It’s so easy to make no budget films with today’s digital technology. When I started Raindance in 1992 it was different – you really needed about a million to make a film.
Then Robert Rodriguez changed everything with el Mariachi. In London there were several of us trying to outdo each other with a film made cheaper than the efforts of our rivals. A few of these films actually made it out of our basement bedrooms and onto the big screen.
Incredibly, you can get this entire library of astonishing and fantastic debut films delivered to your own front door or video screen for less than thirty quid. Many of these films have a strong Raindance connection.
Check these out:
Blair Witch Project, 1999
This film swept away box office record after record following its premier at the Raindance Film Festival in 1999. Of all the no budget films, it remains one of my favourite
Hard to beat it’s Official Website
Did the Blair Witch Project fake it’s online fan base?
The Last Broadcast, 1998
A lot of people think that BWP was heavily influenced by The Last Broadcast, 1998, a film made by Cultural Hacker (the official website of director Lance Weillor) and Stefan Avalos.
Cube, 1997
Vincenzo Natali’s Cube, 1997, is Canada’s contribution to the no budget realm, and was a stunning success, winning a series of international accolades at film festivals and industry awards.
Reputedly made for a paltry $100,000 (Canadian) at a time when the currency was nearly worthless, this film makes compelling watching.
Pi, 1997
Darren Aronofsky’s debut feature won best first feature at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and a fistful of other awards. His film is made following the principles of Raindance’s own Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking class.
He’s done rather well out of it.
Clerks, 1994
In 1993, Raindance could have screened Clerks as a work in progress, except Kevin Smith’s debut feature came in days before we were due to start. As a result, it went to Sundance, and the rest, so they say, is history for this no budget feature.
Night of the Living Dead, 1968
George Romero, the king of slash, launched his career with this ’12 kids in a house and chop ’em up’ classic.
El Mariachi, 1992
Robert Rodriguez’ $15,000 debut follows the trail of a wandering minstrel who is mistaken for a murderous criminal.
Living In Oblivion, 1995
Writer/director Tom DiCillo got inspiration for this film from the frustrations he experienced when making the film Johnny Suede (Brad Pitt’s first movie), and his long struggle to make his next intended film, Box of Moon Light. Living in Oblivion was rejected by all producers but the actors and friends of the director felt so strongly about the project that they financed it.
Living in Oblivion is divided into three parts. The first part was shot in five days and after DiCillo realized that it was too short to be a feature and too long to be a short he expanded it into a full feature film with parts two and three.
London To Brighton, 2006 (Screened at Raindance)
Paul Andrew Williams broke through with this no budget feature which cleaned up the Best British Film at Raindance that year, and then waltzed off with a coveted BIFA.
Producer Ken Marshall is a Raindance regular, and several of the other cast and production team have circled around the festival and our training programme for years. Paul and Ken have just finished The Cottage starring Andy Serkis, which has just been sold to Sony for American distribution. Top that!
Following, 1998 (Screened at Raindance)
Chris Nolan’s debut, made on 16mm for just over £15k remains one of the most astounding debuts ever, although it didn’t get the marketing and publicity that Blair Witch got.
There is a strong Raindance connection to this film: our office was used as a storage centre, and most of the film is shot within a couple of hundred metres from the office.
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- Raindance has a Higher Education programme offering HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking and Screenwriting?
- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of benefits
- Let Raindance guide you on your filmmaking pathway. call +44 (0) 207 930 3412 or email filmschool@raindance.ac.uk
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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