When you’re an independent filmmaker, there are a few different ways of working within the TV/streaming space. You could be a TV repairman (of any gender!) or work for the cable company. Those are pretty good. But! If you’re reading this blog, chances are your ambitions run a little more toward creating the content actually populating these devices and platforms. In that case, you could A) create a brand-new series and become its ruthless, dictatorial showrunner, or B) step into an already-existing series as the director of an individual episode. For the former, there’s always our Episodic Lab ..read more

It’s no secret that we live in an increasingly environmentally conscious time, from plant-based diets to electric cars and paper straws. For anyone trying to fully commit to eco-friendly choices, navigating these options can be overwhelming—and filmmakers are no different. But don’t worry! Film Independent has put together just the right guide to start your eco-friendly filmmaking journey, regardless of budget level. On April 30, Film Independent Education presented its latest “Green Set” session—a virtual panel of experts in sustainable film and television production. Panelists included ..read more

In Mountains–director Monica Sorelle’s feature debut–the Afro-Caribbean working class communities of Miami are under threat from the encroaching forces of neighborhood gentrification, reluctantly aided in part by conflicted blue collar laborer Xavier (Atibon Nazaire, a 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for the role), a Haitian immigrant whose demolition assignments are growing ever closer to home, literally and figuratively. For the film, Sorelle won the 2024 Someone To Watch Emerging Filmmaker Award. What’s more? A rough cut of Mountains was workshopped at the 2022 Film Independent P ..read more

New York’s Tribeca Film Festival is turning 22 this year (one year since the Festival has been able to drink, three more years until it can rent a car), and from June 5-16 will be bringing another bumper crop of American and international indies to film screens in lower Manhattan. And sure, we’d all like to eat cannolis with Robert De Niro at one of those fancy bakeries they have down there, but unfortunately not all of us are talented enough to create a Tribeca-worthy feature or short. Luckily, we have proxies available in the form of three Film Independent Fiscal Sponsorship-supported projec ..read more

In the 1990s and 2000s, May (and specifically Memorial Day) typically marked the beginning of Summer Movie Season. Multiplexes nationwide were packed to the emergency exits with big names, big explosions and (presumably) big box office. The film industry has changed since then, obviously, and summer no longer packs the same high-octane punch that it once did. But in this evolution, release schedule space has opened up for a stellar month of Don’t-Miss Indies titles.   JEANNE DU BARRY When You Can Watch: May 3  Where You Can Watch: Theaters Director: Maiwenn  Cast: Maiwenn, John ..read more

“We are not there to be the sex police. We actually want it to look really good and we’re very highly trained in how to do that” –Rebecca Johannsen, on the role of an intimacy coordinator  As the film community continues to process the fallout of the #MeToo movement and keeps growing in its awareness of the trauma caused by the mishandling of actors on set, a critical new production role has emerged: the intimacy coordinator (IC). But while the role has been largely welcomed by the industry since it started appearing on call sheets in 2017 the job is still widely misunderstood. To teach o ..read more

From the sweeping vistas of The Searchers to the towering Transformers of Age of Extinction, the mesas and monuments of Utah’s southern half have been a regular presence in film since the earliest days of the medium. In fact, throughout 2024 the “Beehive State” has been celebrating its considerable cinematic heritage with the retrospective exhibition “100 Years of Utah Film and Television” on display now at the Capitol Building in Salt Lake City. But balancing responsible land use with tourism and commercial exploitation is forever a hot topic in Utah—a regular theme in Western states—and ther ..read more

In celebration of Earth Day yesterday, we’re reposting this recap of of our 2019 Green Set session. The Green Set—with new info and best practices for 2024—returns to Filmmaker Tuesday next week, Tuesday August 30. Special thanks to blogger Meri Hilalian. *** A film set is a remarkable place, with infinite possibilities: a societal microcosm full of creative craftspeople performing their individual roles. Everyone on set plays their part and works hard (making movies is hard work, after all) to create a smooth workflow and contribute to their project’s success. But too often, film se ..read more

Not everyone thrives in your typical industry-networking type environment. This can be particularly true of introverted right-brained creatives: there you’ll be, just  awkwardly standing there against the wall in the chain hotel lobby  bar during the mixer, your adhesive name tag clinging to the fibrous tendrils of your cardigan as you spend four hours maniacally nursing the same club soda on the rocks. Sometimes, a little structure and formality can sweep out the cobwebs of social anxiety and help clear the way for you to fully express your storytelling ideas and precognition of the ..read more

Exterior. Establishing: Film Independent HQ. Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. PRELAP the sounds of passionate conversation and laughter. CUT TO: Interior, Conference Room, Film Independent HQ. Seven new screenwriting FELLOWS are arrayed around a table, the Hollywood Sign visible on the distant hills outside the window. They’re here to develop six deeply personal and wholly original feature film projects under the steady guiding hand of Film Independent’s SCREENWRITING LAB (31, strong-willed but nurturing; seasoned but not too stuffy it can’t still cut the rug, especially when an open bar is in ..read more