Press - Indie Game: The Movie - A Video Game Documentary

SPECIAL EDITION INFO

SPECIAL EDITION TRAILER

SPECIAL EDITION DLC SHORT DESCRIPTION

With 100+ mins of new epilogues & short films, the Indie Game: The Movie Special Edition DLC is another film's worth of stories, crafted by the directors of the original, Sundance award-winning, feature documentary. Find out what happened after & about other games and game creators.

More info on the digital & box set versions here

FEATURE FILM INFO

STILLS OF FILM & FILMMAKERS

STILLS OF GAMES IN FILM

PRESS SCREENER REQUEST FORM

FILM TRAILER

SHORT SYNOPSIS

INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE, directed by Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, looks at the underdogs of the video game industry, indie game developers, who sacrifice money, health and sanity to realize their lifelong dreams of sharing their creative visions with the world. Following the making of the games SUPER MEAT BOY, FEZ and BRAID, this Sundance award-winning film captures the tension and drama by focusing on these developers' vulnerability and obsessive quest to express themselves through a 21st-century art form.

FESTIVALS / AWARDS / ACCOLADES

2012 Sundance Official Selection World Documentary Competition
2012 Sundance Winner for Best Editing in World Documentary Cinema
2012 South by Southwest Official Selection
2012 Hot Docs Festival & Hot Docs Live Official Selection

2012 New York Times Criticsʼ Pick
2012 Cinema Eye Honours Nomination Best Graphic Design & Animation
2012 Best Feature Documentary Canadian Screen Awards Nomination

Rotten Tomatoes
Best Reviewed Films of 2012

IGN
30 Amazing Games People in 2012

Crave Online
The Ten Best Films of 2012

The 50 Best Films of the Decade (so far)

Slash Film
The Ten Best Films of 2012

iTunes
Best of 2012 - Documentaries

Letterboxd
Top Reviewed Documentaries of 2012

Utah Film Critics Association
Best Documentary of 2012

CBS 'This Morning'
The Five Best Films of 2012 (Hon. Mention)

NME
Ten Cracking Films You Might Have Missed This Year

Cinesnob
Top Ten Best Films of 2012

Wired Magazine
The Top Ten Films of 2012 (that you haven't seen)

MovieRants
Top Ten Films of 2012

Movieline
Ten Overlooked Gems of 2012

The FilmStage
Best Documentaries of 2012

'These Pretzels...'
The Best Film of 2012 - Indie Game: The Movie

Film School Rejects
Best Documentaries of 2012

Fast Company
22 Movies Every Designer Must Watch

Indie Wire
Top Ten Films of 2012 - Industry Lists
• Dylan Marchetti, Variance Films
• Basil Tsiokos, Sundance Film Festival / What (Not) To Doc

IndieWire

“The film delivers, taking us on a journey with regular people pushed to do something different, but equally extraordinary. There is a vibrant, beating heart that powers "Indie Game: The Movie" and will hopefully serve to inspire the many of us who confine ourselves to small places and lock humanity out while struggling and striving to create something beautiful. [A-]

Possibly the most mature look at video games yet,”

Read the IndieWire Review Here...

Film School Rejects

“Both video game fans and casual gamers should find this documentary not only interesting, but compelling as you watch these real life stories unfold and experience the various emotions that come with creating something from scratch and then releasing it into the world.”

Read the FSR Review Here...

Ain’t it Cool News

“There are victories, defeats, tears and smiles.

Indie Game: The Movie is a must-see doc for anybody that fancies themselves a gamer or for anyone who gets sucked into a good underdog story.”

Read AICN's Review Here...

Globe and Mail

"...That’s the film’s great trick. Regardless of whether you’re a die-hard indie-gamer or someone who’s never touched a controller, it’s impossible not to empathize with these people."

Read The Globe and Mail Review Here...

SlashFilm

You'll believe a Video Game Documentary Will Make You Cry ... directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky have made a truly magnificent documentary that you will love.

Read the Full Review Here...

Slant Magazine

Whether or not you care to classify video games as art, Indie Game: The Movie, an extremely polished and absorbing documentary profiling a handful of ambitious independent game developers, makes a strong case that, at the very least, the types of gaming experiences offered by these one- or two-man shops reflect the personalities of their creators in the same way art does, acting as extensions of their fears and desires.

Read the Review Here...

EPDaily (on the IGTM Special Edition)

A perfect score 10 out of 10…Absolutely dumbstruck at how beautiful this movie was…There are so many extras in here…

Watch the EPDaily Review Here...

Turnstyle

“The third act of this film is as tense as any horror movie I’ve seen in the past two years as Team Meat and Fish face down their personal End Bosses.”

Read the Review Here...

Crave Online

This is my favorite film of SXSW ... It’s not just that it’s a thoroughly engaging subject. The filmmaking is tense and emotional with beautiful cinematography, just everything you want a movie to be.

Read the Review here...

Geek Tyrant

“Indie Game: The Movie is a must watch film for anyone who loves the art of video games or is passionate about anything. This is a wonderfully fascinating documentary that any geek would enjoy watching, so I highly recommend watching it when it is released.”

Read the Geek Tyrant Review Here...

Jeff Dixon: Musings of a...

“But trust me, as you finish the film you realize there is nothing benign about these games at all. These games are essentially these people’s hearts poured out onto a screen. Truly fascinating and gripping. I highly recommend this film.”

Read the Review Here...

The Film Stage

“The cinematography is gorgeous, creating alien atmospheres from computer screens, video game levels and the real world environments that surround the characters.”

Read Film Stage's Review Here...

SplitKick

The best documentaries transcend the bounds of their subject matter to tell a compelling human interest story, which this movie does brilliantly.

Whether you approach this as a gamer or an average moviegoer, Indie Game: The Movie is an awesome film. The documentary does a tremendous job of sharing human interest stories within the context of video game creation

Read Split Kick's Review Here...

Salt Lake Tribune

“Swirsky and Pajot have created a beautiful and fascinating look into the creative process in a never-been-told medium”

Read the review here

MTV: Geek

“Swirsky and Pajot expertly weave these three stories together into one narrative ... So don't just take my word for it. Check it out and see if this inspires you to devote some blood, sweat, and tears to the world of indie games.

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FirstShowings.Net

"Just might have you looking at video games in a whole different light

Read the review here

Sound on Sight

Indie Game: The Movie is an independent revolution. The documentary taps into the joys and tears that make the notion of independence both fearful and rewarding.... If you are creative, this film will surely become one of your favorite documentaries of all time.

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The Final Take

Indie Game: The Movie makes itself accessible to every aspiring artist, because it taps into those fundamental feelings of bringing your creativity to life and hoping others respond to it.

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The Torontoist

“Inspiring and oddly touching.”

Read the Review Here...

The Daily (U of Wash.)

“Indie Game: The Movie” captures a whimsical world and the creative fire that burns beneath it, making a powerful case for video games as art. It’s inspiring, heart-wrenching, and a little dark.

Read the Review Here...

Three Imaginary Girls

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go purchase Super Meat Boy, Fez, and Braid. If I don’t write anything else for the next 2 weeks, don’t be alarmed—I’m just having lots of fun playing indie video games.

Read the Review Here...

G4TV

"Indie Game: The Movie is definitely worth your time, and should be seen by everyone in the video game industry on the publisher, developer, and consumer sides."

Read the review here

GameZone

Finally, we have something that so perfectly explains what we never could. It's a film anyone can watch and enjoy.

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The Hollywood Reporter

“Compelling glimpse into artistic compulsion in video games.”

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The Denver Post

'Compelling...passionate and funny ... [the film] never loses sight of the narrative thrust'

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The MacGuffin

"Shot with a stunning HD look, Indie Game is a substantial documentary that uses its material wisely and delivers an entertaining as well as educational look into the new world of mass active participation in critical thinking"

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NOW Magazine

The intelligent, thoroughly absorbing doc is a delight for both the avid gamer and those not so up to speed with Nintendo-speak.

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Film Threat

“Indie Game: The Movie is more than just a film about video games, it’s an examination of the artistic spirit and the latest evolution of independent artist.”

Read Film Threat's Review Here...