American Independents to Celebrate this Fourth of July
Four artists whose movies strike a blow for creative independence
On July 4th, people across the United States will celebrate the 250th birthday of their country with barbecues, parades, and fireworks. To celebrate, we’re showcasing four truly independent filmmakers—artists whose unique talent and vision have brought new energy and vitality to American cinema.
Curry Barker | Obsession
Curry Barker on the set of Obsession
With Obsession, writer-director-editor Curry Barker proves just how far a smart filmmaker can go with verve, style, and talent. After gaining a following with his comedy series, “That’s a Bad Idea,” and no-budget feature, Milk and Serial, (both released on YouTube), Barker made Obsession, a smart horror pic in which Bear (Michael Johnston) avoids telling Nikki (Inde Navarrette) how much he likes her by buying a novelty-store trinket called “One Wish Willow” to express his love. Since its release, the critically acclaimed film has broken records left and right with Obsession becoming Focus Features’ highest-grossing movie of all time. Barker said in the film’s production notes, “I want people leaving the theater still talking—arguing over how they felt, what they would have done differently, and whether what they saw was love or obsession.” Barker has gotten his own wish with Obsession being the hit of the summer and Barker being named “Hollywood’s next great horror auteur” by The New Yorker.
The official trailer for Obsession
Hayley Kiyoko | Girls Like Girls
Hayley Kiyoko and Myra Molloy on the set of Girls Like Girls
Hayley Kiyoko's debut feature Girls Like Girls is only the latest take on a romantic tale by this multi-talented artist. In 2015, Kiyoko released the song, “Girls Like Girls,” accompanied by a music video that quickly became a universal hit. In 2023, Kiyoko penned a best-selling novel based on the song, which would serve as the framework for her now critically acclaimed film. Having just moved to a small town in Oregon, Coley (Maya da Costa) meets Sonya (Myra Molloy), a mesmerizing local girl with whom she shares a special bond. “Every single person has experienced having a crush on somebody, not knowing where they’re at, whether that person likes them back,” Kiyoko says in the production notes. “No matter your sexuality, everyone has that in common. That’s why Girls Like Girls reflects such a universal experience.” Whether composing music or directing a movie, Kiyoko knows how to connect with her fans. Variety writes, “Alive to both the soul connection and the bodily itch of these intimate, unwieldy, personally uncharted feelings, Kiyoko’s uncommonly lovely teen movie matches the dizzy, obsessive ecstasy of the song that inspired it.”
The official trailer for Girls Like Girls
Sean Wang | Dìdi (弟弟)
Izaac Wang and Sean Wang on the set of Dìdi (弟弟)
In Dìdi (弟弟), writer-director Sean Wang exudes a joyful authenticity in his coming-of-age tale of 13-year-old Chris Wang (Izaac Wang). Growing up in Fremont, California, in 2008, Chris struggles to fit in—be it on Myspace or at the mall. Having grown up in the same place during the same time, Wang uses his personal experiences to create a universally poignant cinematic style. In 2024, his Oscar®-nominated short documentary, Nai Nai & Wài Pó, featured his grandmother, Chang Li Hua, who went on to play Chris’ grandmother in Dìdi (弟弟). “The more details a filmmaker like Wang can pack in—the cultural specificity, the unique markers of a flashpoint in time—the more connected we feel to everyone in it,” The Wrap writes, adding that “This film marks the emergence of a potentially great dramatic filmmaker.”
The official trailer for Dìdi (弟弟)
A.V. Rockwell | A Thousand and One
Teyana Taylor and A.V. Rockwell on the set of A Thousand and One
A.V. Rockwell’s debut feature, A Thousand and One, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival for what the jury described as “work that is real, full of pain, and fearless in its rigorous commitment to emotional truth born of oppressive circumstances.” Rockwell told IndieWire, “I like the experiences of Black women in society were overlooked—not only within society, though, but even within our own communities and families.” In the film, Rockwell dramatizes the experiences of Inez (Teyana Taylor), a fiercely loyal mother who takes her son, Terry, from the foster care system and tries to carve out a future for him in the ever-changing political and economic world of New York City. What makes Rockwell’s cinematic style so unique is the way it weaves together both the intimate details of a woman raising a family and the historical conditions that frame her choices. Variety writes, “Rockwell uses the full range of cinematic expressivity to turn a small, often tragic story of raw deals and rash decisions into an admiring portrait of survivorship, determination and resourcefulness.”
The official trailer for A Thousand and One
