For the true movie lover, a trip to the Zero Film Festival is a must do trip at least once. Only two years old, the festival focuses on a select group or niche of the film industry that has largely been cut off from other venues, that of the self-financed filmmakers. The films range in topics from documentaries to short fictional films all the way up to full length feature films. In 2008 the L.A. Zero Film Festival was held in Los Angeles, in 2009 it added an additional run in New York. The growth of the festival all but insures that it will continue to grow in the coming years.
The group behind the festival is a collection of young film makers and supporters that want to keep the self-financed film genre alive. At the forefront is Rich Hooband who came from a privileged background but gave it all up to focus on his deep passion for the 'indie' film experience. He created a non-profit organization and gather friends with similar interests to start the event. It now lives and breaths on its own. In keeping with the typically low budgets available to indie film makers the entry costs are quite low, ranging from $15-$120 to enter a film and have it critiqued by experts.
Video from Zero Film Festival NYC 2009
For the movie goers you have the chance to see the works of up and coming film makers before they become superstars. You also get a chance to see films that might otherwise not be published or distributed because they either deal with subject matter that some might find frightening or offensive or as is more likely the case, the film has little potential for generating income. Although the 2009 festival is over, the group plans a much more expanded tour in 2010.
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