Ever fantasize about quitting your corporate day job to make movies and hang out with celebrities? Tony Moody and Rob Malkani did just that. And this weekend, their film Day Zero, which stars Elijah Wood and Chris Klein and made a splash at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, will open in New York City.

If you’re in New York, support two fellow corporate escape artists by checking out Day Zero at the Anjelika this weekend. The film imagines New York City after the draft has been reinstated (a premise that is frighteningly not terribly far-fetched) and follows the reactions of three NYC draftees — a corporate lawyer played by Chris Klein, a neurotic writer played by Elijah Wood, and a cab driver played by Jon Bernthal.

I met Tony and Rob when I was sent to review Day Zero at the Tribeca Film Festival. When I read their press kit bios, I noticed that both were corporate escapees and knew I had to meet them. I was even more impressed when I saw that the movie was actually good.

I ended up interviewing both Tony and Rob for my upcoming book, Escape from Corporate America, and found their stories to be pretty inspiring. Both walked away from prestigious corporate jobs to follow their dreams. Tony was a senior trader at one of the country’s top brokerages before becoming a film producer. Rob was a corporate lawyer and then a highly-paid investment banker before quitting to focus on a career as a screenwriter and producer.

Both saved up their money when they were earning big corporate paychecks to create escape funds that paid their bills when they were getting started in the film business. Although their finances are still a lot less predictable than during their corporate days, both Tony and Rob say they are much happier because they are doing work they love.

If you’re looking for an engaging and thought-provoking film this weekend, I highly recommend Day Zero. After all, all of the advance reviews say Cloverfield is a monstrous disappointment and 27 Dresses is mostly warmed-over chick-flick cliches.

When I saw Day Zero at Tribeca, everyone left the theater buzzing and debating. Get tickets for Day Zero at the Angelika. Catch the 7:45 Friday show and stick around for a Q&A session with Tony and actor Jon Bernthal (if you don’t know his name yet, you will).