The Indie Issue

In a glamorous industry like Hollywood, it's easy to forget the little guy, but some of our best movies and shows started out as scrappy independent productions — even Star Wars was once an indie film the big studios wouldn’t touch.

Inverse's Indie Issue shines the spotlight on the independent scene, from the rising directors you need to know to the true stories behind some of the most ambitious (and most underfunded) projects in entertainment history.

New stories published daily from March 11-15, 2024.

The Oral History of 'Repo Man'

By Jake Kleinman

Four decades after its debut, Inverse tracks down the ragtag crew behind one of the greatest indie films ever made. “If it was a Hollywood movie that had been made about punks and stuff, it would’ve died.”

Why So Serious?

By Dais Johnston

Vera Drew's The People's Joker takes on the superhero movie industrial complex.

Jane Schoenbrun Wants to Get Under Your Skin

By Lyvie Scott

The director of I Saw the TV Glow opens up about their ascent through the indie scene and navigating Hollywood as a trans filmmaker.

Indie Animation Reigns

By Hoai-Tran Bui

The team behind the acclaimed sci-fi animated show Scavengers Reign detail their long, strange trip to the screen.

Time Travel on a Budget

By Kayleigh Donaldson

Why indie sci-fi loves to go back in time.