The wild West days of the world’s film festivals are not over. Despite festivals getting bigger and bigger with each passing season, with programming spots going to top-billed film with star-packed casts, there is still plenty of room for up-and-coming filmmakers to get their stuff submitted, accepted, and seen at festivals. Case in point – the No Budget Film Festival, the second annual festival of its kind from cARTel: Collaborative Arts LA. Sick of festivals that only seem to show huge budget films from established directors that would get buzz anyway? Well then, how about a film festival where every film was made for zero dollars. You read that right. No scrilla. Not a red cent. Sans dinero.
Filmmakers were given only two rules for making their “no budget” flicks – they could not spend any money and all films had to clock in under eight minutes. Really, no money? That’s right – sets, costumes, camera equipment, actors, editing equipment, locations, props – not a lick of it could cost the filmmakers a penny. If making it in Hollywood is about calling in lots of favors, the No Budget filmmakers have likely used up their favor allotment for a good decade or so.
The winner of the festival will get a fully produced premiere of their next film, a wealth of budgeting and scheduling software, a publicity photo session, a pitch meeting, and a feature interview on Rent. Food. Broke. Basically, winners will get all that stuff that they couldn’t pay for while making the film that ultimately won them the prize.
If this festival didn’t already sound like a super-chill time, the team over at cARTel went ahead and amped up their street cred by adding one of LA’s own Rejects to their panel of judges to pick the festival’s winner. No, not Fure. Me. No, really, me. No, seriously, you guys.
The panel also includes actual big names in the world of cinema like screenwriter and producer Ashley Edward Miller (Thor, X-Men: First Class), indie super-producer Brian Udovich (The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), filmmakers Evan Glodell and Vincent Grashaw (Bellflower), and a number of others that only illuminate how much I have to prove for both myself and the rest of my Rejects brethren.
The festival will take place on Thursday, August 25 at the Downtown Independent in downtown Los Angeles (a wickedly cool space that is perfect for such an event, what with its cushy seats and beer-laden snack bar and rooftop terrace). Doors will open at 8:45PM, with the screening kicking off at 9:15PM. All fifteen films will show, with the judging panel in attendance so that we can then decide on one winner immediately after the screening wraps. After some feisty deliberation, the panel will announce the festival’s winner at a fun and frisky reception on that nifty rooftop (complete with drinks and “no budget” gourmet snacks and even a snazzy photo booth and live music).
If you are in Los Angeles and want to stop by for this sure-to-be awesome event, pick up tickets at the fest’s website here.
Check out the full listing of films below, along with a nifty trailer for all the films!
’Til Death Do Us Part
Directed by Nanca Miyata/Produced by Teaser Tuesday
The Proposal of Ralph Jenkins
Directed by Katie French/ Produced by Bad Bonsai Productions
Once Upon an Evening Out
Directed by Andrew Lewis/ Produced by Andew Lewis and Alexa Teal Green
The Drop
Directed by Nik Kazoura/ Produced by The Kloons
Little White Pill
Directed by Matt Soson/ Produced by Matt Soson
Couch Surfer
Directed by David Branson/ Produced by Shuttereye
The Ballad of Sinder & Maddy
Directed and Produced by Jessica Rose-Felix
Kidz Parties
Directed and Produced by Justin Baker
The List
Directed by Keiko Saito/ Produced by Pasadena City College
Bare Feet
Directed and Produced by Jesse Johnson
The Bellybutton
Directed and Produced by Steven Wilson
Fruit Whoops!
Directed and Produced by Nick Smith
Imaginary Friends
Directed by Kingsley Irons/ Produced by Dances Made to Order
Next Level
Directed and Produced by Anton Sokolov
Captain Hook: Vampire Hunter
Directed and Produced by David Kantrowitz
