"It's in our name: IndieWire was founded in 1996 as an outlet dedicated to championing creative independence and charting indies' growth as the beating heart of cinematic artistry. But in the search engine age, when everything's a list (or ought to be a list before some robot makes it a list), IndieWire was forced to consider an indelicate and enormous question: What are the best independent films?
The quandary sent seismic ripples through our site (both coasts, not just the tectonically precarious Los Angeles office), and demanded strict guidelines. As is always the case with these sorts of lists, we hope some of our choices will surprise and delight, even if others shock and bother. But, make no mistake, we thought this one through, as it deserves to be."
