by Larry Richman
December 27, 2007 11:59 AM

As 2007 comes to a close, it's time to take stock of the year in cinema and post the requisite "Ten Best" list. However, my world revolves around independent film and festivals and, while I do choose a list of Top Picks for each individual festival I attend, taking a list from one and comparing it to another is like apples and oranges. The quantity and quality of films at each festival is different. I might see as many as 30 films and choose anywhere from one to ten or more Top Picks per festival. To then compile some sort of grand list becomes quite difficult. And I'm not alone. Even such esteemed critics as The New York Times' A.O. Scott could not limit his "Ten Best" list to ten. He ultimately chose 19 films.

So with just four days left in the year, and most major media outlets posting their favorite films of 2007, I've felt a little bit of pressure to put out my own. A little, not a lot. Because as much as it would please me, this is not a major media outlet. Still, I thought I'd quickly tally them up and see what stood out.

This year I attended eleven festivals plus assorted screenings and (gasp) movies in theaters. Here is a list of the festivals:

Sundance Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Sedona International Film Festival
SXSW Film Festival
San Fernando Valley Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
Sundance at BAM
Toronto International Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
New Hampshire Film Festival
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

I saw approximately 200 films this year. Here is a list of all my Top Picks (totaling 49 films) from these festivals and screenings in chronological order:

Snow Angels
Clubland
The Go-Getter
Teeth
The Good Life
An American Crime
Weapons
Man in the Chair
Trade
The King and the Clown
Red Road
2:37
My Scary Girl
Children
Waiter
Le Dernier des Fous
Ping Pong
Little Children
The Lookout
He Was a Quiet Man
Billy The Kid
Fay Grim
Love is the Drug
The Air I Breathe
The Final Season
Chasing 3000
Charlie Bartlett
Nobel Son
Napoleon & Me
Half Moon
Times and Winds
The Optimists
The Cake Eaters
The Third Monday in October
Nanking
Lost Dream
Juno
Bill
Normal
Atonement
Then She Found Me
Into the Wild
The Jane Austen Book Club
Paranoid Park
3:10 to Yuma
Choose Connor
Still Green
Wristcutters: A Love Story
August Rush

It would seem to make the most sense to slice off the cream of the crop for each festival to come up with an overall list of Top Picks. However, as I stated earlier, I chose anywhere from one to ten or more Top Picks per festival and the quality varies from one festival to another. For example, the #1 Top Pick from one festival might not even match the quality of the #5 film from another. So one festival is represented by six films and others not at all. So there you have my criteria.

And remember, I have tried to limit myself to indies I saw at film festivals, avoiding major studio films and specialty division releases wherever possible. So you won't see a lot of the films on other critics lists or those being touted as awards contenders.

That said, I couldn't limit myself to just the 20 I chose in 2006. But I have managed to chop the above list of 49 in half. So here are my 25 Top Picks of the year in chronological order:

Snow Angels
Clubland
The Go-Getter
An American Crime
Man in the Chair
Trade
The Lookout
Billy The Kid
The Air I Breathe
The Final Season
Chasing 3000
Charlie Bartlett
Nanking
Lost Dream
Juno
Bill
Normal
Atonement
Then She Found Me
Into the Wild
3:10 to Yuma
Choose Connor
Still Green
Wristcutters: A Love Story
August Rush

Some have already played theaters and are out on DVD, others have played theaters and are awaiting home video release, and others are playing now or will be soon. A few don't yet have distribution in the States or overseas or both. Try to see them if you can -- I guarantee you won't be disappointed.