Declaration of Independents!

Wednesday, July 1 - Thursday, July 9, 2026

Co-presented by IndieCollect and IFC Center, “Declaration of Independents!” is a 9-day salute to indie filmmakers who asserted their creative freedom during a formative era of American independent cinema. Showcasing 20 films (four in new restorations from IndieCollect) spanning the years 1979-89, from daring narratives to boundary-pushing documentaries, the series spotlights artists who re-shaped cinema, revealing America through an independent lens.

Directors Charlie Ahearn (WILD STYLE), Lizzie Borden (BORN IN FLAMES), Aarin Burch (DREAMS OF PASSION), Bette Gordon (VARIETY), Paula de Koenigsberg & Lucy Winer (RATE IT X), Spike Lee (SCHOOL DAZE) and Fran Rubel Kuzui (TOKYO POP) will present their films in person. EL SUPER, by the late Leon Ichaso, will be introduced by producer/co-writer Manuel Arce. CANE RIVER, by the late Horace Jenkins, will be introduced by his daughter, Dominique Jenkins.

This retrospective, curated by IndieCollect and IFC Center, invites audiences and up-and-coming filmmakers to see some of the best and most enduring movies to emerge during a key decade of the American independent cinema movement — films that remain startling, entrancing, prescient, and great fun to discover / rediscover today.

Watch the trailer for the series.

See more and save! Get an Independents Pack ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any three screenings in the series.

IndieCollect is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to Rescue/Restore/Reactivate significant indie films and ensure they do not disintegrate or disappear into oblivion. The organization also inventories and appraises film collections and places them at collaborating archives.