In an era where the path to launching an indie film career is murkier than ever, everyone has a different suggestion about building an audience for your first project. Some people still swear by the festival circuit, while others insist it’s all about building a YouTube or TikTok audience first. There’s some truth to both of those answers, but Jocelyn Catt, Genu Lee, and Marco Bizio’s “Valley Daze” is proof of a viable third option that might be the best of all: putting the community first.
The independent TV pilot, which was filmed for a $30k budget in 2023, tells a “Clerks”-esque story about a group of skaters, drug dealers, influencers, artists, and wallflowers navigating a week of tumultuous youthful antics in the San Fernando Valley. But while the writing and performances are enjoyable, it’s most notable for its regionally specific details that could have only been crafted by people who grew up there.
The “Valley Daze” project is a collaboration between 100 Los Angeles locals who met each other at high schools around the San Fernando Valley. The film exists because of a crowdfunding campaign in which they pooled their resources with the hope of creating a comedy project that reflects the quirks of their neighborhoods.
That community-first ethos has powered its unique distribution strategy as well. The pilot, which hails from executive producer David Dastmalchian, has eschewed festivals or online distribution in favor of packed local screenings around the Valley. The project even attracted the attention of the Los Angeles City Council, which came on board to host a sold-out screening on Friday night with the hope of encouraging more intimate, community-based film projects to emerge in the area.
The event was spearheaded by Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who represents the East San Fernando Valley in Council District 2. On a call with IndieWire, he explained that he saw “Valley Daze” as a chance to remind the city that championing small filmmakers in the infancy of their careers is just as important as supporting massive studio projects.
“I was so impressed by the crew from ‘Valley Daze.’ These people for the most part are all Valley-based, Valley-grown. There was a common bond between each one of them across the school boundaries. They came together in their early 20s and made something really amazing,” Nazarian said. “You want to continue to foster that. Not only for that talent to be seen and to be recognized, but you want to nurture it so that it continues to grow here.”
He continued, “Where does a giant, almond-producing tree come from? It comes from one little seedling. When you give that chance, when you nurture it, when you do all the things necessary to make that little seedling thrive, it’s going to do a lot more. And that’s something we should never lose sight of.”
It remains to be seen what’s next for “Valley Daze.” More episodes could certainly be in the works, and its creators remain interested in developing it into something bigger. But whatever the case, there will be a packed house tonight of Valley locals who want to show what the project means to them. Every independent filmmaker should be so lucky.
The “LA City Council Presents: Valley Daze” screening takes place on Friday, June 19 at 6pm P.T at the El Portal Theater.
