ACEFEST 2009

Filmed over ten years, this controversial documentary follows five roommates trying to make it in Hollywood who face the unexpected consequences of fame.

When Tony Zierra, an aspiring filmmaker with no money, stars or crew, resorts to filming the lives of his four struggling actor roommates, he never imagines the incredible twists of fate he would end up capturing on camera. Things take an amazing turn when three of the actors, Brad Rowe (Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, Shelter), Chad Lindberg (October Sky, The Fast And The Furious) and Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider) defy astronomical odds and quickly hit it big. Meanwhile, the fourth actor, Greg Fawcett, is nearly driven insane watching the others get famous.

It doesn't take long for the unsettling reality of stardom to set in. Lindberg's hope of becoming a leading man is crushed when he’s repeatedly told he doesn’t have the right look; Rowe ends up typecast as a pretty boy and can't break past his uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt; while Bentley, who has the most explosive career launch in decades, uneasily retreats from his sudden, overwhelming fame. As the actors deal with life in the public eye, Zierra struggles with constant obstacles while he tries to complete his film - including being scrutinized and blocked by the actors' nervous agents.

From a unique vantage point, My Big Break explores what it's really like to become famous and how people are changed forever, but not necessarily for better, when their dreams come true.