One of the most wonderful things about Boston is how rich the independent film scene is here. We are blessed with multiple indie film theater staples including The Brattle Theater, The Coolidge Corner Theater, and The Somerville Theater. Throughout the year, the Independent Film Festival, better known as IFFBoston, works tirelessly to organize screenings of upcoming indie films. These screenings are free and open to the public, and if you are inclined to become a member, you can get extra perks such as discounted festival tickets and reserved seating for the free screenings.

The festival, which is held in April through May every year, includes a diverse combination of narrative features and documentaries. This year the festival featured many excellent films including Eight Grade (dir. Bo Burnham), Leave no Trace (dir. Debra Granik), First Reformed (dir. Paul Schrader), Won’t You Be My Neighbor (dir. Morgan Neville) and many more. To top it off, most of these screenings featured the film’s director or writers in attendance for a short Q&A.

As if the IFF Screening Series and the Film Festival were not enough work, IFFBoston also puts together a yearly Fall Focus Series, which includes early screenings of prominent award season film. Some examples of films featured in the last year’s Fall Focus weeks are Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins), In The Fade (dir. Fatih Akin), Lady Bird (dir. Greta Gerwig), Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri (dir. Martin McDonagh) among others.

All of the IFFBoston offerings make memberships a very attractive option for independent film lovers in the city. Membership levels vary but for $70 a year you can enjoy most benefits including discounted festival tickets and reserved seating for the screening series. Visit the website to learn more about IFFBoston.