ABOUT US
ZERO Films is a (mostly) zero-budget production company founded and operated in Portland, Oregon by Melanie Ooi and Cristian Paluso-Serrano.
Our mission is to create high-quality original content beyond the restrictions of Hollywood gatekeeping.
ZERO Films emerged as a response to the inefficiencies and waste in the film industry — from time and energy, to money, resources, and potential.
We are able to reject this current industry ethos with the help of a passionate community of local professionals, countless volunteered hours and equipment, a safe and respectful work environment, and an insatiable drive to create.
Long live independent filmmaking!
cristian Paluso-Serrano
Co-founder
Writer/Director/Actor/Editor/Producer/
Composer
Cristian Paluso-Serrano is a writer and filmmaker who has built a resume of feature screenplays, pilots, shorts, music videos, and documentaries. Cristian was able to get a foot in the door through background acting and production assistant work, and has since evolved and flourished into an independent filmmaker with the help of the Portland film community.
Melanie ooi
Co-founder
Writer/Director/Producer
Melanie Ooi is a professional henna artist and filmmaker. Passionate about documentary and the path of the independent filmmaker, she made her first award-winning documentary on a Panasonic GH5, two lenses, and a shotgun mic — proving that you don’t need a huge budget and fancy equipment to make high-quality film.
Check out Melanie’s ‘World of Henna: India’ documentary here!