With high-profile Academy Award nominations and an increasing number of big-name actors eager to sign on to promising projects, independent films have been at the forefront in recent years like never before. But the roots of such critical and commercial successes as "The Hurt Locker" and "Precious "can be traced to the first boom of independent cinema in the 1960s, when a raft of talented filmmakers emerged""to capture the attention of a rapidly growing audience of young viewers.

A thorough overview of a thriving area of cultural life, "Directory of World Cinema: American Independent" chronicles the rise of the independent sector as an outlet for directors who challenge the status quo, yet still produce accessible feature films that not only find wide audiences but enjoy considerable box office appeal--without sacrificing critical legitimacy. Key directors are interviewed and profiled, and a sizeable selection of films are referenced and reviewed. More than a dozen sub-genres--including African American cinema, queer cinema, documentary, familial dysfunction, and exploitation--are individually considered, with an emphasis on their ability to engage with tensions inherent in American society. Copious illustrations and a range of research resources round out the volume, making this a truly comprehensive guide.

At a time when independent films are enjoying considerable cultural cachet, this easy-to-use yet authoritative guide will find an eager audience in media historians, film studies scholars, and movie buffs alike.

From Andy Warhol's Factory films to Roger Corman's exploitation productions to contemporary features backed by Hollywood studio subdivisions, American independent cinema has undergone several incarnations since its emergence as a politically charged underground movement in the 1960s. Today, with high-profile Academy Award nominations and an increasing number of big-name actors eager to sign on to promising projects, these films garner more interest than ever before. Newly revised and expanded, the "Directory of World Cinema: American Independent 2" extends its chronicle of the independent sector's rise as an outlet for directors who both challenge the status quo and enjoy considerable box office appeal--without sacrificing critical legitimacy. In addition to essays on such genres as African-American films, documentary, and queer cinema, this volume features new sections devoted to "brutal youth," dream factory, religion, and war movies. It also includes one hundred and fifty reviews of significant American independent films--ranging from such cult classics as "Faces," "My Hustler," and "Supervixens" to recent releases like "Drive," "Mysterious Skin, " and "Win Win." In addition to interviews with and profiles of influential directors, a wide array of color illustrations and a range of suggested research resources round out the "Directory of World Cinema: American Independent 2." At a time when independent films are enjoying considerable cultural cachet, this easy-to-use yet authoritative guide will find an eager audience among media historians, film studies scholars, and movie buffs alike.

This third volume of the successful Directory of World Cinema series to focus on American independent filmmaking presents in-depth essays on forty-four filmmakers who have primarily worked outside the mainstream or on its industrial margins. Contributors offer close analyses of the work of both widely acknowledged auteurs and little-known provocateurs who deserve much wider recognition. Major names discussed include Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Dennis Hopper, Sofia Coppola and Darren Aronofsky, with attention also paid to cult directors like Larry Cohen, Zalman King and Ti West. The resulting book is both a who's who of contemporary independent cinema in America and a reminder that the ways of making films outside the studio system are incredibly varied - and can be powerfully effective.

American independent cinema has been an important creative and cultural media entity for the past fifteen years. The approach of this sector is one of cultural construction that simultaneously provides a socio-political reference through which critics and audience can attach certain films to popular movements and ideas. Declarations of Independence questions the supposed autonomy of this cinema and asks if independent film can possibly survive in the face of the mass-production and profit of Hollywood. Berra's text presents the reader with a unique structural approach to the subject matter with his arguments mirroring the actual film production process. He gives detailed insight into the core product with reference to specific films and studies of audiences and their enthusiasm for this type of alternative media. American Independent cinema continues to grow as a fashionable scene and Declarations of Independence analyses its popularity, economic viability and the production process of so-called 'niche' cinema. Berra uses directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderberg as examples of those who have crossed successfully into the cultural mainstream, altering media and public perception. This comprehensive book is a useful resource for scholars as it gives an overview of the industry from conception of a film right though to festival exposure and public consumption. Berra also presents a strong academic argument and places the discussion of this increasingly popular genre within a wider socio-political context.

Back for a second encore following the success of the first two installments, this volume takes as its subject not the genres or movements that constitute the cinema of the Land of the Rising Sun but the filmmakers themselves. Focusing entirely on directors, the contributors here offer over forty essays on key Japanese auteurs, ranging from the Golden Age to the New Wave to the present day, including of trend-setting and taboo-breaking genre specialists who have achieved a significant cult following.
Though the spotlight is on the filmmakers, this new volume continues to consider a wide range of genres associated with Japanese cinema, including animation, contemporary independent cinema, J-Horror, the New Wave, period drama, science fiction, and yakuza.
Like its predecessors, " Directory of World Cinema: Japan 3" endeavors to move scholarly criticism of Japanese film out of the academy and into the hands of cinephiles the world over. This volume will be warmly welcomed by those with an interest in Japanese cinema that extends beyond its established names to equally remarkable filmmakers who have yet to receive such rigorous attention.

The title of Li Yu's film "Lost in Beijing" evokes the experience of many first-time visitors to China's bustling capital. The city's sprawling structure and rapid redevelopment--embodied by the high-rise apartments taking over historic districts--render Beijing's streets hard to navigate and its culture is just as difficult to penetrate. "World Film Locations: Beijing" is a revealing and engrossing introduction to both. In a series of spotlight essays and illustrated scene reviews, a cast of seasoned scholars and fresh new voices explore the vast range of films--encompassing drama, madcap comedy, martial arts escapism, and magical realism--that have been set in Beijing. Unveiling a city of hidden courtyards, looming skyscrapers, and traditional Hutong neighborhoods, these contributors depict a distinctive urban culture that reflects the conflict and tumult of a nation in transition. With considerations of everything from the back streets of "Beijing Bicycle" to the forbidden palace of "The Last Emperor" to the tourist park of "The World," this volume is a definitive cinematic guide to an ever-changing and endlessly fascinating capital city.