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The landscape for independent films has changed rapidly. On one hand, the opportunity to build a theatrical release has become increasingly difficult, but on the other hand, digital release has given indies a chance to play to a broad national audience at once. Each week, new indie releases will be profiled and because they might not be playing at a theater near you, one highly recommended film available now a click or two away via VOD (whether a new or not quite new release) will be presented for viewing without leaving your computer.

VOD Pick of the Week

Open Five and Open Five 2 at NoBudge Films

NoBudge Films was founded by filmmaker Kentucker Audley to provide a platform for online film distribution for low budget independent film. While On Demand and online viewing services such as iTunes, Vudu, and Amazon provide an outlet for many independent films, there are still many other worthy films that do not receive even that level of distribution. NoBudge provides a curated selection of feature films, short films, and documentaries for free. In addition to a catalog of films in the permanent collection, the website also features special limited time screenings of films. Audley also makes his own films available at NoBudge, including Open Five and Open Five 2.

Open Five and its sequel are loosely structured dramas exploring the fluid nature of romantic relationships of twenty-somethings. The films are largely improvised and draw on real life experiences as Kentucker and co-star Jake Rabinbach play fictionalized versions of themselves. In Open Five, Jake has been splitting time between New York and Memphis while sort of seeing Lucy. Their relationship is somewhat nebulous. Are they dating or just fooling around? Are they exclusive? Are they going to try to make the long distance thing work?

When Lucy comes to visit Jake in Memphis, she brings her friend Rose. Jake was hoping for some alone time with Lucy, and Rose is a possible third wheel, but lucky for him Rose immediately hits it off with his best friend Kentucker. The couples have a weekend double date as they try to figure out where they stand with each other and what they want out of the relationships. Things are further complicated by the specter of exes that they may not quite be over. Open Five also exists as a love letter to the city of Memphis as the film takes place at many of the city’s famous landmarks, making it another character in the film.

Open Five 2 picks up some time later and further blurs the line between fiction and reality. It’s not exactly a sequel per se as the two films form more of a mobius strip. Again Kentucker and Jake play characters named Kentucker and Jake, however in this film these characters are the people who made Open Five instead of the characters in that first film. It’s a bit of a mind-bender when the premier of Open Five is part of the plot of Open Five 2. The device is subtle, but it does raise intriguing questions about the boundaries of fiction when making extremely personal films.

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