |
 | "Shadows, Specters, Shards: Making History In Avant-Garde Film" [2005] by Jeffrey Skoller Univ MN Press 10x7 pb [8/2005] for $25.00 Univ MN Press 10x7 hardcover [8/2005] for $75.00 |
 | "A New History of Documentary Film" [2005] by Jack C. Ellis & Betsy A. Mclane Continuum Intl. 8¾x5¾ pb [8/2005] for $24.95 Continuum Intl. 9x6¼ hardcover [8/2005] for $60.20 |
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"Encyclopedia of The Documentary Film" 3-volume set [2005] Edited by Ian Aitken Routledge 11¼x9 (11½ pounds!) hardcover [10/2005] for $625.00 |
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"American Independent Cinema" [2005] by Geoff King Indiana Univ Press 9x6 pb [8/2005] for $21.24 Indiana Univ Press 9½x6 hardcover [8/2005] for $75.00 |
 | "The Most Typical Avant-Garde: History & Geography of Minor Cinemas In Los Angeles" [2005] by David E. James Univ CA Press 10x7 pb [5/2005] for $34.95 Univ CA Press 9¾x7 hardcover [5/2005] for $65.00 |
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"Documentary Film: A Primer" [2004] by Carl Rollyson iUniverse 9x6 pb [12/2004] for $11.95 |
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"Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance & The Rise of Independent Film" [2004] by Peter Biskind S&S 9½x6.4 hardcover [1/2004] for $18.33 |
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"The Age of Gold: Surrealist Cinema" [2003] by Robert Short Creation Books 8¼x8¼ pb [4/2003] out of print/used |
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"Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde 1943-2000" [orig 1974; rev 2002] by P. Adams Sitney The standard text on American avant-garde film since the publication of its first edition in 1974. Oxford Univ Press pb [10/2002] for $22.00 Oxford Univ Press 9x6¼ hardcover [10/2002] out of print/used |
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"Introduction To Documentary" [2001] by film scholar Bill Nichols IN Univ Press 9x6½ pb [10/2001] for $19.95 IN Univ Press 9x6¼ hardcover [10/2001] for $42.95 |
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"American Independent Cinema: A Sight and Sound Reader" [2001] Edited by Jim Hillier British Film Institute 9x6 pb [3/2001] for $23.95 British Film Institute 9½x6¼ hardcover [3/2001] out of print/rare |
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"Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film" [1999] by Greg Merritt Thunder's Mouth Press 9x5¾ pb [10/99] out of print/used |
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"A History of Experimental Film & Video" [1999] by A.L. Rees British Film Institute 9x6¼ pb [5/99] for $20.02 British Film Institute 9½x6.4 hardcover [5/99] for $55.00 |
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"The Documentary Film Movement: An Anthology" [1998] Edited by Ian Aitken Edinburgh Univ Press 9¼x6 pb [9/98] for $18.00 Edinburgh Univ Press 9¾x6¼ hardcover [9/98] for $84.00 |
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"Stranger Than Paradise: Maverick Film-Makers In Recent American Cinema" [1998] by Geoff Andrew
covers Joel & Ethan Coen, Hal Hartley, Todd Haynes, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, David Lynch, John Sayles, Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Wayne Wang, and others Limelight Editions 9½x6½ hardcover [8/2004] for $38.00 Prion Books Ltd. 9x6½ hardcover [4/98] for $19.61 |
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"Documentary: A History of The Non-Fiction Film" [orig 1974, rev 1992] by Erik Barnouw Oxford Univ Press 8x5.3 pb [1/93] for $15.44 Oxford Univ Press hardcover [8/92] out of print/used |
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"Film As A Subversive Art" [orig 1974] by Amos Vogel D.A.P. 9x6¼ pb [1/2006] for $17.25 |
How-To Books & Videos
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"The Reel Truth: Everything You Didn't Know You Need To Know About Making An Independent Film" [2009] by Reed Martin Faber & Faber 8x5½ pb [4/2009] for $16.50 |
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"Making Short Films: The Complete Guide From Script To Screen" [orig 2005, rev 2008] by Clifford Thurlow Berg Publrs 2nd Edition 9½x6¾ pb [4/2008] for $13.57 Berg Publrs 2nd Edition 9½x6¾ hardcover [4/2008] for $94.95 |
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"The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide For The Digital Age" [orig 1984, rev 2007] by Steven Ascher & Edward Pincus Plume 8¾x6 pb [9/2007] for $16.50 |
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"The Insider's Guide To Independent Film Distribution" [2007 bestseller] by Stacey Parks Focal Press 6x9 pb [5/2007] for $16.47 publisher's bookpage |
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"The Pocket Lawyer For Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit For Independent Producers" [2007] by Thomas A. Crowell Focal Press 8¾x6 pb [3/2007] for $21.05 publisher's bookpage |
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"Planning The Low-Budget Film" [2006] by Robert Latham Brown "should be cumpulsory reading for every film student" Chalk Hill Books pb [3/2006] for $29.95 |
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"The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking: An Insider's Guide To Making Movies Outside of Hollywood" [2005] by Mark & Michael Polish & Jonathan Sheldon Harvest 8x7 pb [10/2005] for $10.65 |
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"Make Your Own Damn Movie!" DVD box set [2005] from Troma Entertainment Troma color DVD [5/2005] 5 disks for $44.99 Troma color DVD [5/2005] 5 disks & book for $62.99 official movie site |
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"Independent Filmmaker's Manual, Second Edition" [2004] from I.F.P./Los Angeles, by Eden H. Wurmfeld & Nicole Shay Laloggia Focal Press 10¾x8½ pb {book & CD-ROM} [1/2004] for $29.67 Focal Press 1st edition pb {book & CD-ROM} [7/99] for $44.95 |
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"From Reel To Deal: Everything You Need To Create A Successful Independent Film" [2003] by Dov S-S Simens Warner 9x6 pb [7/2003] for $12.21 |
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"Filmmaking For Dummies" [2003] by Bryan Michael Stoller, Foreword by Jerry Lewis Wiley & Sons 9¼x7½ pb [7/2003] for $12.99 |
 | "The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook: Promote, Distribute & Sell Your Film or Video" [2003] by Mark Steven Bosko Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [5/2003] for $26.37 |
 | "Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of A Renegade Director" [2003] by Lloyd Kaufman, with Adam Jahnke & Trent Haaga L.A. Weekly Books 8½x5½ pb [4/2003] for $10.17 |
 | "Indie Producer's Handbook: Creative Producing From A to Z" [2001] by Myrl A. Schreibman, Foreword by Gilbert Cates Movie Maker Magazine named this "the number-one book on producing" Kindle Edition from Lone Eagle Publng [2001 edition] for $11.94 Lone Eagle Publng pb [8/2001] for $14.93 |
 | "Girl Director: A How-To Guide For The First-Time Flat-Broke Film & Video Maker" [2000] by Andrea Richards Ten Speed Press 9¼x9¼ pb [4/2005] for $14.00 |
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"Documentary For The Small Screen" [1997] by Paul Kriwaczek Focal Press 9½x7¼ pb [10/97] for $67.95 (many used) |
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"Rebel Without A Crew: Or How A 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became A Hollywood Player" [1995] by Robert Rodriguez Plume 8x5½ pb [9/96] for $10.20 Dutton 9¼x6 hardcover [7/95] out of print/used RR's credits at IMDb |
 | "Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide From Concept Through Distribution" [1982] by Gregory Goodell recommended by John Carpenter, David Lynch, Ridley Scott & others St. Martin's Griffin 8¼x5½ pb [5/98] for $12.21 St. Martin 8¾x6¼ pb [12/82] for $18.95 St. Martin hardcover [1/82] out of print/used |
 | "The Total Film-Maker" [1971] by Jerry Lewis Warner mass pb [3/73] out of print/rare Random House hardcover [8/71] out of print/used |
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