Top 13 Sites For Independent Filmmakers

by Dan Pollis | 15 April, 2019 | Filmmaking Career, In Our Opinion, Promotion, Marketing and Distribution | 90 comments

In recent years, the content of the internet has transformed itself from a controlled and manufactured environment to a vast expanse of user generated content. Internet users can log on and create their own subjects, themes, and arguments to the sites they frequent. This idea gave birth to sites like Facebook, and Twitter; as well as creating tools like wikis, forums, and blogs. This new type of social media forged specific online communities where people with similar interests could share and collaborate freely on ideas.

Independent filmmakers have an ever-growing presence on social media sites such as twitter, facebook, youtube, and various blogs. This presence has resulted in a wealth of shared knowledge for filmmakers worldwide. These sites have become a hub for the independent filmmaking community, and are a vital resource many young writers, directors, and producers alike.

Here’s a list of thirteen sites that are excellent resources for independent filmmakers in no particular order.

Filmmaker

Filmmakers on a tight budget know perfectly well how difficult it is to stay on that budget. Filmmaker.com’s blog contains helpful articles regarding a wide array of topics from industry news, to new software updates, and to helpful tips. Members of the site can post on the forums and exchange information on filmmaking as well as their own projects. The forum is an ideal place for independent filmmakers to seek knowledge from their peers.

View Filmmaker

Film Riot

Film Riot is a video tutorial site with a comedic twist. Host Ryan Connolly covers every subject from how to make a music video, to using CGI, to how to cast your film. This site is a delightful departure from the typical monotonous tutorials usually found on the net as the humorous videos take a narrative structure making them actually enjoyable to watch.

View Film Riot
Follow Film Riot on Twitter
Check out their YouTube Channel

Go Into The Story

Good screenwriters know how important it is to know every trick of the trade there is (even if they do not use them all). Go Into The Story ditches all the fancy graphics and cluttering advertisements and opts for the bare essentials of screenwriting. Blogger Scott Myers, a screenwriting professor at the University of North Carolina, posts advice and how-to-guides daily to aid young writers in the creative process. The blog also sports an extensive list of other great websites and blogs that serve as great resource as well.

View Go Into The Story
Follow Scott Myers on Twitter

Hope For Film

Hope for Film is the brainchild of the American independent film producer Ted Hope. His credits include 21 Grams (2003), American Splendor (2003), and Adventureland (2009) to name a few. Everyday Hope and various guest bloggers post advice and opinions concerning independent film. Like johnaugust.com this blog is a great opportunity for beginner filmmakers to seek and discuss insight of an industry professional.

View Hope for Film
Follow Ted Hope on Twitter

IndieTalk

Similar to Filmmaker.com, IndieTalk is filmmaking community in which filmmakers share and exchange ideas in a forum. The forums are broken down into categories such as Cameras & Lenses, Screenwriting, Cinematography and Lighting, and Post Production. The members on the forum typically offer advice on how to get around problems in filmmaking while not doing damage to your wallet.

View IndieTalk

IndieWire

Similar to Twitch Film, IndieWire is convergence point filmmakers and film lovers alike. Fans of independent cinema receive information of films and festivals, as well as reviews and blogs. Filmmakers can read articles covering topics such as production, distribution, exhibition, and festival strategy.

View IndieWire
Follow IndieWire on Twitter

John August

John August is an accomplished screenwriter whose credits most notably include Tim Burton’s films Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and Corpse Bride (2005). He started his blog back in 2003 as an encyclopedia of information about screenwriting. Since then it has expanded into a wealth of information ranging from career advice to the state of the film industry itself. Many of the blog posts are responses to reader-submitted questions, making it a great way for independent writers to get feedback from a working professional.

View johnaugust.com
Follow John August on Twitter

Raindance

Besides being one of Britain’s largest independent film festivals, Raindance also offers a treasure trove of information and how-to-tips for independent filmmakers worldwide. Under the resources section of the site there are links to articles written by members of the Raindance team and industry professionals. These articles detail the tricks and traps for filmmaking on little to no budget at all. Raindance also runs a film school with am innovative postgraduate film degree in association with Staffordshire University and the Independent Film Trust. They also have 7 regional offices in six countries which gives them an unusual and valuable perspective on new trends in independent film.

View Raindance
Follow Raindance on Twitter

Shooting People

Shooting People is a network for filmmakers based out of London. It serves as a means for independent filmmakers to connect with each other by using blogs, databases, newsletters, and podcasts. Members of the site have premiered at Sundance, been nominated at BAFTA and the Oscars, and screened at Cannes.

View Shooting People
Follow Shooting People on Twitter

StudioBinder

Working in the film industry, it can often be hard to keep yourself and your crew organised. Thanks to Studio Binder, photo and video companies can now better manage their productions all on one platform. These companies can do everything from creating shooting schedules, call sheets, script breakdowns, and more that can be sent out to their entire team for easier communication. With more opportunities to keep everyone on the same page, your production is sure to be running seamlessly and efficiently.

View StudioBinder
Follow Studio Binder on Youtube

Philip Bloom

Philip Bloom has travelled the world as a successful maker of short films, documentaries. adverts and much more. He is part of the new breed of digital cinematographers, using DLSRs to achieve that film look. On his website you can see his wide range of work, from his adverts with Kevin Spacey to his 5D Cinematography on the WWII Lucasfilm Red Tails.

View philipbloom.net

NoFilmSchool

No Film School is a site for DIY filmmakers and independent creatives run by Brooklyn based filmmaker Ryan Koo. It offers solutions to how to get the most out of the things you create in order to sustain a long career as a filmmaker, writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographers and much more.

View nofilmschool.com

Film Maker IQ

Film Maker IQ is a group of filmmakers who discuss a range of topics. With articles on things such as Make-Up Tutorials to Camera comparisons, they answer both the whys and hows of filmmaking and help us understand the new media wave, without forgetting the old.

View filmmakeriq.com

Filmmaking Lifestyle

Filmmaking Lifestyle is a filmmaking and video production education site. They have all sorts of helpful resources and they’ve built up a solid audience of filmmakers and videographers.

View filmlifestyle.com

Who did we miss?

Add your favourite filmmaking website in the comments box below.

90 Comments

Dominick DeFino on February 12, 2014 at 5:08 pm

Check out Filmtech film school in Philadelphia if you want to learn any aspects of film and video production. https://filmtechschool.com/
Iam Tillu on February 26, 2014 at 1:50 pm

Hi My name is Tillu Kumar From India, i have a basic question to ask you all.
Is Registration of Group name required to make Independent Feature length Films.
any suggestions and answers appreciated. Thanking you all In advance.
Amber Quinones on May 8, 2014 at 5:27 pm

Attention Filmmakers! A production company I work for has created a shirt design I think you all can relate to.
http://bit.ly/1nlnzkh
Jorgen Stovne on May 9, 2014 at 6:41 pm

Need storyboard artists? Try http://jorgenslist.com/director-boards where you'll find both veteran and fresh talent. Contact them for free and even see their availability!
Film-enlignee.com on May 25, 2014 at 2:14 am

http://www.film-en-lignee.com
Jeremy Angelis on July 1, 2014 at 3:41 pm

http://www.Filminute.com – the international one-minute film festival

Filminute 2013 Winners http://www.filminute.com/page.php?page=21

https://twitter.com/Filminute
Nick Francis on August 19, 2014 at 5:01 pm

Hate to say you missed the obvious, but… Vimeo. Right?
Jerome Courshon on August 23, 2014 at 6:33 am

Pitanjal Datta : A LOT of free stuff there, yes. Articles, interviews, videos. Go check it out, doesn't cost anything to click on a link and browse around…!
Wally West on September 10, 2014 at 7:52 am

Thanks very useful, will be looking up a few of these.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/294950816/the-stranger-movie
Emi Valdarquis on October 29, 2014 at 5:32 pm

Synergomatique.com is a new social network for independent filmmakers and people working or aspiring to work at any level in the indie film industry. It's really a great platform for filmmakers. Cheers 🙂
Johan Damitha De Silva on November 3, 2014 at 4:01 pm

Future Movies have many good articles: http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/category/filmmaking
David Romano on November 24, 2014 at 5:00 pm

Great information here!
Kim Welch on April 19, 2015 at 12:27 pm

http://www.studentfilmmakers.com is the StudentFIlmmakers Magazine website
Michael Duck on April 28, 2015 at 3:18 am

http://www.indiefilmshare.com
An independent filmmaking community with the purpose of making better independent filmmakers. People can submit their films for others to review and provide feedback in areas such as directing, sound, acting, etc.
Jason Brubaker on May 7, 2015 at 11:30 pm

I think we are missing Filmmaking Stuff here – http://www.FilmmakingStuff.com
Stage 32 on June 5, 2015 at 2:35 pm

Stage32.com 🙂 Stage 32
Pashminu Mansukhani on June 24, 2015 at 2:26 pm

Thank you, for posting such a wonderful list of websites.
Kasidee Campbell on November 7, 2017 at 4:56 pm

This website has unique opportunities in various areas of the film industry for independent filmmakers. Here is a link to a multitude of festivals they put on with some opportunities to get content in front of brands and build your portfolio. This website has opportunities to submit content as well as vote in festivals and watch new and upcoming material. I thought this might peak some interest with others and wanted to share. You can build a profile for free.
https://theaudienceawards.com
FilmDaily.tv on December 19, 2017 at 6:55 am

http://www.filmdaily.tv for film funding and film grants
Shams on December 29, 2017 at 9:06 pm

Now I can learn a lot about film making and also on how to make videos.
Richard Thrift on February 26, 2018 at 9:10 am

https://www.stage32.com
Danny on February 27, 2018 at 11:47 am

I think: http://www.indiefilmhustle.com
Ravi on March 17, 2018 at 12:01 pm

Nice article. Thanks for sharing the information.
Thanks
Amy Harper on March 22, 2018 at 5:05 am

Yello Pill are also an independent filmmaking company.
video production company London
Zam Naqvi on March 23, 2018 at 10:40 am

This is a good list. Thanks for sharing this to us!
phoenixproductionservice on March 24, 2018 at 6:29 am

Really great websites for studying movie modifying. Especially movie copilot and philips blossom are really amazing. As a part of studying, i am in search of some good websites. But fortunately found this website and saved this page for upcoming referrals. Visit here http://cinevideoproductions.com/
School of Digital Filmmaking and Acting for the Screen Australia on April 19, 2018 at 6:36 am

http://theindependentinitiative.com/ is a great resource too!
Cinema Summit on April 21, 2018 at 4:00 pm

Check out Cinema Summit! http://cinemasummit.com
Elliot Grove on April 27, 2018 at 2:43 pm

Yes – its a great site
Ramon Fadiq on May 27, 2018 at 5:25 pm

Filmmakers are so utterly pretentious, damn! It make me sick to even read this site. It’s most of all upper class white men who colonize the arts fields like they do with everything else, and then they award themself to death with film festivals and a million awards ceremonies that no one but them care about. White race, truly the race of zombie.
Elliot Grove on May 28, 2018 at 7:22 am

Well said Ramon. What are you planning to do about this? Is there any activity we at Raindance can help you with? Any filmmakers who aren’t testosterone male anglo-saxon twnenty-somethings who are making movies worth watching?
RoleCall on June 20, 2018 at 4:42 am

RoleCall – A Casting Management System: One peice of cloud based software to manage all your talent through the casting process. https://RoleCall.co/
multail on July 12, 2018 at 1:01 pm

good site. thanks for posting the valuable content
http://multaistudios.com/
Gursimran Jassal on July 17, 2018 at 10:10 am

Really great list for film production company. Thanks for sharing this to us. But you missing one of growing film & video productions house which is located in Delhi NCR, India. Please add also – http://skittlesproductions.com/
cinema Making on July 22, 2018 at 6:20 am

http://www.cinemamaking.com

A website for making short films, Focus on humanitarian matters.
Bora on August 6, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Nice list! Here is my list of websites for filmmakers, https://filmmakersbucket.com/websites.html
Slavik Boyechko on August 7, 2018 at 5:53 am

Thorough filmmaking gear reviews and how-to guides from working video producers – http://www.geardads.com
Goyo Gomez on August 11, 2018 at 9:34 am

Media Magazine, photos, videos, portfolios, movies, acts, music, performances, art – everything is a content nowadays. HANDS-ON is a platform that believes anyone can be a content maker.
https://www.hands-on.com.vn/
Ben on August 14, 2018 at 9:48 am

And there’s Filmmaking.net – founded in 1994 and one of the oldest communities for new and independent filmmakers on the web. https://www.filmmaking.net
Vivek on September 5, 2018 at 8:24 am

Great thanks to you for sharing us top 13 independent filmmakers websites.

Please keep sharing.
videly on October 10, 2018 at 9:36 am

At least a few new ones for us, thanks!
Pedro on October 17, 2018 at 11:49 pm

Short Film Stuff is one of the best sites for resources and tools.
http://www.shortfilmstuff.com/
vivekkvikasphotography on October 18, 2018 at 8:10 am

Awesome list for film production company. In future when you post a blog for top 10 wedding photographers – please add http://www.vivekkvikas.com/
Poonam on October 27, 2018 at 12:39 pm

Hello,

Thanks for sharing valuable information with us…nice post…
Aditya Singh on November 22, 2018 at 6:25 am

Thanks for sharing this top 13 filmmakers site with us.And also you visit our website for nios https://sscoaching.in
India Services on January 30, 2019 at 6:52 am

You have shown really amazing data for independent filmmakers in Indian film industry.

In these days film industry, media and entertainment industry is being a key point of a country’s growth, because the growing demand of Indian film industry worldwide has also increased the opportunities for professionalism. So everyone who have knowledge of production, direction and all media stuff and also having craziness for the success can start their career in film industry.
FilmLady on February 20, 2019 at 2:52 am

I highly recommend the website Art Departmental at https://artdepartmental.com for all things production design for film and television.
Russ Cootey on February 24, 2019 at 9:27 pm

The Indie Film Place. Topical discussion, Interviews, and more. http://theindiefilmplace.com
Monitor Savvy on April 7, 2019 at 10:53 am

It’s a great list for rising film-makers who want references on the Internet to enhance their own skills. For film-makers who are looking for a sharp and color-rich monitor can read out buying guide at https://monitorsavvy.com where we publish buying guides falling under various budget constraints and professions.
Elliot Grove on April 7, 2019 at 4:57 pm

This is a great resource – thanks for adding it in!
Film Ally on April 28, 2019 at 9:32 pm

You should seriously consider adding Film Ally https://www.filmally.com/ to your list of film industry resources.
Todd Clark on May 4, 2019 at 11:03 am

I have a ideal for a script. Where can I go to present my ideal to film makers?
Elliot Grove on May 5, 2019 at 8:47 pm

You need to meet film producers. A good place to start is through networking events. In London we have monthly sessions called ‘Boozin N Schmoozing https://www.raindance.org/courses/boozin-n-schmoozin-networking/
Audience Awards on May 13, 2019 at 6:30 pm

TheAudienceAwards.com : ). We provide opportunities for filmmakers including cash prizes, film distribution and live screenings.
Diksha Aggarwal on May 22, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Becoming a film director is a dream job for many. A film director is the ultimate-artistic multi tasker. If you’re ready and willing to put in the time, have creative vision and an impressive ability to make something out of nothing, then becoming a film director might be the perfect job for you. Film Director accepts broad sets of responsibilities including working with script writer in order to build content, controls the artistic and dramatic effects, guiding technical crew and members. In order to become successful film director, you must have good knowledge of lightning, film, editing and inventive eye.
https://www.theiceinstitute.com/
Gclub-royal1688 on May 25, 2019 at 7:23 am

good.
svitm on May 30, 2019 at 7:51 am

hello, thanks for provide Filmmakers site it is really useful
scott Ownbey on June 11, 2019 at 12:10 am

Many film makers and screen writers needs help with previz storyboards for pitching to production. So why not go to the source. http://www.storyboards.com
Lena on June 25, 2019 at 7:25 pm

http://www.wrangle.work
lesflicksNaomi on July 15, 2019 at 12:04 pm

A new site for lesbian films that launched in March is LesFlicks. Definitely worth checking out http://www.lesflicks.com for film screenings, promotion, and also video on demand
Jessica Rowe on July 18, 2019 at 12:15 am

Videomaker has some excellent resources for videographers, and posts new content covering a wide variety of popular topics and industry trends.

For example, a leading trend is learning the intricacies of diegetic sound and how videographers need to be aware of how not only your viewers experience your video but also how the sound within a particular scene contributes to how the on-screen characters react and interact with that sound. For more on this, visit https://www.videomaker.com/article/c4/15797-diegetic-sound
Manvendra Singh on August 22, 2019 at 10:36 pm

Article Is Awesome! Thanks for sharing this
https://moviesbar.in
Nano Education on September 3, 2019 at 12:14 pm

Very informative article really love the way you write. worth visiting as well as worth recommending to the people.Thanks to you for sharing this helpful information with us.keep going.
kimwelch on September 3, 2019 at 11:32 pm

https://www.studentfilmmakers.com
completemediagothenburg on October 10, 2019 at 11:14 am

It’s very useful article for independent film makers like me. I have read article and This is very informative and useful. I can share this article to every one. Thanks for share.
Russ Cootey on October 13, 2019 at 12:44 am

Still missing The Indie Film Place Podcast at theindiefilmplace.com as well as pretty much any podcast app.
sandeep on October 17, 2019 at 7:58 am

Really great list for film production company. Thanks for sharing this to us. But you missing one of growing film & video productions house which is located in Gurgaon. Please add also – https://www.cutsncamera.com
Dana Solomon on October 18, 2019 at 4:43 am

Hi, I appreciate this list of different resources for film professionals.

I compose scores for trailers, and for films. The styles of music I compose are orchestral and electronic. Examples of my work can be heard at my website: http://www.dasprd.com.

Consider me for your next project, and let’s see if I can help you achieve your goals!

Thanks
– Dana
DAS Productions LLC
Film|Trailer Composer
Chris Wright on November 12, 2019 at 1:20 am

FilmSchool.org (https://www.filmschool.org/) is a great resource for those interested in going to film school.
Adam Smith on January 3, 2020 at 11:30 am

Hope For Film is the best option.
Valeriy on January 31, 2020 at 5:41 pm

I watch movies on the site https://xmovies8-hd.net/. Who likes this site?
Ranjan on March 2, 2020 at 1:01 pm

Really great list for film production company. Thanks for sharing this to us. But you missing one of growing film & video productions house which is located in Delhi NCR, India. Please add also https://khushimedia.com/
Naeem on March 12, 2020 at 4:47 pm

An independent filmmaking community with the purpose of making better Shelburne Vermont filmmakers.
https://www.chrisrodgers.blog/
Oflox on May 5, 2020 at 8:17 am

Hey Dan, it’s a great Post, so thanks for sharing.
Ramesh Chary on May 27, 2020 at 9:20 pm

Thanks for sharing such a valuable top sites of independent filmmakers, keep do this sharing.
vamshi on May 28, 2020 at 12:12 pm

Thanks for Sharing this Article keep posting
Chris on July 3, 2020 at 10:21 pm

I’ve had good luck with https://gofilmnow.com on learning filmmaking. They’ve got some unique articles on directing, lighting, and film gear.
Alex Ferrari on July 6, 2020 at 1:50 pm

I’d also check out http://www.bulletproofscreenwriting.tv and http://www.filmtrepreneur.com. Don’t forget http://www.indiefilmhustle.tv and http://www.ifhacademy.com
Abhay Kumar Gupta on July 28, 2020 at 7:00 am

Thanks for sharing this top 13 filmmakers site with us.And also you visit our website for nios sunbrightacademy.in
Shathabdhi Townships Pvt Ltd on July 31, 2020 at 7:41 am

Very Informative Article. Worth visiting as well as worth Recommending to the people.Thanks to you for sharing this helpful information with us. Keep posting.
Editing People on August 10, 2020 at 6:23 am

Nice its great i like it its so useful for me and i got interesting information from your works…

Editing People
Directors' Library on August 27, 2020 at 1:51 pm

Directors’ Library is an online curated platform for filmmakers and creative industries.

http://www.directorslibrary.com/
MissNaser on October 29, 2020 at 11:47 pm

check out wetheproject.com – its about to change the game!!
Thomas on November 8, 2020 at 5:51 pm

We’d love to recommend ourselves! We aim to help all indie filmmakers and people looking to get into filmmaking by providing resourceful information filmmaking tutorials free of charge. Check us out at http://www.ifilmthings.com

Let us know if you’d like us to showcase your film?

All the best, Tom | iFilmThings
Adarsh on November 23, 2020 at 11:53 am

Well, i would like to recommend this company. Check them out. I can guarantee you would love their work – https://thecameraman.co.in/
ucchvas on November 26, 2020 at 6:12 am

Great job to gathered these sites for independent film makers thank you for share content.
Danielle - CG Post on February 11, 2021 at 12:06 am

Christopher Gray Post Production in Los Angeles is a great resource for Independent Filmmakers. We offer editing, color grading, post consultation, tape digitizing, file encoding at DCP creation and more at fantastic rates. http://www.cgpost.com
aari fans on March 25, 2021 at 6:54 am

I have started using filmmakers community platform – shortfundly. Check it out https://www.shortfundly.com/

In this platform, i am able to release and distribute my short films through out the world.
incor lakecity on March 30, 2021 at 6:09 am

I was taking a gander at some of your posts on this site and I consider this site is truly informational! Keep setting up
Nataliia on April 3, 2021 at 5:35 am

I’d like to present you https://stockvideos.org/ It is a searchable collection of unique video footages for your film, website, ads or any video project. It has 19 daily updated categories and provides cinematographers and designers with access to thousands of high quality videos.