Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Howard Libov's small office at the College at Florham in Madison, New Jersey, is cluttered with books, videotapes, movie posters and hygiene products such as Speed Stick deodorant and a bottle of Listerine.

Hidden in a corner is a framed poster for the film professor's award-winning 1999 short ``Little Man.'' That drama was the basis for his new feature ``Favorite Son,'' about an aging minor-league baseball player who returns to his hometown, still haunted by a childhood secret.

``I'm more organized than I look,'' Libov joked as he sifted through a stack of papers on his desk, searching for the shooting schedule for ``Favorite Son.''

Libov, 51, needed organizational skills for the low-budget movie he directed with a mostly student crew from his college, part of Fairleigh Dickinson University. He's planning to show it on the film-festival circuit, hoping to find a distributor willing to take a chance on his shoestring production.

``We've got a plan,'' said Libov, casually dressed in blue jeans, a black T-shirt and sneakers on a sweltering summer afternoon. ``We know it's a crowded marketplace out there for indie films, but all you need is for the right person to see it.''

``Favorite Son,'' which stars Pablo Schreiber, Connor Paolo and Kellie Overbey, was filmed in 30 days during the summer of 2006, but Libov just put the finishes touches on it in June. With the exception of Libov, cinematographer Ben Wolf and editor Emily Gumpel Clifton, virtually the entire crew was made up of Florham students whose only compensation was academic credit or a minor ownership stake in the movie.

Beg, Borrow

To save money, Libov filmed at nearby locations in New Jersey, borrowed a high-definition camera from Wolf and got free use of an editing studio. Excluding borrowed equipment and donated services, Libov said, out-of-pocket expenses for the movie totaled less than $20,000. Union rules allowed the actors to accept minimal salaries because of the film's ultra-low budget.

``There were no big trailers or fancy catering,'' said Schreiber, who plays the ballplayer. ``All vanity went out the window.''

Schreiber, half brother of actor Liev Schreiber, said he was initially a ``little nervous'' about working with so many inexperienced students. His doubts disappeared as the filming progressed.

``The more we shot, the less I worried,'' said Schreiber, 30, who also appears in the new Woody Allen film ``Vicky Cristina Barcelona.'' ``Everybody rose to the challenge and did a very professional job.''

R.E.M. Bassist

Brian Gonsar, 26, produced ``Favorite Son'' a few years after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson. He's now a commercial producer for the international ad agency BBDO in New York.

``It was a great learning experience,'' Gonsar said. ``With a small movie, you get to do a little bit of everything.''

Libov recalled the next-to-last day of filming, when the cast and crew were exhausted from the hectic shooting schedule.

``There was a rumor going around that we might finish that night,'' he said. ``I told everyone, `We'll try, but I can't guarantee anything.' Our wardrobe designer, Sandra Tuerk, said, `Don't worry, we all want to be here. We'll stay as long as it takes.'''

Libov co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Stewart, who also collaborated on his first feature, ``Midnight Edition,'' a 1994 film about the relationship between a reporter and a death-row inmate. The evocative soundtrack was composed by Murray Attaway of the band Guadalcanal Diary, and the closing song was recorded by R.E.M. bass player Mike Mills.

``When you do a movie like this, you rely on as many friends as possible,'' Libov said.

Indie Market

One crucial scene was filmed at Commerce Bank Ballpark, home of the minor-league Somerset Patriots baseball team. Libov wanted to use a real crowd but only had 15 minutes to shoot after the game ended.

``We did six takes in 11 1/2 minutes,'' he recalled. ``That might be some kind of record.''

Now that ``Favorite Son'' is completed, Libov faces an even bigger challenge -- trying to sell it at a time when the number of indie films is soaring and the number of indie distributors is shrinking. Time Warner Inc. recently announced it is shutting down its Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures units, and corporate restructuring has also led to cutbacks at Paramount Vantage and New Line Cinema.

``It's a tough time,'' Chris McGurk, chief executive officer of Overture Films, said in an interview. ``There's more movies out there and fewer avenues to get them distributed by solid, independent companies.''

Still, McGurk points to movies like Fox Searchlight's ``Little Miss Sunshine'' and Overture's ``The Visitor'' as proof that small indie movies can succeed in a hyper-competitive market. ``Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006) won two Oscars and has grossed $100 million worldwide, while ``The Visitor'' has made $9.3 million since opening in April.

``If you've got a good movie that's compelling and moves the audience, somebody's going to find it,'' McGurk said.

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Last Updated: August 18, 2008 00:01 EDT