PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007), the horror film made by first-time director Oren Peli for a mere $15,000 with digital equipment, proves that you don’t always need a big budget to make a successful film. Peli asked fans to “demand” the film be shown in their area via the Web site www.eventful.com, and Paramount agreed to a nationwide release if the film received one million “demands.” Paranormal Activity was released nationwide on October 16, 2009, and went on to gross close to $200 million worldwide, spawning several sequels. © Paramount Pictures/Photofest