Making films from home is his personal revolution

On July 4, independent filmmaker Scott Goldberg released "Mr. Mullen" online, a product of more than a year of work and shot almost entirely in Goldberg's hometown of Glen Cove.

Goldberg produced, wrote and directed the 10-minute film about a man who seeks revenge after losing everything because of the economic crash and corruption in big business and the Federal Reserve. The trailer is at mrmullenfilm.com.

Goldberg, who got a bachelor of fine arts degree in film/ video from Five Towns College, rejected the notion that a filmmaker must go to Hollywood or even Manhattan to make movies. He decided to become an independent filmmaker in his own backyard and said he believes it's possible to create a local film culture.

"The illusion that I had was that was how it had to be - you had to go to Hollywood, you had to work your way up," said Goldberg, 28. "But as an independent filmmaker, you do your own thing, you're not fetching coffee for 10 years."

Goldberg grew up in Glen Cove and attended its public schools from kindergarten, graduating in the Class of 2000. In high school, he took video production. But independent filmmaking requires sacrifice. Goldberg still lives at home and works freelance jobs, such as shooting bar mitzvahs and weddings, to make money to pay actors and buy equipment. "Mullen" is his fifth short film.

He said Glen Cove - with its diverse community and backdrop as a small city on the North Shore with apartments and Gold Coast mansions - is an excellent place to make movies.

"I believe in building a revolution from here," he said, "where we can make the art we want and do it for a living."