First Run Features was founded in 1979 by a group of filmmakers to advance the distribution of independent film. Under the leadership of the late independent film pioneer, Fran Spielman, First Run Features quickly gained a reputation for its controversial catalog of daring independent fiction and non-fiction films. First Run remains one of the largest independent theatrical and home video distributors in the United States, releasing around 12 films a year in theaters nationwide and about 40 DVDs annually.  In addition, First Run has an educational/non-theatrical division, and it also licenses its titles to television and cable outlets and through internet platforms.

The First Run legacy includes films by such notable directors as: Spike Lee, Michael Apted, Rose Troche, Sven Nykvist, Jane Campion, Ross McElwee, Michael Winterbottom, Maria Luisa Bemberg, Barbara Kopple, Peter Jackson, Daniel Bergman, Dariush Mehrjui, David O. Russell, Lizzie Borden, Claude Chabrol, Jan Svankmajer, Claire Denis, Benoit Jacquot, Marleen Gorris, Radley Metzger, Deborah Shaffer, Victor Nunez, The Brothers Quay, George Sluizer, Monika Treut, and Satyajit Ray.

Over the years, First Run Features has survived everything from FBI probes to the demise of so many of its competitors. First Run proudly celebrated its 30th Anniversary in August 2009 with a retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. In 2001 we were honored with a major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

“Let’s raise a glass to First Run- to 30 more rich years of provocative cinema.” - The Film Society of Lincoln Center

“A pioneering, New York-based film company whose activities over the past 22 years have enriched independent filmmaking and distribution.”
- Museum of Modern Art - Read more

“Many of the same players, such as First Run Features, are steadfastly playing the indie game and continuing to pick up our unsung favorites.”
- indieWIRE - Read more

“If you’re a little jaded by mainstream cinema, get yourself acquainted with First Run Features, a New York-based film distribution company that makes available a large and diverse collection of unusual and engaging material.”
- New York Spirit

“Thank goodness for companies like First Run Features . . . they are dedicated to making sure the personal film, political film and the alternative film survive. It’s an ambitious pursuit, but a much needed one, especially for those who enjoy the adventure of forward thinking cinema.”
- Amped Magazine

First Run Features
The Film Center Building | 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213 | New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 243-0600 | Fax: (212) 989-7649

For all general inquiries, please contact us at info@firstrunfeatures.com

Acquisitions inquiries: We do not accept unsolicited screeners, but we are open to hearing about your film if it has received press from a film festival or been reviewed in an industry publication. If this is the case, please send us an email with a brief description of your film. Due to the number of inquiries we receive, we will respond only if we are interested in requesting a screener.

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