I think for a lot of indie films it's a bunch of guys in a profit sharing scheme living on ramen noodles. Back when I was applying to college I looked into film school, the 35mm film costed $600/minute, and since they're photo films you can't overwrite them. If you screw up you throw them away. So in effect the medium is the weakest link for a lot of indie people, especially ones on the low end of the spectrum.