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The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2016 (A Running List)

Refreshed weekly, here's a chart of 2016's twenty highest grossing specialty films (so far).
"Manchester By The Sea"
"Manchester by the Sea"

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.)

1. “Hell or High Water”
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

The Witch Movie
“The Witch”

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

“Hello, My Name is Doris”

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

"Love & Friendship"
“Love & Friendship”

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

Moonlight
“Moonlight”A24

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

Hunt for the Wilderpeople
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople”The Orchard

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

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