2020 was a year of extraordinary challenges, but also one which has emphasised the importance of independent cinema. With cinemas regularly shut, or open at reduced capacity, many of the industry’s biggest studios pulled the release of their latest blockbusters. As people were deprived of new content in theatres, many turned to online content to get their regular dose of film – and not only on the standardised streaming platforms like Netflix.
In 2020, Indy Film Library hosted three special showcases; one in a cinema, but also two online – and they were by far our best viewed content of the year. Thousands of people from around the world converged on our site to tune in to our Student and Horror Shorts events – seeing sharp spikes in our site’s traffic during the weeks we hosted them – as viewers sought to experience a small slice of the future, from some extremely talented up-and-coming filmmakers.
At the same time, readership of IFL’s written content also ballooned, with the site garnering more than 20,000 more views than it received in 2019. As we celebrate the start of 2021, it is only right that we look back on the most popular films of 2020, without whom we could never have enjoyed such an excellent second year.
The top 10 films reviewed on Indy Film Library in terms of readership were:
10. The Angel of History
9. Les Fossoyeurs
8. Off Peak
7. A Simple Haircut
6. The Future Decisionmakers
5. Death Offers Life
4. The Odd
3. Sola
2. La Chambre aux Oiseaux
1. A Democratic Proposal
Once again, all of us at Indy Film Library would like to sincerely thank all the artists, academics and film-lovers who have helped make 2020 an incredible year for us – even if it wasn’t the one we all imagined at the start of last January. Hopefully the months ahead of us will be filled with even more exceptional cinema, and opportunities to reach viewers with brave, insightful and entertaining new films – by whatever means are available to us.
We wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!