Holm aims to define a term all-too-carelessly used by both media and marketing departments - distinguishing it in the process from categories like avant-garde, underground, experimental or art films, with which independent cinema is often confused. By contrasting studio-era Hollywood with changes in the business since the 1970s, he traces the birth of a commercial environment in which the new independent cinema can emerge. Profiles of specific filmmakers suggest how diverse personalities use independent cinema for individual ends. With a free Paul Cronin DVD.
