In the world of Hollywood, dominated by major movie studios, Indie Films are steadily gaining ground as the only greenlit film category during this historic strike and challenging the status quo – and introducing a new wave of moviemaking. This is the start of the Brave New Age of Hollywood. And this is why we’re running the KINO Studio Short Film Fest, and offering some incredible prizes – including the chance to make your film into a full-length feature film.
By supporting Indie Films, you’re supporting artists across the film industry to earn a fair living, own their art, and have a fighting chance against big studio executives. You’re championing every level of the filmmaking process, from the makeup artist, to the production assistant, to the background actor. Every role in a film’s production matters. Independent productions offer fresh perspectives, innovative storytelling, and low-budget creativity, carving out unique perspectives that don’t get watered down by executives crunching numbers. With writers and actors alike working hard to protect their rights as artists, now is the best time to be supporting Indie Films. This is exactly what KINO is fighting – and creating – for.
How KINO is Redefining the Film Industry Landscape
Limited budgets and daring narratives – that’s what you can expect from Indie Films, and they are already changing the film industry landscape in a climate flush with conflict around fair pay and equitable productions. But with a limited budget, how can artists make more money on Indie Films?
Traditionally, major movie studios monopolize the film industry with high-budget blockbusters, limiting not only the creative expression and diversity of content and storytelling, but also the ability for artists to make a fair living wage. Without ownership of their work, higher ups earn all the profits off of a successful project. On one hand, the movie industry wouldn’t be as successful and wouldn’t be able to turn around high quality productions as fast as the market demands without investment dollars. On the other hand, creative ownership and ensuring every hard worker gets a piece of the pie isn’t possible when only the top executives are able to benefit from royalties – year after year.
Indie Films have opened up new avenues, allowing filmmakers to explore unique concepts and themes, and to make a living outside of the big-budget, no-revenue formula governed by Hollywood Accounting. Without having to answer to studio mandates, filmmakers not only get more creative control, but they can then own their ideas, art and creations as well as profit off of them.
The diversity offered by Indie Films challenges the homogeneity of mainstream movies, catering to a more varied and discerning audience, and allowing for artists to express themselves in ways that truly reflects the reality of the film industry: something we’ve seen audiences craving.
Can creativity also make money? We know it can. With the current strike, writers and actors alike are working together to redefine the film industry landscape for good – but it takes the watching power of everyone to support them.
KINO is working behind the scenes to connect audiences with and tell the stories of the people behind the characters you’ll love, including both cast and crew. But we’re not just making Indie Movies – we’re also offering incredible opportunities. Like the KINO Short Film Fest, where established and upcoming filmmakers can submit their short films in a variety of categories with the chance to win $25,000 and the possibility of KINO financing a short into a full feature film.
The Power of Authentic Storytelling
Indie Films thrive on authentic storytelling and creative freedom, and there’s something inherently valuable about absorbing real artists’ creativity. Unlike big movie studios, which often cater to market trends and commercial interests, Indie filmmakers have the liberty to experiment and convey their artistic vision without external constraints. This freedom allows for writers, actors, and even the rest of the crew that keeps the movie industry running, to showcase their talents outside of the usual big movie studio mold. Historically, the majority of our most impactful films have been from this style of filmmaking.
This artistic integrity fosters a deeper emotional connection between the audience and the story, evoking powerful responses that resonate long after the credits roll. Instead of diving into your usual Hollywood blockbuster, seek out some independent films and get a taste for the stories that matter: Moonlight, Parasite, Whiplash, Little Miss Sunshine, and Dallas Buyers Club to name a few. Although Indie filmmakers are often constrained by budgets, while big studios have money to burn, Independent Films are one of the only parts of the film industry still running while writers and actors together are fighting for their fair piece of the pie.
At KINO, we’re working closely with artists to showcase their crafts ethically and help support the writers, actors, and other film industry creatives market and elevate their stories beyond the reach of Hollywood. You can hear some of their stories on the KINO IOS app and website.
Elevating Supporting Characters to Center Stage
Where Hollywood has a fixation on A-list celebrities that, frankly, don’t need the extra support, Independent Films have a knack for recognizing and highlighting the talent of supporting actors.
These actors bring depth and nuance to characters, amplifying the overall impact. By providing a platform for lesser-known actors to shine, Indie Films also challenge the star-driven culture of movie studios, encouraging a more inclusive and talent-centric approach. This is a mandate within KINO – we love to showcase not only supporting actors, but also the behind-the-scenes crew that really makes the movies you love what they are.
The makeup artists, hairdressers, set designers and more get a spotlight right next to the talent and characters you already know and future ones that you’ll love. The best part? You can ask them questions for our live interviews, and connect with them directly through our many opportunities with our upcoming productions. Keep posted on our upcoming Industry Interviews on our instagram page!
Nurturing Emerging Filmmakers
Indie films offer emerging filmmakers a stepping stone into the highly competitive film industry. Who you support now can make all the difference for a more fair and equitable film industry.
While major movie studios often prefer established directors and producers, indie cinema provides opportunities for new and up-and-coming filmmakers to showcase their skills and build a portfolio. This nurturing environment fosters innovation and fresh perspectives, revitalizing the film industry with new voices and ideas. In addition, this ensures that not only the filmmakers get a leg up, but offers opportunities to writers, cast, crew and more to continue to make a living while the whole film industry has come to a halt.
Bridging the Gap Between Art and Commerce
The film industry, especially Hollywood, leans heavily towards commercial success, generally emphasizing profit over artistic merit – and of course, profits are siphoned off into massive marketing budgets. Indie Films, on the other hand, strike a delicate balance between art and commerce.
By delivering compelling stories on modest budgets, they prove that a film's impact does not solely rely on extravagant production costs and upsold prices. This realization encourages major movie studios to explore diverse themes and storytelling techniques, reducing the dependence on big budgets alone. Creativity flourishes in constraints.
Indie Films offer fresh perspectives, authentic storytelling, and opportunities for emerging talent. Their ability to create competition for big movie studios has sparked a positive shift, helping to level the playing field and diversify the content available to audiences. The rise of Indie Films is starting to redefine the film industry landscape, breaking away from conventional norms, and elevating storytelling as an art form rather than a mere commercial venture. You can be a part of this change.
Hollywood will be forced to embrace the impact and potential of Indie Cinema; it paves the way for more balanced competition and a greater focus on quality content over extravagant budgets. As a result, the film industry will become a more inclusive space, catering to various tastes and perspectives, and allowing for a fair and equitable ecosystem that supports creatives and their crafts. This will not only benefit Indie Filmmakers and their films but will also nurture a thriving film ecosystem that resonates with audiences on a global scale.
As the film industry continues to evolve, Indie Films will remain an essential catalyst for change and creative progress. KINO is at the forefront of this change. And how are we changing the film industry? Beyond our upcoming productions, we’ve launched the KINO Short Film Fest, where you not only have the chance to win the grand prize but your short film can be featured on the big screen, and potentially even produced into a full-length feature film. Great ideas come in all shapes and sizes, and we can’t wait to see the films that come in.
Many iconic films found their first audiences at small film festivals – why not yours? Learn more.