According to industry icon Roger Ebert (who recently passed after a long bout with cancer), 2012 is the year that revenue from online streaming will pass DVD sales, and we start our long goodbye to the digital versatile disc. But what does this mean for the movie industry?

The first casualties are likely to be outside the mainstream. Without DVD sales to rely on, independent and foreign filmmakers may not be able to afford the high cost of DVD production. Streaming pays significantly less than DVDs, and indie films will have a harder and harder time making a profit or finding an audience.

Luckily, Netflix instant offers some great independent and foreign movies via streaming for its 24 million subscribers. Here are five foreign and independent films available on netflix.com that we recommend catching while their distributors can still afford to stream them.

Foreign Films:
“OldBoy” (Country of Origin: South Korea)

     This flashy and stylized Korean import packs a lot of punch in its 120 minutes of runtime. The film follows Oh Dae-su, a man who was taken from his family and imprisoned in solitary confinement for 15 years by unknown persons and for no apparent reason. Suddenly, he is released, and he begins his quest for answers and revenge. “Oldboy” boasts an iconic fight sequence, a morally perverted plot, and a haunting score. It was met with widespread acclaim at its release. Watch this before the release of the American remake in 2013.

“The Swimsuit Issue” (Country of Origin: Sweden)

I recently discovered that Swedish comedies are universally hilarious. This one follows a group of middle-aged friends who jokingly put on a synchronized swimming performance for their friend’s bachelor party. They are bad at the sport and look bad in swimsuits, but are overcome by competitive fervor and go pro as Sweden’s first all-male synchronized swimming team. The results are eye-wettingly sweet and adorable. There’s something about solemn-faced men in bathing suits trying to impress their 8-year-old daughters that really warms the heart.

Independent Movies
“Conversations with Other Women” (Budget: $450,000)

“Conversations with Other Women” features an unusual filmmaking technique. Each of its only two actors, Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart, were filmed simultaneously with two separate cameras. This footage is shown side by side on a split screen, making the audience the editor as their eyes move from screen to screen. The editor of the film quit immediately due to the dual-frame format and the director, who had no experience with editing, cut together the entire movie by himself. Despite these setbacks, the final product is a strong film. The plot itself is a bittersweet and understated romance about a couple that reunites at a wedding after moving on.
“Weekend” (Budget: £120,000)

“Weekend” is a slow burn of a romance that cuts right to the core. It chronicles three short days after a one-night stand, during which new lovers Russell and Glen are drawn together but struggle to keep their distance, as Glen is moving out of the country at the end of the weekend. The chemistry between the two leads is achingly real, and is what allows “Weekend” to be more than a movie about being gay. It’s refreshing to see a movie with well-developed gay leads who don’t die in the end, though you’ll probably cry anyway.
“Monsters” (Budget: $500,000)

You will not believe the budget for this movie. “Monsters” cut costs by using digital cameras, hiring only seven crewmembers, stealing shots from its gorgeous Mexican setting, and using locals as extras. Because all but the two main actors were unpaid and unrehearsed, most of the dialogue and plot was ad-libbed, giving the movie a feeling of realism. Even with all the cut corners, “Monsters” is a haunting horror movie about a pair of Americans trekking through an alien-infected, post-apocalyptic Mexico toward the US Border. “Monsters” doesn’t skimp on the aliens themselves. Even with its tight budget, this film has some kickass special effects to dish up alongside its political commentary and romantic subplot.

See Also: “XXY,” “I Love You Phillip Morris,” “In The Loop, Into The Abyss,” “Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle,” “Saint John of Las Vegas,” “He Died With A Falafel In His Hand,” “Adrift.”