Before Sundance, A24, or the modern "indie" boom, there was John Cassavetes—a groundbreaking filmmaker who rewrote the rules of American cinema. On the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, we revisit the film that arguably launched the modern independent film movement.
Directed, financed, and distributed by Cassavetes himself, A Woman Under the Influence broke every mold—earning Academy Award nominations for Cassavetes (Best Director) and Gena Rowlands (Best Actress), and proving that personal, uncompromising cinema could reach mainstream audiences.
Joining us is Jeff Lipsky, a legendary indie film executive who began his career working on the grassroots release of A Woman Under the Influence. Lipsky would go on to co-found October Films, helping bring international and American auteurs like Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh, and Lasse Hallström to U.S. theaters. But it all started with Cassavetes.
🎞️ Why A Woman Under the Influence still defines independent cinema
🎥 How Cassavetes paved the way for today’s DIY filmmakers
📽️ Jeff Lipsky’s stories from the early days of indie film distribution
🧠 The influence of Gena Rowlands’ iconic performance
🏆 From fringe to Oscars—how the film became a box office success
If you care about the roots of truly independent film, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.
To celebrate this milestone, INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE welcomes indie film veteran Jeff Lipsky—a former Cassavetes distributor and one of the early champions of American independent film. Lipsky, co-founder of October Films and longtime filmmaker himself, shares behind-the-scenes insights about Cassavetes’ genius, the film's enduring legacy, and what modern filmmakers can still learn from his radical vision.
🎥 Why A Woman Under the Influence still resonates today
🎞️ Jeff Lipsky on working with Cassavetes and launching October Films
🎬 The rise of American indie cinema in the 1970s
🧠 Mental health, realism, and performance in the Cassavetes style
If you're a fan of Cassavetes, Rowlands, or just want to understand the DNA of independent filmmaking, this episode is essential listening.
A Woman Under the Influence 50th anniversary, Cassavetes podcast, John Cassavetes interview, Gena Rowlands performance, Jeff Lipsky interview, indie film history, American independent cinema, October Films founders, mental health in film, raw emotional acting, Cassavetes legacy 2024, Inside the Arthouse podcast, anniversary film retrospectives, Cassavetes-style filmmaking
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