Warwick A favorite shop or restaurant is often a community-based business where people know the owner. Locally owned businesses, an integral part of community character, often employ the services of other local businesses, carry locally made goods, and serve as community hubs. The Warwick Independent Business Alliance will host a screening of the new documentary, “Independent America: The Two Lane Search for Mom and Pop,” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, at the Warwick Valley Community Center at 11 Hamilton Ave in Warwick. Around the country, there is a rise in absentee-owner businesses, with formulas that dictate everything from the look of the building to who does the printing to where the money gets deposited. It’s not just the local businesses that suffer when these businesses move in; the communities lose their unique character and self-determination as well. Local businesses are integral to healthy neighborhoods and strong city centers. They are human-scaled, impose less distress on the environment, and help create a distinct local identity. The 80-minute documentary features filmmakers Hanson Hosein and Heather Hughes as they travel 21,000 kilometers through 32 states in search of “Independent America.” The two abide to two simple rules: use no interstate highways, and only do business with local, independent businesses. What they find is a place surrounded by hardy souls fighting for the right to remain independent in a land smothered by big box stores and fast food chains. The results should encourage Americans to think about how and where they spend their money. For more information about the business alliance, visit www.warwickiba.org.