The 50 Best Documentaries of the 21st Century

Remembering Film Independent President Josh Welsh

Film Independent promotes unique independent voices by helping filmmakers create and advance new work. Wendy Apple’s documentary emphasizes the often overlooked yet essential contribution of film editors. She sheds light on how their creativity and technical skills shape the final product. Additionally, the film discusses the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the editor’s role within this dynamic. George C. Stoney, often called the “father of public access television,” was a prolific documentary filmmaker and influential media activist. Interviewees include distinguished figures such as Ernest R. Dickerson, Michael Chapman, and Allen Daviau.

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With the sensor larger than on a traditional camcorder, these DSLRs allow for a greater control over depth of field, great low-light capabilities, and a large variety of exchangeable lenses, including lenses from old film cameras – things which independent filmmakers have been longing for years. With the creation of new, light-weight and accessible cinema cameras, documentaries have also benefitted greatly. In 2004 Panasonic released the DVX100 camcorder, which featured film-like 24-frame per second shooting rate. This gave independent filmmakers the ability to shoot video at a frame rate considered standard for movies at the time40 and opened the possibility of clean digital frame to film frame conversion. Several acclaimed films were made with this camera, for example Iraq in Fragments.41 More recent devices allow “filming” at very high frame rates to facilitate distribution into a number of frame rates without artifacts. These documentaries not only highlight the difficulties faced by independent filmmakers but also celebrate their determination, innovation, and unyielding passion.

The documentary presents these imaginative concepts alongside interviews with Jodorowsky and his collaborators. The crew faced numerous obstacles, including logistical nightmares and physical exhaustion. Les Blank himself felt disconnected and struggled to keep IntheshadowoftheBlade.com up with the demanding project. It documents the tumultuous production of Werner Herzog’s film “Fitzcarraldo.” These challenges ultimately led to the project’s collapse, making ‘Lost in La Mancha’ not just a documentary, but a chronicle of a dream unraveled.

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“The Look of Silence” is every bit as searing and essential as the film that preceded it. Switching his focus from the perpetrators of mass murder to the survivors, Oppenheimer hones in on an optometrist named Adi whose brother was killed in the slaughter. If Jim Jarmusch made a movie about two alcoholic friends hanging out in the woods, it might look something like the Dutch documentary “Don’t Leave Me” (“Ne Me Quitte Pas”).

Through the telephoto lens, Carla seems a tragic and withered woman who lives a nomadic and troubled life. Seeing her from a distance, we viewers speculate about how Xavier Babudar’s upbringing with her might have led to his federal jail cell. Independent documentaries have a profound effect on culture by bringing overlooked or taboo subjects into mainstream conversation.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a surge in indie productions that pushed the boundaries of storytelling and film techniques. The rise of film festivals, like Sundance, provided platforms for independent films to reach broader audiences and gain critical acclaim. In modern times, independent filmmakers continue to challenge the norms of the film industry, often addressing social justice issues and innovative storytelling techniques. The resilience and creativity of these filmmakers ensure that independent cinema remains a vital and dynamic part of the film industry. Instead of needing a post-house to do the editing, independent film makers use a personal computer or even just a cellphone with editing software to edit their films.

The Producers Award, now in its 28th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films. Securing adequate funding is a primary challenge for many independent filmmakers. Traditional financial backing is often scarce, leading to reliance on crowdfunding, grants, and support from non-profits. Despite these efforts, funding can quickly run out, causing significant delays or even halting production altogether.

Each film offers viewers insight into the intricate process of independent filmmaking, revealing the stories behind the stories that make indie cinema so compelling and vital to the broader film industry. Although De Laurentiis hoped it would be the next Star Wars, Lynch’s Dune (1984) was a critical and commercial flop, grossing a mere $27.4 million domestically against a $45 million budget. De Laurentiis, furious that the film had been a commercial disaster, was then forced to produce any film Lynch desired. Within a month, another young Corman trainee, Francis Ford Coppola, made his debut in Spain at the Donostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival with The Rain People (1969), a film he had produced through his own company, American Zoetrope.

Editing software available include Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, (Color Grading Software) DaVinci Resolve, and many more. There are also many free tutorials and courses available online to teach different post production skills needed to use these programs. These new technologies allow independent film makers to create films that are comparable to high-budget films. Computer-generated imaging (CGI) has also become more accessible, transitioning from a highly specialized process done by post-production companies into a task that can be performed by independent artists. At the time, the main focus of the event was to present a series of retrospective films and filmmaker panel discussions; however it also included a small program of new independent films. The jury of the 1978 festival was headed by Gary Allison, and included Verna Fields, Linwood Gale Dunn, Katherine Ross, Charles E. Sellier Jr., Mark Rydell, and Anthea Sylbert.

United States of Comedy

Josh changed my life, helping to jump start my career, then continued to find ways to support me over the years. I will forever be grateful for his passion, conviction, commitment and ardent support. Unlike large studios, independent filmmakers do not have the same access to extensive distribution networks. Without these channels, reaching a wide audience becomes highly challenging. This limitation often confines the film to smaller, regional festivals instead of achieving global exposure.

He also teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics. But we don’t know how we will feel about him, and where we will place the blame for this bizarrely American story of true crime tangled with sports. By the end of the movie, we wonder how much sympathy we should have for Babudar, a person who most of us only knew online.