What are some examples of successful independent films?

What are some examples of successful independent films?

Ben Lyons (Producer) gives expert video advice on: Which independent filmmakers have changed the genre?; Where are most independent films made?; What are some different techniques in making an independent film? and more...

In recent years, a film like 'Half Nelson' has to be looked at as a very successful independent film. It cost about half a million bucks as a short film. It was a short film first, and then it was developed at the Sundance Institute and fleshed out into a feature film. That film, of course, sold at Sundance to Think Film and went on to get Ryan Gosling an Academy Award nomination. Now everyone knows who Ryan Gosling is because of 'Half Nelson'. Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' was an independent film that he shot and put together, and he sold it at Sundance to Paramount-Vantage and it went on to become the third highest grossing documentary of all time, behind 'March of the Penguins' and 'Fahrenheit 911', which is another independent film. A great, talented film-maker, Michael Moore, went out and made the movie and, with the help of Harvey Weinstein, was able to get it seen by the world. It is the highest grossing documentary of all time, and a very successful independent film.