B.O. of the ’00s: The Top Grossing Independent Films of the 2000s

… The term “independent film” is essentially impossible to define in this kind of situation. Does it refer to any non-traditional studio film? If so, “The Lord of the Rings,” “Twilight” and “Chicago” would all be near the top of this chart and arguing any constitute the definition of “independent film” is quite challenging. The lines between studio and indie began to blur in the 1990s, when through mergers and/or acquisitions, indie institutions like Miramax and New Line started to look more and more like studios. In the 2000s, if one were to include either distributor in a list of the top grossing “indies,” they would dominate 15 of the titles – few of them “indie-like.”

So, for the purposes of arguable fairness, unless a studio or “mini-studios” like Miramax, New Line, Lionsgate, and recent Summit Entertainment acquired a truly independent production (like Paramount did with noted “Paranormal Activity,” for example), it will not be included on this list. What will be included, again in arguable fairness, are studio specialty divisions. Fox Searchlight, Focus Features, Sony Pictures Classics, and now defunct Paramount Vantage and Warner Independent Films, have released some of the most notable independent films of the decade, even if they are associated with studios. …

https://www.indiewire.com/article/b.o._of_the_00s_the_top_grossing_independent_films_of_the_2000s/

B.O. of the ’00s: The Top Grossing Sundance Films

…top grossing winners of the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Narrative (which “Precious” won in addition to the audience award), and the top grossing films that simply competed for that prize (which is an impressive batch of films).

It’s a somewhat surprising list in that of the ten winners, only two – Kenneth Lonergan’s “You Can Count on Me” and Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s “American Splendor” -managed to gross over $5 million, and half the list didn’t even manage $1 million. …

https://www.indiewire.com/article/b.o._of_the_00s_the_top_grossing_sundance_films