Indie Film | Little Fugitive (1953) and Shadows (1958)

By Ted Barron, Ph.D | Executive Director, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, January 25, 2023

[About a 1 MIN read]

We launch our new DPAC Casts series, Indie Film, with a closer look at two seminal works of the postwar era: Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin’s joyous portrait of urban childhood, Little Fugitive, and the first directorial effort from the so-called “godfather of independent cinema,” Shadows.

About the Series
Independent or “indie” film often refers to films produced or distributed outside the Hollywood studio system.  While many films labeled as indie experiment with form and content, many others are often low-budget productions that adhere to the conventions of Hollywood cinema. For this podcast series, we will be discussing a group of films that trace the development of American independent cinema from its early roots in neorealism to more contemporary hybrid forms.  We will consider the role of technology in this (r)evolution from 16mm film to digital video to iPhones.

Series Host: Dr. Ted Barron
Dr. Ted Barron is the Executive Director of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director of the Performing Arts. He teaches courses on global cinema history, documentary film, and German film.