The last 12 months have been tough for filmmakers around the world. Amid the lingering cost-of-living crisis and heightened inflation, the advent of so-called artificial intelligence was increasingly used as a disciplinary mechanism to try and pressure artists into working for less.
In response to this blatant attempt of studios to undercut the wages of workers without whom there would be no movies, much of 2023 saw Hollywood’s writers and actors engage in strike action. But with the release of many blockbusters being delayed as a result, there were also opportunities for smaller, independent productions to reach new audiences.
Indy Film Library itself returned to cinemas once more in 2023, with our annual showcase in April proving its best attended event to date – and it is hoping to build on that momentum for the coming 2024 festival. Those efforts will see IFL host its first UK screening in February. The showcase of UK-based films at London’s Garden Cinema will also mark IFL’s fifth anniversary.
Even with this increased focus on physical screenings, IFL will remain a hybrid organisation – and that means more of the tremendous online showcases that it has curated for audiences. 2023’s Student, Experimental and Horror Shorts events each proved to be among the best viewed content on the IFL website, bringing sharp spikes in traffic during the weeks they were hosted – as viewers looked to get a glimpse of the industry’s future, from some extremely talented, up-and-coming filmmakers.
Meanwhile, readership of IFL’s written content has also continued to climb steadily, with the site garnering 8% more views than it received in 2022. To celebrate the start of 2024, it is only right to look back on the most popular films of the last 12 months, without whom IFL would not have enjoyed such an excellent fifth year.
The top 10 films reviewed on Indy Film Library in terms of readership were:
10. So Loud the Sky Can Hear Us
8. Das Kulturgespräch im Radio
7. Eye Love You
6. Lost
5. Manic Lover
1. I Do Matter