A low-budget film is a motion picture shot with little or no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or unknown filmmakers can also have low budgets. Many young or first time filmmakers shoot low-budget films to prove their talent before doing bigger productions. Many low-budget films that do not gain some form of attention or acclaim are never released in theatres and are often sent straight to retail because of its lack of marketability, look, story, or premise. Modern-day young filmmakers rely on film festivals for pre promotion. They use this to gain acclaim and attention for their films, which often leads to a limited release in theatres. Some low-budget films gain a cult following and this often leads to a wide release. A financial figure has not been determined which would define low-budget productions. The term “low budget” is relative to a certain country and varies upon genre. For example, a comedy film made for $20 million would be considered a modest budget, whereas an action film or science fiction made for the same amount of money would be considered low-budget because of the large amount of money required to produce mainstream films of these genres. The entertainment value and success of low-budget films depends on the genre, premise, story, and financing of the film, as well as the actors and their performances. A low-budget sci fi thriller may perform better at the box office because they require less visual effects, is story driven, and cheaper to make overall. Likewise, a low-budget sci fi action film may not perform well because these films are more action driven and more expensive to create, something a film with a low budget may not be able to provide in good quality. In many cases, low-budget filmmakers often create story driven or psychological films in all genres. Low-budget films can be either professional productions or amateur. They are either shot using professional or consumer equipment.