The Essential Independents: American Cinema is an annual cinematic showcase designed to highlight the past, present and future of independent cinema from the US.
From Penelope Spheeris to Kelly Reichardt, Woody Allen to Alex Ross Perry, Martin Scorsese to Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola to Lynn Shelton, and John Cassavetes to Richard Linklater, the American independent film community continues to flourish and produce people, ideas, and cinema with a profound impact on the craft internationally.
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Richard Sowada is the Artistical Director behind the showcase, and one of Australia’s most respected film curators. Here Richard highlights when and how he fell in love with America's independent film culture:
"American independent cinema has always been part of my life - screen industry or otherwise - since I can remember.
Like many teenage boys my deeper love affair with movies started through horror and genre films, often low-budget and independent.
Watching films like 'The Evil Dead' and the granddaddy of them all 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' pushed me toward the roots of the horror form – looking deeper toward works like 'The Night Of The Living Dead' and then toward people like Roger Corman, Russ Meyer, William Castle and all manner of low-budget, misunderstood and marginalised filmmakers.
Like many teenage boys my deeper love affair with movies started through horror and genre films, often low-budget and independent.
Watching films like 'The Evil Dead' and the granddaddy of them all 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' pushed me toward the roots of the horror form – looking deeper toward works like 'The Night Of The Living Dead' and then toward people like Roger Corman, Russ Meyer, William Castle and all manner of low-budget, misunderstood and marginalised filmmakers.
The Keeping Room
What I really loved was the deeper I dug I started to fall in love with not just the films but the absolutely outlaw and outside approach of some of the filmmakers… boots and all, guts and glory, whatever it takes, last person left standing (which is in fact a BIG secret of the industry… so few people can hold their nerve).
Now, their films many not always hold together but their approaches were utterly unique and their stylistic flourishes so great to watch and in many instances quite beautiful and inspiring.
They also helped shape what came after. 'Easy Rider' (1969) would quite simply not exist without films like Corman’s 'Wild Angels' (1966) and Daniel Haller’s 'Devil’s Angels' (1967) starring Peter Fonda and John Cassavetes respectively, two unquestionable giants of the independent film scene.
This is the key to enjoying and understanding the continuum that’s behind American independent cinema. It has a long and profound tradition of creativity, politics, experimentation and humour and you can see those inspirations in the contemporary works - which only deepens the appreciation and fun for everyone.
Now, their films many not always hold together but their approaches were utterly unique and their stylistic flourishes so great to watch and in many instances quite beautiful and inspiring.
They also helped shape what came after. 'Easy Rider' (1969) would quite simply not exist without films like Corman’s 'Wild Angels' (1966) and Daniel Haller’s 'Devil’s Angels' (1967) starring Peter Fonda and John Cassavetes respectively, two unquestionable giants of the independent film scene.
This is the key to enjoying and understanding the continuum that’s behind American independent cinema. It has a long and profound tradition of creativity, politics, experimentation and humour and you can see those inspirations in the contemporary works - which only deepens the appreciation and fun for everyone.
The Warriors
It’s this respect for cinematic traditions that I feel really make American independents sing.
Now these genre films are very different to what’s being explored in the Essential Independents programme but the principle remains and they are all part of the same family in one way or another.
Ultimately behind the carny style works like those from Corman to the extraordinarily sophisticated works from directors like Oren Moverman (Time Out of Mind in the Essential Indies programme) there’s real honesty. They are what they are – and they’re also general what they’re about, a lovely marriage between style and content. There’s always ambition but there’s a very real sense of self with arrogance removed. A real sense of honesty and openness. They understand their audience and they understand their stories – and how to tell them. It’s this honesty and simplicity that gives the scene – and the films – so much definition and personality.
Like with music, the deeper you go, the more alive (and in many cases subversive) the independent environment gets."
– Richard Sowada
Now these genre films are very different to what’s being explored in the Essential Independents programme but the principle remains and they are all part of the same family in one way or another.
Ultimately behind the carny style works like those from Corman to the extraordinarily sophisticated works from directors like Oren Moverman (Time Out of Mind in the Essential Indies programme) there’s real honesty. They are what they are – and they’re also general what they’re about, a lovely marriage between style and content. There’s always ambition but there’s a very real sense of self with arrogance removed. A real sense of honesty and openness. They understand their audience and they understand their stories – and how to tell them. It’s this honesty and simplicity that gives the scene – and the films – so much definition and personality.
Like with music, the deeper you go, the more alive (and in many cases subversive) the independent environment gets."
– Richard Sowada
Yosemite
Essential Independents: American Cinema showcases in Palace Cinemas 17 May - 8 June.
