SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989)

Writer-director Steven Soderbergh's debut feature exploring the intersection of emotional and sexual ennui laid the foundation for the hegemony of the two empires that would dominate indieland: Sundance and Miramax. Made for $1.2 million, it was the first Sundance movie picked up by Miramax to become the kind of crossover hit that would ultimately inspire the launch of indie divisions at all the major studios.