This third volume of the successful Directory of World Cinema series to focus on American independent filmmaking presents in-depth essays on forty-four filmmakers who have primarily worked outside the mainstream or on its industrial margins. Contributors offer close analyses of the work of both widely acknowledged auteurs and little-known provocateurs who deserve much wider recognition. Major names discussed include Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Dennis Hopper, Sofia Coppola and Darren Aronofsky, with attention also paid to cult directors like Larry Cohen, Zalman King and Ti West. The resulting book is both a who's who of contemporary independent cinema in America and a reminder that the ways of making films outside the studio system are incredibly varied - and can be powerfully effective.