Cool Hunting

Two filmmaking collectives, QuickFlick World, a loose-knit international organization, and the NYC-based QuickFlicks, share a title as well as a goal that urges filmmakers to stop whining and start producing. Like Quick Flicks’s motto announces,"Our Mission: One Month. One Film. No Excuses."

Sound overly ambitious? Ambitious, yes, but these groups of basement cinematographers prove that where there's a will, there's a way. With the onset of relatively inexpensive digital technology, so the argument goes, expensive acetate film and cutting room editing has been replaced with digital non-linear editing that's quicker, easier, and way less complex.

Quick Flicks has an open call out for volunteers and fellow shooters. Anyone with a camera, some basic editing equipment, and a month to shoot a film on zero budget is eligible (and that makes for a lot of eligible artists by my count); those wishing to lend a hand as cast and crew can give these guys a shout, too.

QuickFlick World organizes it’s monthly screenings around a theme (February’s was “Fragile”), which member directors then have a month to work with. The results are submitted to a jury who then decides on a line-up that’s presented at a monthly screening party in each of the six cities.

Even if you're not the next Kubrick who's living out of his car, both sites have a wide array films they've already finished. On Quick Flicks, some were made from start to finish in 48 hours. Their 'Turbo Treads' shoe commercial spoof? Classic.