These determined filmmakers are making names for themselves in the business.When most people think of movies and producers, they think of movies everyone has seen or producers who make those movies that are popular. What most people don’t think about are the independent filmmakers who work just as hard but don’t receive as much credit.You may wonder why independent filmmakers matter so much if their work isn’t known by many people or classified as “popular culture.” Independent films address issues and circulate stories and points of view that may be too risky for those who are obliged by commercial considerations. Independent filmmakers basically take risks that big names in the market aren’t allowed to take. The Independent Film Project (IFP), a nonprofit organization that debuted at the 1979 New York Film Festival, had evolved into the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, as well as the premiere promoter for them. Since it’s start, IFP has supported the production of 7,000 films and provided resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers voices that otherwise would have been muffled by the voices of big name filmmakers. IFP’s belief is that “independent films broaden the palette of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness, and fostering activism.” IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world. You can become a member and help support this organization that is being threatened by major film studios. These studios are acquiring fewer independent films and marketing more of their own productions and co-productions as “independent.”Photo Source: FANPOP.com