The Rough Guide is the essential companion for anyone interested in American Independent, low-budget and maverick filmmaking. The book looks at the deep-reaching history of American "indie" cinema in all its guises, from its earliest incarnations in the 60s and 70s to the growth of indie avatars (Sundance & Miramax) and even considers where it is today. It explores the definitions of "independent" film in terms of both aesthetics and means of production and comes complete with a canon of the 50 greatest American "Indie" films of all time.