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 12 to 15 films a year in theatres nationwide and 40 to 50 videos and DVDs annually.

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.

In 1987 First Run Features and Icarus Films, a company founded in 1978, merged their non-theatrical divisions to create a new company, First Run/Icarus Films. Now one of the leading distributors of independent and creative documentaries to non-theatrical markets in the United States and Canada, First Run/Icarus has over 900 quality titles in its catalogue. Libraries and universities interested in purchasing the educational rights to many of First Run Features' titles can visit the First Run/Icarus website for more information.

First Run Features is proud to say that in the Spring of 2001 our diverse collection of award winning independent, foreign, fiction, non-fiction and children's films was honored with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

“A pioneering, New York-based film company whose activities over the past 22 years have enriched independent filmmaking and distribution . . . First Run Features remains an important distributor of American independent films, significant foreign films, social-political documentaries, and films of all genres that appeal to increasingly visible minorities.” - Museum of Modern Art

“Not to pat ourselves on the back (okay, we are), but indieWIRE has been highlighting the under-appreciated films of the American independent and foreign sectors since 1998. . . While times have significantly changed in the last six years, 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

“If you’re a little jaded by mainstream cinema and those predictable blockbusters, 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, who pride themselves on offering consumers distinctive filmmaking, intriguing subject matter and a truly inspired inventory of alternative, foreign and documentary films. . . What I find most interesting about First Run Features is that they are unafraid in their mission; FRF choose films of quality, and as a company are dedicated to making sure the personal film, political film and the alternative film survive and are available to an interested public. It’s an ambitious pursuit, but a much needed one, especially for those who enjoy the adventure of forward thinking cinema.”- AMPED MAGAZINE