Independent films give film audiences a well-needed shot in the arm. Too often, Americans stuff themselves to the gills with big-budget special effects blockbusters.

The Hollywood machine cranks out commercial successes and keeps its eyes on the bottom line. Important stories are not often told in Hollywood unless the ending is happy, the heroine good-looking and the leading man buff.

Independent films are made by people with burning desires to tell important stories without regard to the superficial details that might make the masses happy.

With that in mind, here is a short list of independent films you may have heard of and might have seen — if you were quick and lucky.

“Roger and Me”

A quintessential independent film by Michael Moore, “Roger and Me” documents Moore’s attempts to secure a meeting with General Motors CEO Roger Smith to ask him a few important questions about why he felt it necessary to close plants in Flint, Mich. when the company was actually making money. Smith does everything in his power to avoid Moore and his questions.

“Roger and Me” would never have been made by Hollywood because corporate America doesn’t make films about its own foibles.

It doesn’t make documentaries and it would have found the subject matter “too depressing” for the masses. Anyone who has seen this film can tell you it was funny while communicating an important message about corporate America.

“Pi”

A dark sci-fi thriller from director Darren Aronofsky, “Pi” is a look into the life of a paranoid mathematician studying chaos. He sits perched on the edge of an amazing discovery which threatens his sanity. It makes disturbing and thrilling connections between mathematics, Jewish mysticism and Wall Street.

“Pi” is shot in high contrast black and white with at times frenetic editing and perspectives which unnerve viewers and place them in this dark world.

Aronofsky would never have been able to produce this film through the Hollywood system. The studios would have insisted on color, easily identifiable villains and a more pleasant hero who kicks ass. As an independent, Aronofsky did it his way and now Hollywood studios are tripping over themselves to acquire his talent. “Pi” can be seen next week as part of SUB films’ regular series.

“Bottle Rocket”

“Bottle Rocket” is a recent release from director Wes Anderson, whose impressively quirky debut has brought attention to himself, co-writer Owen Wilson and actor Luke Wilson.

The film tells the tale of three 20-something losers who bounce between insanity and criminality while mocking the seriousness of modern life. While many independent films give the audience something to think about, this film does not. It allows the audience to see that there is a lighter side to independent films. What is important is that they represent a genuine and artistic vision, not a corporate one.

“Smoke Signals”

The best films about American Indians are not made by Kevin Costner. They are made without the help of Hollywood, which tends to romanticize them. Two such examples are “Smoke Signals” and “Pow Wow Highway.”

“Smoke Signals” is the effort of Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie. It is the story of two Indian teenagers, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who take a trip across country to retrieve the body of Arnold Joseph, Victor’s father and Thomas’ childhood savior.

It is an amusing tale about “Indian-ness” told from a modern perspective with heavy doses of traditional symbols.

Travel is an essential element in the learning process. Victor and Thomas learn about themselves by meeting strange, new people who tell them things about themselves and their past. They encounter racism and talk about what it is to be Indian.

“Pow Wow Highway”

Similarly, “Pow Wow Highway” is a story about two very different Indian men, Buddy Red Bow and Philbert Bono, who travel from their reservation in Montana to Arizona to bail out Buddy’s sister who has been framed by the police.

During the trip, Philbert attempts to gather power at various sites of battles, massacres and holy places.

Both films explore modern images of American Indian life on and off the reservation while presenting us with characters who strive to survive and adapt to the modern world while either abandoning the old ways or clinging to them for support.

Films like this don’t get made by Hollywood, they just assume the guilt factor is too much for audiences. As a result, important voices get lost in the shuffle.

“The Brothers McMullen”

“The Brothers McMullen” is the effort of Ed Burns. It is the story of three Irish-Catholic brothers in the midst of crises with women. It is a frank exploration of religion and men’s relationships with women. It attempts to peer beneath the uncomplicated surface emotions audiences are used to seeing about these subjects.

Though not the most important film ever made, it is an excellent example of one artist’s uncompromised vision; a pure expression untainted by corporate executives looking to enhance the story by corrupting it.

“She’s Gotta Have It”

“She’s Gotta Have It” is writer/director Spike Lee’s first effort. It was made for next to nothing and impressed critics for its raw quality and “street” charm. It is the story of one woman and her three boyfriends who want her to commit solely to them. She resists being tied down to one man.

The story is told from the various perspectives of each of the participants, and while the acting was less than stellar, the writing more than made up for it.

“Clerks”

Not exactly an unknown film to most, “Clerks” bears mentioning as the freshman effort of Kevin Smith, a young slacker writer/director whose work would never have seen the light of day had he gone through the normal channels.

“Clerks” is about two young store clerks and their various relationship problems. It is a stark, humorous look at 20-something life in the mid-’90s.

Its importance is not in the powerful performances (there really aren’t any of those; the actors are reading in some scenes) but in the writing of Kevin Smith whose dialogue is fresh if not excessively profane. Its value will one day be significant as an archeological artifact of slacker life at the end of the 20th century.

“Pink Flamingos”

“Pink Flamingos” (or anything by John Waters) is a great example of classic American tastelessness. It is an unashamed presentation of disgusting imagery (witness the presence of Divine) as the protagonists strive to maintain their position as the “filthiest people alive.”

Waters makes no bones about his use of shocking and disgusting images to disturb his audience and shake them from their comfortable seats. He challenges the notion that art should have an effect on its audience. Many have been made physically ill while watching this film.

“Mediterraneo”

One of the best Italian films made in the last 10 years was “Mediterraneo,” which was directed by Gabriele Salvatores and written by Enzo Monteleone. It is the story of a squad of Italian soldiers dropped on an “abandoned” Greek island of little military value.

The soldiers remain on the island for the length of the war, unaware of the outside world. They are quite surprised to find they have changed sides at one point. It is a joyful, wistful story of love and honor told with quirky Italian humor.