10 Independent Films In 2014 That Could Appeal To Mass Audiences

9. Life Itself

Based on his best-selling memoir, Life Itself is the documentary that follows the life and career of the most well-known film critic of all time, Roger Ebert. Directed by Steve James, creator of the seminal Hoop Dreams, the film has been called both incredibly insightful and emotional, not just because of the subject, but the subject matter, namely that of films. This is not just a film about a film-critic, but a film about the idea of talking about films, something that everyone - from academic to amateur - does fondly. Why It Has Mass Appeal: Roger Ebert is a house hold name. He was able to bring the high-brow to the common consumer, and so could the documentary about his life. Why It Won't Get A Wide Release: Documentaries aren't marketed or promoted by any major studio that aren't Disney nature films or Michael Moore-helmed projects, even though non-fiction books are currently outselling fiction.