Top 9 Sites to Watch Free Independent Films

When you're settling in to waste some time on the Internet, you've got a lot of options for video entertainment. You can catch network TV on Hulu or Netflix or watch ridiculously cute cat videos on You Tube. But what about something a little more substantial? Check out our list of independent film websites that showcase everything from the best to the awesomely bad in the world of indie film. You might learning something new, but most importantly, you won't spend a dime because they're all free.
Babelgum
An internet based "TV platform," Babelgum presents independent films about everything from behind-the-scenes looks into stock trading and paparazzi photography to documentaries about Bangalore - all in easily digestible lunch break size clips.



Film Net

Social networks are everywhere so it's no surprise there's one for films too. Film Net has an enormous library of comedies, animated shorts and feature films that you've never or seen - or heard of. It's an independent film combination of the best parts of You Tube, Facebook and IMDB.



Indie Movies Online 

With free movies, shorts,  documentaries and film festival coverage - featuring talent like Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel and the infamous Ron Jeremy - there's literally something for everyone on Indie Movies Online. The only thing it's missing is the ability to download films.



Snag Films
With over 1800 films, Snag Films is one of the biggest documentary archives on the internet. Each film is a full-length documentary and Snag Films allows you to snag a link and share it all over the web. If you don't have time to watch the full feature on the Garment Industry or Nelson Mandela there's even an option to save your place for later.


 
You Tube Screening Room
The You Tube Screening Room is the, well, You Tube of independent films/shorts. In an effort to help indie films from all over the world reach a global audience, there are four new videos posted to the You Tube Screening Room every other Friday. With subscription, embedding and full-screen options you're familiar with, there's no learning curve with this one.



Documentary Log
Think of Documentary Log as the MySpace of film. It's not everyone's favorite new kid on the block, but it does one thing and it does it well. Instead of music, that one thing is documentaries. Documentaries like Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins TED Talks.



Short Films
The most hands-off (management wise) of the list, Short Films allows you to upload or watch short films without all the hassle associated with submitting them to a large festival. Part video repository and part online forum, the content is almost entirely dictated by the users.

 

AMC B-Movie Classics
B-movies generally have ridiculous plots, horrible names, monsters, mayhem and all kinds of bad acting - but none of that matters because they're just plain fun to watch. AMC's B-Movie Classics (BMC) is the go-to site for B-movie action, comedy, horror and sci-fi flicks that are so awesomely bad they don't recognize the first letter of the alphabet.



Internet Archive

The Internet Archive is an actual non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Like the library you grew up avoiding, it gives you access to thousands of movies from different genres, countries and time periods (they have silent films) on subject matters from Reefer Madness to film noir. You can choose to watch online, but the Internet Archive really sets itself apart by allowing you to download all of their movies in two different formats.

Have a favorite free independent film site we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

See More From Cool Material:
8 Essential Discount Shopping Sites for Men
24 Great Co-Worker Gifts Under $100
10 Customizable Products You Never Knew Existed
10 Must-Have Office Toys

========================================================================
Cool Material, is a hobby-turned-profession for online publisher, Tim Jacobsen. After starting a top 300 Internet retailer and holding a couple of SVP positions, his passion for social media, online marketing, and entrepreneurship drove him to branch out on his own. Started in 2008, the men's lifestyle blog covers everything from entertainment and technology, to art and style. Cool Material reaches out to over 600,000 readers each month, but the site's hip, of-the-moment content and honest reviews continues to grow that number daily. Outside of his Internet world, Tim enjoys bicycling, poker, and traveling with his family.