[Ash]

I was thinking about this. What makes a movie be classified as an indie these days? I was reading an article about Cabin Fever and the movie was made for a relatively low budget, but then there was a bidding war and Lion's Gate paid "in the high seven figures" for the rights to the movie. I'm guessing they must go back in and fix up the movie, at least the special effects, with all that money, right? Then, how much money was spent on the promotion of the movie - many millions obviously.

I just wonder if a movie with tens of millions of dollars behind it can still be called an indie? When I think of indie, I think of movies with smaller budgets and directors who aren't super rich.

For example, if a band records an album, then sells it off to Sony for 25 million dollars, then Sony makes MTV videos, and promotes it on talk shows and radio, it's not really an indie release anymore.

On the other hand, if an artist makes a painting, and then sells it to a rich guy, it doesn't change that the art was originally created by the artist alone.

In some cases, it seems like "indie movie" is a marketing term more than a real category these days.

What is an "indie" movie to most people?