20 Highest Grossing Independent Films of 2016

Highest Grossing Independent Films of 2016

Please note: The below list only includes domestic (U.S. and Canada only, unless otherwise indicated) grosses for specialty films — indie, foreign (including Bollywood films that open in limited release) and/or documentary — that opened in limited release (599 screens and under) in 2016 and/or were acquired for 2016 distribution by an independent distributor or a studio (or its speciality division). It also includes films that screened only as an Academy-qualifier in 2015.

Grosses include all reported grosses up to December 27, 2016. This chart is updated every Tuesday afternoon. (Last year’s list can be found here.)

Distributor: CBS Films and Lionsgate
Release Date: August 12th
Opening Theater Count: 32
Opening Average: $19,417
Current Gross: $27,007,844

2. “The Witch”
Distributor: A24 (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: February 19th
Opening Theater Count: 2,046
Opening Average: $4,301
Current Gross: $25,138,292

3. “Manchester by the Sea”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions and Amazon Studios (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: November 18th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $64,125
Current Gross: $20,843,255

4. “Eye in the Sky”
Distributor: Bleecker Street
Release Date: March 11th
Opening Theater Count: 5
Opening Average: $22,761
Current Gross: $18,704,595

5. “The Birth of a Nation”
Distributor: Fox Searchlight (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: October 7th
Opening Theater Count: 2,105
Opening Average: $3,327
Current Gross: $15,861,556

6. “Hello, My Name is Doris”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Release Date: March 11th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $21,247
Current Gross: $14,444,999

7. “Love & Friendship”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions and Amazon Studios
Release Date: May 13th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $33,378
Current Gross: $14,016,568

8. “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Distributor: Quality Flix
Release Date: July 15th
Opening Theater Count: 3
Opening Average: $24,938
Current Gross: $13,099,931

9. “Moonlight”
Distributor: A24
Release Date: October 21st
Opening Theater Count: 176
Opening Average: $100,519
Current Gross: $12,048,413

10. “No Manches Frida”
Distributor: Lionsgate
Release Date: September 2nd
Opening Theater Count: 362
Opening Average: $10,027
Current Gross: $11,528,613

11. “Cafe Society”
Distributor: Lionsgate and Amazon Studios
Release Date: July 15th
Opening Theater Count: 5
Opening Average: $71,858
Current Gross: $11,103,205

12. “The Lady in the Van”
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: December 4th (2015 Academy-qualifying run)
Opening Theater Count:
Opening Average:
Current Gross: $10,021,175

13. “Hardcore Henry”
Distributor: STX (acquired at TIFF)
Release Date: April 8th
Opening Theater Count: 3,015
Opening Average: $1,694
Current Gross: $9,252,038

14. “The Lobster”
Distributor: A24
Release Date: May 13th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $47,563
Current Gross: $8,700,374

15. “A Beautiful Planet”
Distributor: IMAX
Release Date: April 29th
Opening Theater Count: 137
Opening Average: $1,635
Current Gross: $7,895,708

16. “Loving”
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: November 4th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $39,904
Current Gross: $7,349,687

17. “Southside With You”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: August 26th
Opening Theater Count: 813
Opening Average: $3,528
Current Gross: $6,304,223

18. “Sultan”
Distributor: Yash Raj
Release Date: July 6th
Opening Theater Count: 283
Opening Average: $8,375
Current Gross: $6,200,000

19. “Captain Fantastic”
Distributor: Bleecker Street (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: July 8th
Opening Theater Count: 4
Opening Average: $23,456
Current Gross: $5,879,736

20. “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”
Distributor: The Orchard (acquired at Sundance)
Release Date: June 24th
Opening Theater Count: 5
Opening Average: $15,688
Current Gross: $5,205,468