The Auter Theory is a miracle, filmed in just twenty days on a budget of US$ 70 000.00, with complete dedication from cast and team working practically for free. This is a satyre on films made by students and independents that proliferate in the US. During a student film festival, someone starts to kill off each one of the young directors of short films. George Sand, an English documentarist takes it upon himself to make a film on the hunt for the criminal. The surviving film makers are the main suspects, and George begins an analysis of their work, looking for finger-print clues in the celluloid. When evidence points to attractive Rosemary Olson, he must decide up to what point his documentary should take him.

     Various productions by the students are presented in the course of the story as films within a film, with hilarious situations from this universe that exists on the fringes of American industry.

     Because of the fact he had no funds for production, director Evan Oppenheimer chose to film in color, in black-and-white, and in numerous formats. The structure was built up around 35 mm film; however, the students' films include takes in 16 mm, Super 8, video, and Pixelvision.