After winning five Academy Awards, Sean Baker\u2019s \u201cAnora,\u201d which was made on a $6 million budget, is shining a brighter spotlight on the possibilities of indie filmmaking. \u201cIf you\u2019re trying to make independent films, please keep doing it,\u201d producer Alex Coco said during his best picture acceptance speech. \u201cWe need more. This is proof.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The history of independent cinema is filled with these leveling-up moments, and\u00a0 the hope is that each film inspires an entirely new generation of hungry moviemakers to pick up a camera. Let\u2019s look back at 10 of the most successful indie films of all time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George A. Romero\u2019s tale of the dead rising from their graves changed horror forever. It not only established the tropes of the zombie genre and started a major franchise, but it also influenced practically every major horror filmmaker to follow. John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Sean S. Cunningham have all cited \u201cNight of the Living Dead\u201d as an influence on \u201cHalloween,\u201d \u201cA Nightmare on Elm Street,\u201d and \u201cFriday the 13th,\u201d respectively. Beyond that, it was also a major financial success; the film was made for around $114,000 and earned roughly $30 million, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n