Zero Film Festival is the first and only independent film festival exclusive to self-financd filmmakers. Founded by Brad Bores, Richard Hooban and Mallia Sherzai in 2007, Zero Film Festival holds annual festival events in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and Miami Beach. The American Buffalo is the symbol for the festival, representing the independent spirit.

The festival presents feature length narrative and documentary films, shorts, animations, experiments and music videos. Each year the festival features filmmakers and films from a different conflict region, past countries include Georgia, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Another component of the festival is the "made for zero" series, in which established filmmakers and artists are asked to create unique works with no budget.

Festival

The mission statement of the festival is to provide a platform in key cultural centers for self-financed films from the global independent film community. Zero Film Festival focuses on community, inclusivity and a general positive atmosphere.

The festival is typically held in non-traditional cinema venues such as warehouses, film studios, art galleries, museums and open spaces. Often there is a live music component coinciding with the film screenings.

History

The origins of the Zero Film Festival emerged from underground screenings held in downtown Los Angeles for the local DIY film community. Following positive responses, the festival opened its doors for international participation. The first official Zero Film Festival was held at the Flower St. Warehouse in December 2008. 2009 saw the expansion to New York as well as the first West Coast Tour with screenings in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Hollywood and Orange County. In the Spring of 2010, Zero Film Festival held its first international screening at the Cinecycle in Toronto, ON. 2010 Miami Beach was added, holding a screening at the Raleigh Hotel in conjunction with the Miami Beach Cinematheque and the French Consulate during the Art Basel Fair.