A research project on the history of MTV Films.

In 1996 MTV produced their first feature film, a very New York City musical about talking cockroaches. The production company went on to produce 39 films, some that went to the Sundance Film Festival and five that were nominated for Oscars. They also produced 7 installments of Jackass, a Razzy nominated film starring Britney Spears and yes, that talking cockroach movie. This selection of films is a snapshot of the evolution of Independent Film in the US from unhinged, unapologetic creative gems to bankable studio operations. From Joe’s Apartment to Project Almanac, the two decades of MTV Films spanned the truly great, the truly terrible and everything in between.