Slumdog Millionaire is 'Triumph' for independent film-makers and 'Angel' for its stars

Produced for $15 million by Britain’s Film4 and Celador Films, “Slumdog Millionaire” has taken $163 million at the worldwide box office with predictions of up to and over $200 million since the film’s Oscar success on Sunday. For those who gambled on the project it means huge profit margins for producers and distributors. Some of those returns are being set up as trust funds for two Indian children who starred in the film by director Danny Boyle and the producers.

For independent filmmakers, high profit margins are good news in an industry that rarely takes risks. "These films are important because they defy conventional wisdom and show that someone can do something completely original and succeed, when so much of the movie industry has been commoditized, " said a Fox Searchlight exec.