Independent film fans, it is time. The Vacant Era Film Festival, which runs through Sunday at the Sooner Theatre and Coach's Brewhouse, starts 6 p.m. today at the Sooner with a kick-off speech by Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal.

The festival got started with a small problem in 2006, said Meleah Montgomery, production manager and festival coordinator for the Vacant Era Film Festival.

"Well basically, it originated in a script. Cory Allen and Randy Aspell were doing a script in conjunction. They were trying to get it made into a film and they discovered it's really hard to get all the people together for the editing, production and distribution on a film.

"There are people around town who do those things, but those resources aren't all combined into one place and it's hard to find all the individuals together at the same time for the same project."

The city's moniker helped seal the deal for the Vacant Era Film Festival.

"We all live in or around Norman so we decided to do it here," Montgomery said, "and it is the City of Festivals after all so it was a good fit."

While most festivals are up and running after several years of fundraising and planning, the Vacant Era Festival is instead ready to begin after several months.

"That was about April," Montgomery said, "and we've been doing it ever since. For it to have come to fruition this quickly is amazing, especially when you think of how long it takes to get all the stuff together for a festival. Most festivals start to years and advance and so, for us to have started it halfway through the year is a rare thing. We've been fighting it uphill all the way, since most organizations and groups have already decided their budget for the financial year in advance regarding donations and sponsorships, budgeted out their money already and add on top of that the economy.

"So it's been an uphill battle trying to get it all together and get it started. It's amazing we're getting it done and it's happening."

Giving a helping hand to make the festival come together in such a short time are the City of Norman and local businesses and arts organizations including KREF 1400 AM, Action Arts OKC, Coach's Brewhouse, the Firehouse Art Center, Standing Buffalo Indian Art Gallery and Gifts, Crazy Ladies Book Shop, Marc Heitz Chevrolet, Republic Bank and Trust, Riverwind Casino and NONzine.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal proclaimed the week of the festival Independent Film Week in Norman, Montgomery said.

"It's great, this being our first year, that the City of Norman is behind us on this festival and so many other organizations are ready to help us out on this and help make it happen."

Montgomery said there is a schedule of festival events available "at www.vacantera.com/2008Schedule.htm. Just click on pages two through four for the schedule of events because the first page there is the cover."

While there is no common theme to the films featured in the festival, and in fact some films' subject matter and/or content are not family friendly, they all share humble origins.

"They're all independent films," Montgomery said.