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.
JESSICA WINTER is features editor at Slate and the former culture editor of Time. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Bookforum, The Believer, and many other publications. She lives in Brooklyn.
Some good info and good for building a film list. Definitely an interesting guide book if you want to find indie film history, synopses and feedback closer to 2005.