The Life and Times of Independent Cinema

A fascinating new article from the New York Times has appeared, discussing the place of independent cinema in America these days, with specific attention on the new distribution methods many of the independent studios (real ones, not big name studios with the word "Independent" thrown in at the end of the title) are trying out. One such method is IFC airing new films simultaneously with their theatrical release, including some of my favorites from last year, including Steven Soderbergh's Bubble and Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Also worth mentioning is the amount of space the Times uses talking about Old Joy, one of my favorite films of 2006. It's looking like it will garner no Oscar buzz, but then again, it doesn't need to. I prefer it much more as an overlooked gem that will hopefully find its place in cinema history as time goes on. And if it doesn't, well, at least I enjoyed it.

An interesting sidenote: On page 2 of the article, the reporter refers to the Matthew Barney/Björk experimental film Drawing Restraint 9 as a documentary. Not only is this an error, it couldn't be a more incorrect description of the film. Did Jayson Blair get rehired by the Arts department?