First Run Features is an

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

distribution company based in New York City.

History

First Run was founded in 1979 by a group of filmmakers in order to advance the distribution of independent film. In the 1980s, the company focused on more mainstream documentaries and started distributing films on video. It is one of America's largest independent distributors of documentaries and

art film An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

s, releasing 12 to 15 films a year in theaters nationwide and 40 to 60 titles on DVD and VOD annually. First Run distributes a large number of documentaries and foreign films, including many films about

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

issues, Jewish experience, and political and human rights issues. First Run is the American distributor for

Michael Apted Michael David Apted (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the ''Up (film series), Up'' documentary series from 1970 to 2019). He later di ...

's ''Up'' series, Ross McElwee's '' Sherman's March'', the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-nominated '' The Most Dangerous Man in America'', '' Maidentrip'', '' Girl Model'', '' Eames: The Architect and the Painter'', '' For the Bible Tells Me So'', '' A Jihad for Love'', '' God Loves Uganda '', D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus's '' Kings of Pastry'', Joe Berlinger's '' Crude'',

Alex Gibney Philip Alexander Gibney (; born October 23, 1953) is an American documentary film director and producer. In 2010, ''Esquire'' magazine said Gibney "is becoming the most important documentarian of our time." Gibney's works as director include ''T ...

and Eugene Jarecki's '' The Trials of Henry Kissinger'', ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'', '' Save Me'', ''Anita: Speaking Truth to Power'' and ''Moving Midway'', among many others. Many of the films First Run Features has distributed have been endorsed by

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

Notable films

References

Sources

First Run Features website

First Run Features box office
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