Indie Film Spotlight: LOAFERS
Written and Directed by: Zach Schnitzer
Produced by: Nate Simon
LOAFERS is a movie about friends, made by a group of friends. It’s the story of Isaac and Cameron, two best friends living in Chicago after graduating from college, struggling to navigate the shifting terrain of their relationships as they decide who they want to be when they grow up. It was made for $6,000 in 11 days with a small crew, shot in my the actors’ apartments, and inspired by how I was feeling.
I met most of the cast and crew while studying at DePaul University. We worked together on short films, theater productions, and supported each other. After graduating, while trying to get my career started, I decided I wanted to make a feature that represented my life, my friends, and my world view. Inspired by My Friends, the debut feature of Nate, my producer and cousin, I figured it could be possible to make something small, personal, and still affecting. I was hugely inspired by the slice-of-life mumblecore movies that came before me, too, like Shithouse and Drinking Buddies.
I made this film as a way of understanding the post-grad haze I’m engulfed in – I’m confused, frustrated, and excited all at once. Movies have often been a lens through which I understand my life, but there were no movies that honestly depicted what its like to be 23. There are plenty, though, that are some 30-year-old guy’s version of being 23…
We wanted to tell our own story, to look at what it feels like to be young right now and represent it as only someone our age could. We scraped together money from our menial jobs, used whatever equipment we could find, and cashed in all of our favors, but this is what makes LOAFERS special. It’s DIY filmmaking at its best: rough around the edges but full of life. It’s a film we care deeply about, and we hope you do too. Thanks, Zach & Nate
LOAFERS is having its world premiere at Dances with Films New York at Regal Union Square. It is screening January 17th at 4:45pm. Tickets are on sale now. We’d love to see you there. For More info: Dances with Films, NY.
Filmmaker Bio:
Zach Schnitzer is an award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer. As an actor, Schnitzer’s credits include THINGY, an upcoming horror feature produced by Joe Swanberg, and several equity theatre productions in Chicago and Minneapolis. As a writer/director/actor/producer, Schnitzer has worked on short films like Sweet Disposition (2024) and To The Moon (2024). Loafers is his first feature as a writer/director/producer. Because being an artist doesn’t pay (yet), Zach is also a server in Chicago.
Follow Zach and Loafers:
Instagram: @loafers.movie, @movingaheadproductions
TikTok: @zachschnitzer
