General Information

About.com
About.com’s vast Internet guide contains an independent film section with reviews of recent and classic independent films, fan sites, top ten lists, profiles of actors and directors, plus an alphabetical database of movies.

Internet Movie Database
A searchable database that includes thousands of movies, this comprehensive portal also features a section specifically devoted to independent film. Special indie features include an "ask the filmmaker" section with well-known independents, as well as a newswire, feature articles and TV listings. The site also includes a glossary of film terms.

Film Festivals.com
This site offers information, links and contact details for a staggering number of film festivals around the world.

PBS: Frontline: "The Monster That Ate Hollywood"
This companion site for the Frontline program about Hollywood features a small but impressive collection of interviews and commentary about the state of the entertainment industry, independent film, the future of broadband and other topics.

Questia
Questia, a subscription service, is the world's largest online library, with over 50,000 books and 399,000 journal, magazine and newspaper articles. The site has a large selection of books on independent and documentary filmmaking.

Reel.com
This commercially-oriented site incorporates, but does not focus on, independent film. Offerings include reviews, interviews and movie news, as well as event coverage and a guide for parents.

SCREENsite
Primarily a resource for film and TV education, this site offers an exhaustive collection of links to journals, course syllabi, film databases and selected filmmaking resources.

Publications and Online News

Cineaste
This quarterly publication focuses on the art and politics of cinema, buoyed by interviews, special supplements and feature articles covering films, filmmakers and trends from all over the world.

Film Comment
Published bimonthly by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Comment prides itself on literate, edgy articles about the art, entertainment and industry of filmmaking. Shortened versions of the print articles are available online.

Film Quarterly
Film Quarterly tackles the field of film studies through interviews, reviews, historical perspectives and discussions of film theory. The online version offers synopses of past and present articles.

Filmmaker Magazine
The online version of this print quarterly offers in-depth features, interviews and articles about independent film and filmmakers along with extensive resources links.

The Hollywood Reporter
This industry publication focuses on the business of film, television and music. Special online features include a message board, resource links, an industry directory and more.

Indie Slate
This guide to independent film and TV productions offers extensive production charts and "reel life" adventures in making, marketing and distributing indie productions. Subscribe to a free bimonthly e-zine newsletter and check out the calendar of events.

indieWIRE
Reviews, interviews, links to articles and more, indieWIRE is a valued source of industry news for both filmmakers and film fans. Indie enthusiasts can sign up to receive the daily dispatch delivered via e-mail.

International Documentary Magazine
The monthly periodical of the International Documentary Association covers the current documentary film scene, profiling makers and funders, film festival reporting and more.

Moviemaker
This magazine on the art and business of making movies has a companion site full of resources, including craft articles, info on submitting to upcoming festivals and production links.

Realscreen
A weekly magazine, Realscreen covers the world of documentaries and lifestyle programming.

Variety
A mainstay of the entertainment trade news, the Variety Web site complements the print daily and offers breaking headlines, reviews and articles about film, television, music, books and more.

Blogs

Cinema Minima
In this daily news digest, international correspondents cover practical topics for moviemakers working outside of Hollywood.

CinemaTech
Scott Kirsner's CinemaTech focuses on how new technologies are changing cinema: the way movies get made, discovered, marketed, distributed, shown and seen.

Doc It Out
Agnes Varnum writes and rants on the documentary scene, sharing news, tips and tools for indie filmmakers.

Docs that Inspire
Joel Heller’s blog and podcast dedicated to all things documentary. Here you’ll find short reviews of “docs that rock,” reports from film festivals and a growing collection of educational resources, interviews and new media links.

GreenCine Daily
Primarily written by GreenCine editor David Hudson, this daily blog features film-related commentary and links to interviews, reviews, news and articles on independent film.

indieWIRE blogs
Dubbed the "best indie crossroads" by film critic Roger Ebert, the indispensable indieWIRE houses nearly 40 film blogs on its site and an excellent list of "blogs we love."

Matt Dentler’s Blog
“Movies, music, sports, politics, Austin, cocktails and absurdity...” from the producer of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.

MediaShift
From weblogs to podcasts to citizen journalism—this PBS-hosted blog tracks how new media are changing society and culture. An enlightening read for indies looking to keep pace with the digital revolution.

Movie City Indie
Ray Pride's blog for Movie City News touts "independent movies, independent thinking."

POV Blog
Hosted by the PBS documentary series P.O.V., this blog will keep you up to date on the world of docs, including interviews with filmmakers and postings on current issues, events, opportunities and more.

The Rabbi Report
indieWIRE cofounder Mark Rabinowitz offers his unique take on U.S. and international film, music and television, with occasional meanderings into other topics like food, politics and travel.

Re:Sources
A project of nonprofit Re:New Media, this informative blog addresses policy, distribution, technology and the creative process in the digital age.

Documentary and Social Issue

DocuSeek Film and Video Finder
This specialty search site for independent, documentary, educational and social issue video and film helps users find videos from seven U.S. distributors.

PBS: Independent Lens
“A film festival in your living room,” Independent Lens is a PBS anthology series that presents an eclectic showcase of independent film, mostly documentary, but also dramas and shorts. Companion Web sites contain filmmaker Q&As and additional rich content to complement the diverse selection of indie films.

Independent Television Service (ITVS)
The site for ITVS, the presenter of Independent Lens, provides information for hundreds of independent films and documentaries, offering show summaries, filmmaker information, outreach resources, public television broadcast listings and more.

MediaRights.org
MediaRights.org features an impressive database of social issue films that allows viewers, educators, facilitators, activists and others to find relevant films.

PBS: P.O.V. / Point of View
P.O.V. is an award-winning PBS series featuring 12-14 independently produced nonfiction films each year. Its site provides extensive resources for films featured in the series, including lesson plans, discussion guides, background info, filmmaker interviews, production journals and more.

Indie DVD Sales and Rentals

Facets Multimedia
Roger Ebert calls the Facets rental department “a temple of great cinema.” Browse the catalog to find more than 25,000 rare and out-of-print films available for rental—in person or by mail—from early silents and vintage noir to contemporary comedies and fine arts videos.

The Film Connection
The Film Connection is a DVD library that works like NetFlix—only it’s free! Dedicated to social change, the site asks that you watch and discuss the films with friends, family and neighbors. Films range from docs, dramas and foreign flicks to blockbusters.

GreenCine
Looking for rare titles? GreenCine’s rental-by-mail service covers a wide selection of independent, documentary, classic, international and other rare films, plus pay-per-view streaming and downloadable movies.

Indieflix
This site aims to build a fair and open market for indie films. Visitors can view clips of featured films before ordering. Then Indieflix makes DVDs on demand and delivers them to your door.

Microcinema DVD
Microcinema International's online DVD store features carefully selected titles from some of the world’s most innovative moving image artists, including hard-to-find experimental film and video works, music video compilations, animation, and more.

Netflix
With more than seven million members, the venerable Netflix pioneered its online DVD-rental service in 1999. Browse almost one million movie titles in over 250 genres.

Online Viewing

AtomFilms
Atom's online showcase includes an extensive catalog of game, film and animation in addition to festival shorts, ratings and user reviews. AtomFilms seeks submissions for a variety of outlets (television, in-flight, Web, etc.) and looks for videos with running times under 30 minutes. Must have Shockwave plug-in to view.

BBC's Film Network
Film Network is the BBC’s interactive showcase for new British filmmakers, screening three new short films in broadband quality every week, adding to a library of archived shorts.

Blip.TV
On Blip.TV, budding videobloggers, podcasters and Internet TV producers post shows covering a wide array of genres ranging from food and drink to documentaries and citizen journalism.

Brightcove
Brightcove is an Internet TV service that helps content owners—from indie producers to major entertainment corporations—reach viewers online. Film enthusiasts will want to go straight to “Films and Shorts” and explore the wide array of channels devoted to films and filmmaking.

Crackle
Members of this online community watch, share and create video for the Web. Crackle also makes it easy to post videos to third-party sites like MySpace, Blogger and Friendster. Check out the channel guide, which includes Short Films, How To, Animation and Political categories.

Current TV
This digital, satellite and Web TV network targets young viewers with short videos on current issues. Site features include viewer-generated content and a community rating system.

Dovetail
At Dovetail, you can download independent film, television shows and music videos in high-quality DVD and HD formats.

Electric Shadows
Presented by Independent Lens and ITVS Interactive, these award-winning Web-original projects invite visitors to interact through non-linear storytelling and social issue games created by independent media makers.

Four Docs
Britain’s Channel 4 presents an online showcase of four-minute (or less) documentaries. Anyone can post a film and the most popular rise to the top. The site offers online guides to help with all aspects of filmmaking, a timeline of documentary history and a rushes library with free downloadable content.

Google Video
Google Video offers a wide range of full-length films you can watch for free, including many docs. Search tip: Do an “advanced search” and select “long” to get a list of videos over 20 minutes, including some mainstream feature-length films.

Independent Film Channel
IFC offers many options for online viewing. Check out the Media Lab for a large selection of user submitted shorts; Rooftop Films for films screened at the popular New York outdoor summer series and the Video section for Uncut On Demand, IFC favorites for a small fee.

The Internet Archive Moving Images Library
From classic films, to vlogs, to alternative news and public affairs coverage, this site is a true archive of the moving image. The site also houses the Prelinger Archives, a fascinating collection of advertising, educational, industrial and amateur films.

iThentic
iThentic mines the talents of indie filmmakers and inspired amateurs, selecting and delivering original content for online and mobile devices. Send in your webisodes, mobisodes and short films—iThentic shares revenues with its content providers.

Jaman
Jaman delivers one of the largest online libraries of indie and international films in HD quality. Discover films from around the world and discuss them with an active online community.

Takepart
Brought to you by the activists behind Participant Media, this “social action network” site lets you watch videos, upload your own, join in discussions and learn how to get involved in the issues you care about.

Veoh
Here you’ll find lots of user generated videos and channels along with streaming TV clips and some full episodes of popular network shows. Check out the Indy Mogul channel, dedicated to DIY filmmakers and their fans.

Vuze
Vuze provides a platform for streaming and downloading high-res digital content. View and vote on films submitted to the Cinequest Film Festival, or peruse one of the many channels, including Films, Anime, BBC and HD channels.

WGBH Lab
A creative incubator, the WGBH Lab is home to emerging indie and public media talents. Check out WGBH-funded works-in-progress, short films and new work from the artists-in-residence. Inspired by what you see? Make something of your own and share it!

Online Film Festivals

Haydenfilms Online Film Festival
One of the first international online film competitions, this festival features independent and student films that run the gamut from animation to short narratives, documentaries to visual poems.

Media that Matters Film Festival
This fest showcases short films (eight minutes or less) on the most important topics of the day. From gay rights to global warming, the jury-selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of indie filmmakers, many of them under 21.

PBS Independent Lens Online Shorts Festival
This “film festival at your fingertips” features short film gems, under 10 minutes each. From a documentary on a much beloved beauty salon to an animated film about a creepy orphanage, these shorts will take you to unexpected places.

Trigger Street Short Film Festival
A project of actor Kevin Spacey, this festival offers a breeding ground for new talent.

Free & Public Domain Content

Film Music - Moby Gratis
Recording artist Moby is giving it up to the indie and nonprofit filmmakers of the world. Just log in and download free music for non-commercial purposes, or pay a license fee if you want to use it commercially.

Four Docs
This online showcase of short docs presented by Britain’s Channel 4 has a major bonus for filmmakers: a rushes library where anyone can download free material to use in noncommercial films, and make their own footage available to others.

The Mutopia Project
Download free sheet music for classical works by Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart and many others. All music may be freely printed, copied, distributed, modified, performed and recorded.

Musopen
A community-driven, online repository for music in the public domain, recorded by individuals and college/community orchestras throughout the U.S.—all available for free.

Prelinger Archives
Nearly 2,000 “ephemeral films”—including advertising, educational, industrial and amateur films—are available for free download and unlimited reuse. For fun and inspiration check out the Prelinger Mashups.

Public Domain 4U
From Thomas Edison, to Leadbelly to Irving Berlin—this site offers a varied slate of original music recordings in MP3 format, all available for free download.

Public Domain Torrents
A large collection of films in the public domain, including old war films, westerns, animation, comedy and martial arts films.

Royalty Free Music
Music on this site is available for a one-time fee with no royalties to pay. A special feature of the site, “Free Music,” offers no-cost clips for use in educational, personal and student projects.

Wikipedia: Public Domain Image Resources
A veritable treasure trove of links to archival and stock images—from wildlife photos to old posters and children’s book illustrations. Endless possibilities.

The Sandbox: WGBH Lab
Mix and mash with free, rights-cleared video footage from WGBH's extensive archives. Create your own montages, mashups, music videos, video blog content—anything you can imagine—so long as it’s for non-commercial use.

Media Arts Organizations

Anthology Film Archives
Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video with a particular focus on American independent and avant-garde cinema.

The Center for Social Media
Dedicated to helping filmmakers use media as a tool for knowledge and action, this resource-packed Web site offers articles on fair use, copyright, funding, education tools, audience engagement and much more.

Independent Media Arts Preservation
IMAP serves the independent media field with preservation resources, information, training and advocacy. A major project of IMAP is the comprehensive Online Resource Guide for Exhibiting, Collecting and Preserving Media Art.

International Documentary Association
The IDA supports makers of non-fiction film with services, benefits, events and a magazine. The site offers a valuable month-by-month resource for funding application deadlines, as well as detailed information about international film events, broadcast premieres, classes and more.

The Flaherty/International Film Seminars
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to the proposition that independent media can illuminate the human spirit. Its mission is to foster exploration, dialogue and introspection about the art and craft of all forms of the moving image—primarily through seminars and fellowships.

MediaRights.org
MediaRights.org promotes outreach and partnerships for social issue documentaries. The site combines relevant film news and documentary television listings with extensive database resources for finding documentaries, nonprofit organizations, media makers and more.

National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture
With a huge searchable directory of media organizations and a collection of filmmaker-friendly links and listings, NAMAC's site promotes art advocacy and peer support. The site also offers information about digital public policy, as well as member-only technical assistance boards and discussion groups.

Sundance Institute
The Sundance Institute offers financial and creative support for independent screenwriters, filmmakers, film composers, film preservation organizations and others. The site includes detailed information about its Lab projects, application information and links to the Institute's famous film festival.

Filmmaker Resources

“Best Practices in Fair Use”
“Fair Use is the right, in some circumstances, to quote copyrighted material without asking permission or paying for it.” The Center for Social Media and the Program on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest at the Washington College of Law have produced this tool for documentary filmmakers on how to approach fair use.

Digital Content Producer
Serving the growing field of film and video producers working in the multi-platform world, this site offers news and reviews of the latest production and post equipment, distribution technologies and market research.

Digital Futures: A Need to Know Policy Guide for Independent FIlmmakers
What are the hot issues in the world of digital, and what policies are needed to support the creativity and diversity of independent filmmakers? This guide, a project of ITVS and the Center for Social Media, breaks it down.

Filmmakers.com
A contest and news site for would-be filmmakers and screenwriters, Filmmakers.com also features how-to articles, profiles, and film industry announcements as well as a grab bag of other resources and listings.

Independent Feature Project
The site for this membership organization offers in-depth feature articles about independent film and filmmaking as well as online forums and "networking" resources.

Independent Lens: Learn From the Pros
Sit in on conversations with professional filmmakers to learn how they have handled some of their biggest challenges—like how to put yourself in your film, gain trust from documentary subjects, use archival footage, do stop-motion animation and more.

Independent Television Service (ITVS)
ITVS, the presenter of Independent Lens, funds and promotes independent films for public television. The website includes companion sites for its films, a section "for producers" with funding guidelines, FAQs and how-to advice and articles from the print and online publication Beyond the Box.

The New Deal: How Digital Platforms Change Negotiations between Public Media and Independent Producers
This report, co-produced by ITVS and the Center for Social Media, helps documentarians and public media executives understand each other’s needs and expectations in the emerging field of digital distribution.

New Filmmakers
New Filmmakers is an ongoing series of cutting edge films by emerging and adventurous filmmakers. Submit your film for a chance at a limited live screening at the Anthology Film Archives in New York.

YouTube Video Toolbox
Get tips on special effects, sound, lighting, webcam tricks and more. This page compiled by YouTube offers video instruction and essays written by pros.