For a while AMC has been an approachable theater chain for independent filmmakers seeking a direct way to get their films in front of theatrical audiences. Now, the company has announced AMC Independent (“AMCi”), a program that commits screens in 60 AMC venues to independent fare. Most of the films upcoming on the initial AMCi slate are mini-major titles (Please Give, Babies) that I’m sure would have wound up on AMC screens anyway, but the fact that the company has positioned the program they way it has — and the noises they are making about future programming — are encouraging for filmmakers without such distribution giants behind them. From the company’s blog:

As part of the independent film community, you know that big ideas, big innovations and big stories too often suffer from limited levels of support. AMC understands the value of passionate filmmaking, the importance of a truly independent voice and the fact that big impacts are often delivered by “small” films.

It is for this reason that AMC is proud to announce AMC Independent, our renewed commitment to advancing and expanding independent film. Over the upcoming months, you’ll see an amplified commitment to independent storytelling at AMC theatres around the country, both on-screen, in partnerships with filmmakers and film festivals, and throughout our theatres and guest outreach….

We will still work with motion picture studios for content, however, AMCi will provide a direct opportunity for feature-length filmmakers to connect with AMC to share their work with the possibility of an on-screen relationship. . We won’t catch “lightning in a bottle” each time, but when lightning does strike, we will be able to act nimbly with existing, demonstrated support for independent film and arts.

Selection will be based on content and the projected interest from guests. If’s it’s a quality feature-length story that may have not been told and has a chance to grow, we will consider it.