First Run Features Movies: Every Film, Box Office & Ratings
First Run Features has made 213 films from 1974 to 2023, earning $170M at the worldwide box office. Its biggest hits are The Butterfly (2003), A Will for the Woods (2014) and The Deserted Station (2004). Its most frequent director is Alan Govenar (6 films). Most of its films are documentary films (161 of 213).
- films
- 213
- worldwide box office
- $170M
- average score of 7 rated films
- 63
- years active
- 1974–2023
- Main genres
- Documentary, Drama, History
- Film languages
- English (145), French (14), Spanish (10)
- Busiest decade
- The 2010s, 100 films
- Frequent director
- Alan Govenar
- Oscars
- 0 wins from 2 nominations
- After the credits
- 3 films have a scene after the credits
What Are First Run Features' Biggest Box Office Hits?
The First Run Features films that earned the most worldwide. The Butterfly (2003) leads with $96.8M, 57% of everything the studio's films have earned.
- 1
The Butterfly 2003 · Drama $96.8M - 2
A Will for the Woods 2014 · Drama $37.5M - 3
The Deserted Station 2004 · Drama $8.7M - 4
Last Cab to Darwin 2016 · Drama $5.95M - 5
Bheja Fry 2007 · Comedy $3.77M - 6
Little Lili 2004 · Drama $3.13M - 7
Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution 2009 · Documentary $1.48M - 8
Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe 2017 · Drama $1.37M
What Are the Best-Rated First Run Features Movies?
By Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. For They Know Not What They Do (2020) scores highest at 80; the studio's 7 rated films average 63.
-
Movie Echo Score: Score 80 For They Know Not What They Do 2020 · Documentary -
Movie Echo Score: Score 75 Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe 2017 · Drama -
Movie Echo Score: Score 74 Strangers on the Earth 2018 · Documentary -
Movie Echo Score: Score 72 You Go to My Head 2020 · Drama -
Movie Echo Score: Score 57 Naples '44 2017 · War -
Movie Echo Score: Score 50 Underdog 2023 · Sport -
Movie Echo Score: Score 30 Hot to Trot 2018 · Documentary
What Are the Latest First Run Features Movies?
The studio's most recent releases, newest first, starting with Underdog (2023).
-
2023 Underdog Sport -
2022 Somewhere with No Bridges Documentary -
2021 Algren Documentary -
2020 Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World Documentary -
2020 Myth of a Colorblind France Documentary -
2020 For They Know Not What They Do Documentary -
2020 You Go to My Head Drama -
2019 Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams Documentary
What Kind of Movies Does First Run Features Make?
The studio's films by genre, decade and language. Most of its films are documentary films (161 of 213). The 2010s were its busiest decade, with 100 films.
First Run Features Movies by Genre
First Run Features Movies by Decade
- 3 1970s
- 4 1980s
- 10 1990s
- 89 2000s
- 100 2010s
- 7 2020s
First Run Features Movies by Language
-
English 145
-
French 14
-
Spanish 10
-
German 7
-
Chinese 4
-
Japanese 2
Who Works With First Run Features the Most?
The people credited on the most First Run Features films. Ross McElwee appears in 5 of them, and Alan Govenar directed 6.
Directors Who Work With First Run Features
Actors in the Most First Run Features Movies
How Have First Run Features Movies Done at the Awards?
Nominations and wins of First Run Features films at the ceremonies the site follows, including 0 Oscars from 2 nominations.
What Movies Has First Run Features Made?
All 213 films, newest first, with the Movie Echo Score and the worldwide box office. Filter by genre or decade, or sort by score, box office or title.
All 213 First Run Features Movies
Newest first. Page 2 of 5.
Nuclear Nation 2013 · Documentary
The End of Time 2013 · Documentary · $4.38K
Birth of the Living Dead 2013 · Documentary · $9.8K
Rising from Ashes 2013 · Sport · $53.8K
Triumph of the Wall 2013 · Comedy
Bidder 70 2013 · Biography · $5.07K
Herman's House 2013 · Crime · $4.96K
Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read 2013 · Documentary
Bert Stern: Original Madman 2013 · Documentary
You Don't Need Feet to Dance 2013 · Documentary · $1.72K
A Fierce Green Fire 2013 · Documentary · $29.8K
11 Flowers 2013 · Drama
Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder 2013 · Documentary
Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary 2013 · Documentary · $37.7K
56 Up 2013 · Documentary · $701K
Wagner & Me 2012 · Biography
Gottfried Helnwein and the Dreaming Child 2012 · Documentary · $601
Orchestra of Exiles 2012 · Documentary · $34.6K
Photographic Memory 2012 · Documentary · $7.82K
Three Stars 2012 · Documentary
Girl Model 2012 · Thriller · $22.4K
Master Qi and the Monkey King 2012 · Documentary
Patagonia Rising 2012 · Adventure · $2.06K
Pink Ribbons, Inc. 2012 · Documentary · $26.6K
Wish Me Away 2012 · Biography · $18.6K
Never Stand Still 2012 · Biography · $14.3K
Nobody Else But You (Poupoupidou) 2012 · Mystery · $150K
Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment 2012 · History
Surviving Progress 2012 · Documentary · $54K
The Beat Hotel 2012 · Biography · $6.48K
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth 2012 · Drama · $44.9K
Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission 2012 · Documentary
Garbo: The Spy 2011 · Biography
Eames: The Architect & The Painter 2011 · Biography · $163K
Pianomania 2011 · Music
The Sons of Tennessee Williams 2011 · History · $3.24K
American Teacher 2011 · Biography · $33.1K
The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby 2011 · Biography · $183K
Little Girl (La Pivellina) 2011 · Drama
Special Treatment 2011 · Drama · $294K
Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' 2011 · Biography · $31.1K
Circo 2011 · Drama · $77.5K
Making the Boys 2011 · Documentary · $33.4K
Orgasm Inc. 2011 · Documentary
Plastic Planet 2011 · Documentary
Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune 2011 · Biography · $264K
Bhutto 2010 · Biography · $100K
Carmo, Hit the Road 2010 · Adventure
Which Studios Are Similar to First Run Features?
The studios with the most English documentary films. First Run Features has made 123 English documentary films, more than any other kind.
- BBC 534 English documentary films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 222 English documentary films
- ONF | NFB 135 English documentary films
- HBO Documentary Films 134 English documentary films
- Netflix 131 English documentary films
- National Geographic 127 English documentary films
- HBO 115 English documentary films
- Abramorama 112 English documentary films
First Run Features: Questions and Answers
Films, hits, scores and what comes next, answered from the same data as this page.
How many movies has First Run Features made?
First Run Features has released 213 films, from 1974 to 2023. Its busiest decade was the 2010s, with 100 films.
See every film What is First Run Features' highest-grossing movie?
The Butterfly (2003) is First Run Features' biggest box office hit, with $96.8M worldwide, ahead of A Will for the Woods (2014) ($37.5M).
What is the best-rated First Run Features movie?
For They Know Not What They Do (2020) has the highest Movie Echo Score of any First Run Features film, 80. The 7 rated films average 63.
Which director has made the most films with First Run Features?
Alan Govenar has directed 6 First Run Features films, more than anyone else, followed by Michael Apted (3) and Chris Marker (2).







