When we talk about directorial debut films (especially in the scifi/horror genre), we often have to put aside the low-budget and low-effort gimmicks of breakout filmmaking: over the top gore, topless women, and rehashed tales. That is simply not the case with Jeremy Gardener's 2012 stunner, The Battery. Simple but effective, The Battery tells the story of two young men simply trying to survive in a world turned upside down.

With a budget of only $6,000 dollars, The Battery calls back genre greats like Romero and Carpenter, and even exceeds some of their earlier efforts... The cinematography of Battery is almost indistinguishable from Hollywood films, and the physical directing chops of Gardener are felt throughout.

Like Benson and Moorhead of Spring, Gardener and Stella show here what can be done without big studios mucking up the works.

These two (four to not discount Benson and Moorhead) filmmakers are ones to watch. They have the talent, the drive, and the heart to make meaningful films that stand the test of time.

Move over Hollywood, the era of the independent filmmaker is at hand.