EXCLUSIVE: In a shocking twist of fate, NoBudge, the Brooklyn streaming platform that sounds like a slogan for penny-pinchers, is rolling out its second feature film. This low-budget, lo-fi comedy titled Pomp & Circumstance, brought to life by the creative duo Adrian Anderson and Patrick Gray, follows the grand premier of the blockbuster sleeper hit Dad & Step-Dad from Tynan DeLong last year. Clearly, the sky’s the limit when your budget barely scratches the surface of a lunch bill at a fancy restaurant.
Pomp & Circumstance has already snagged awards like the Audience Choice Award at the Tallahassee Film Festival and the title of Best Feature Film at the Subculture Film Festival, where it was showcased as the dazzling closing night selection. The film will enjoy an exclusive one-month run on NoBudge starting September 18, before making its grand exit to other VOD platforms like Amazon Prime and Apple TV on October 18. Not to forget, the Blu-Ray edition will drop next year, because who doesn’t want a physical copy of a budget movie to showcase on their dusty shelf?
NoBudge founder Kentucker Audley probably churned out this statement in a caffeine-fueled haze: “After gracing the internet for over a decade, mainly screening short films that the mainstream forgot, we’re thrilled to dip our toes into the vast ocean of film distribution. Pomp & Circumstance embodies our mission—a feature that sidesteps the Hollywood treadmill in favor of a raw, artistic vision. Think of it as a quirky mixtape of the French New Wave and Mumblecore, resonating with youthful chaos and enthusiasm.” So, you know, your run-of-the-mill indie film.
Directed by Anderson and Gray in their feature debut that feels like a group project gone wonderfully awry, this charmingly chaotic film follows three soon-to-be grads swept into their professor’s absudist mayoral campaign. Shot on 16 mm film—the kind your parents might recognize if they had aspirations of classic filmmaking and a robust savings account—on a budget of just $15,000, it lovingly pays homage to the glorious chaos of ’60s underground cinema. Elementary Brian De Palma? Welcome to the club, friends.
The movie features a cast of fresh faces, including Ben Loftus, Noah Brockman, Isabel Zaia, and Patrick J. Malone, none of whom are likely to be confused with Hollywood A-listers anytime soon. Tucker Bennett (The Code), Nora Austin Murphy, and Alex Walton (Castration Movie—yes, you read that right) round out the cast, handpicked from the “what have you done recently?” playlist of actors. All four leads are making their acting debuts, because who needs experience when you have vision?
“We couldn’t ask for a better home for Pomp & Circumstance than NoBudge,” Anderson mused, likely with stars in his eyes. “Kentucker’s dedication to uplifting emerging filmmakers is essential, and I’m over the moon that our film now stands shoulder to shoulder with such awe-inspiring indie talent.” Ah, nothing screams legitimacy quite like the endorsement of a brand that promotes “no-budget” films in the first place.
Established in 2011 as a curated Tumblr blog—because that’s where all serious film discussions begin—NoBudge evolved into a fully-fledged website by 2015. With its mission to showcase low-budget independent films across all genres (including documentaries and “experimental” masterpieces that could make you question your life choices), it launched a subscription service as a streamer in 2021. Who needs Netflix when you can sift through the artistic treasures of the obscure?
