Playing by the rules of no-budget moviemaking

There seems to be nothing to stop anybody from making a feature film these days. And the people behind the new cinema initiative #Littlesecretfilm want to prove it. "Want we want is to show that if you have a good idea, you can make cinema," they say.

The project is centered on a list of basic rules and is due to unveil the first batch of movies made under them at www.littlesecretfilm.com on Friday.

Rule number nine clarifies the initiative's intentions: "#littlesecret doesn't claim to set itself up as a movement, brand or school, but rather as a non-commercial model for film production based on limitations, risk, improvisation and chance. [...] A defense of the internet as a distribution platform. An act of love for cinema by a small team of professionals by telling stories, experimenting, enjoying making movies."

They are a gift from each filmmaker; the film is free"

The other rules dictate that films have to be made in one 24-hour period, be shot in digital HD and have no pre-planned script, which is why the director and cast must appear as co-screenwriters. The crew must comprise no more than 10 people, nobody is allowed to be paid for their work -- the costs must be covered by the director -- and nobody can profit from the film, which must be made available on the internet under a copyright-free Creative Commons license.

The films do not even have to be uploaded to www.littlesecretfilm.com, but can remain on any server chosen by the director, though the hashtag #littlesecretfilm must appear next to the title.

Behind the initiative are the filmmaker Pablo Maqueda and Haizea G. Viana, marketing director at distributor Avalon. Among those set to premiere features on Friday are EL PAÍS film critic Jordi Costa, screenwriter and director Antonio Trashorras, writer Jimina Sabadú, the producer of crowdfunded film El cosmonauta Bruno Teixidor and veteran producer Elena Manrique.

The organization prefers to remain tight-lipped about the films before they are unveiled. "It is important that they are understood as a gift from each filmmaker, that the film is free," it says. However, it has revealed that there are a few Goya nominees among the over 100 film professionals who have participated in their making.

The first batch of 15 movies is hopefully just the start. "This isn't closed to anyone. [...] We are hoping for more in the coming weeks and we invite everyone to join the initiative."