Indie Film Hustle® - A Filmmaking Podcast

IFH 482: How to Raise $325 Million in Film Financing with Wayne Godfrey

I promise the title of today’s episode is not clickbait. Our guest, Wayne Godfrey is a British film producer, CEO of fintech platform, Purely Capital, and expert film financier who’ve raised nearly $325 million for more than 120 independent feature films. Wayne founded Purely Capital in 2018 to enables film and TV rights owners a way to accelerate payments from years to days, for their content from streaming platforms. This year, he became a mentor at Creative Futures Collective in the...

IFH 481: The Problem with Abusive Film Sets with Greg Hemmings

Let me introduce to you all, filmmaker and award-winning film-preneur, Greg Hemmings - Chief storyteller and CEO of Hemmings House Pictures limited.    I wanted to address the serious problem of verbal abuse interns and other crew persons face on film sets from directors, producers, or others in charge. Why would I invite a CEO to discuss this topic? Well, Gerg’s company, Hemmings House Pictures creates content that inspires positive action. Their essence is to spread kindness and positivit...

IFH 480: Making Quentin Tarantino's Lost First Feature Film with Andy Rausch

Now, I was scanning the web the other day, and I came across a book about the making of Quentin Tarantino's first feature film. Quite fascinated that someone took the time to dig into the unreleased, My Best Friend's Birthday, which I've spoken about a bit on my podcast and also written a couple of articles about the film. So, as per usual, I invited the author, Andy Rausch to the show to talk a bit more about his book.  Before this interview, I did not know that Andy has spent years intervi...

IFH 479: Bringing Comedy and Real Life Tragedy to Netflix with Iliza Shlesinger

Let’s pivot a bit, shall we? I have with me today, entertainment triple threat, Iliza Shlesinger. The award-winning standup comedian, actor, writer, producer, and author, is one of the most natural entertainers there is, out here.  The Girl Logic author has not allowed the pandemic to slow her down. She’s appeared in eight films between 2020 until now and executive produced her six-part series, The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show.  A secret world filled with absurd characters, insight into the ...

BONUS EPISODE: Introducing My New Weekly Podcast with Guest Music Icon Moby

I've been working on a new podcast for sometime now. Introduction Next Level Soul. The podcast that asks the big questions about living, evolving and thriving in the world today. The show attempts to answer those questions by having candid and inspiring conversations with thought leaders from every walk of life. Global icon, musician, and animal rights activist, Moby(né, Richard Melville Hall) has lived many lives right before the gazes and judgment of the world. Self-discovery is a continua...

IFH 478: Billie Eilish and Truth to Filmmaking with RJ Cutler

Our guest today, RJ Cutler opened up 2021 with his raw, emotional and remarkable new documentary Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry. He’s a phenomenal documentary and TV director and producer with nearly thirty years of experience in the business. The $2 million dollars documentary film which was directed, written, and produced by Cutler centered around singer-songwriter teen sensation and Grammy Award artist, Billie Eilish --- Revealing the creation process of Eilish's debut studio...

IFH 477: The Roadmap to Producing Your Indie Film with Anne Marie Gillen

The film industry had to adjust a lot since the hit of COVID. Thanks to streaming services, the hit wasn’t as volatile as could be. Now that society seems to be reaching the end of the pandemic, the future of the filmmaking and film experience post-COVID has become part of the conversation. To help us explore the subject, I have on the show today, seasoned filmtrepreneur and award-winning producer, Anne Marie Gillen. Anne Marie is the CEO of Gillen Group--- an entertainment consulting firm i...

IFH 477: How NOT to Lose Money Producing Indie Films with Anne Marie Gillen

The film industry had to adjust a lot since the hit of COVID. Thanks to streaming services, the hit wasn’t as volatile as could be. Now that society seems to be reaching the end of the pandemic, the future of the filmmaking and film experience post-COVID has become part of the conversation. To help us explore the subject, I have on the show today, seasoned filmtrepreneur and award-winning producer, Anne Marie Gillen. Anne Marie is the CEO of Gillen Group--- an entertainment consulting firm i...

IFH 476: Building Long-Term Filmmaking Revenue Streams with Brady Trautman and Alex Blue

Not many of us get to tick off ‘sailing around the world’ off our dream to-do list. But our guests today, Brady Trautman and partner, Alex Blue, have been living their ultimate best life at sea for the last ten-plus years while creating video content for their business, Cruisers Academy.  The adventure began with Florida natives Brady and his older brother, Brain, with whom he initially started the youtube channel, Sailing Vessel Delos, back in 2008. It wasn’t until 2012 they received their ...

IFH 475: Navigating the Hollywood Machine with Oscar® Winner Taylor Hackford

IFH 475: Making the Horror Classic: The Devil's Advocate with Oscar® Winner Taylor Hackford

MOTIVATION: Don't Be the Desperate Filmmaker

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Filmmaker Process - Need Help Getting Your Film Funded, Finished and Distributed?

After working in the IFH labs for the first part of 2021 I can finally announce what it is. May I introduce Indie Film Hustle's FILMMAKER PROCESS? Filmmaker Process offers comprehensive professional services for hire to help filmmakers and screenwriters, working at any budget level, get their film project to the finish line. I wanted to put the much-needed services filmmakers need but rarely have access to all under one roof. Filmmakers and screenwriters usually could only get access to the...

IFH 474: How to Protect Your Film from Online Piracy with Evan Zeisel

IFH 473: NFT, Bitcoin and Creating Indie Films for a Niche Audience with Torsten Hoffmann

IFH 472: How to Make Money Selling Feature Film NFTs with Trevor Hawkins and Nathan Kincaid

If you’ve already listened to my last episode on NFT, then this one will feel like a bonus. But for those of you who haven’t, we explored a new territory this week in indie film and blockchain. My guests today are the filmmakers, Trevor Hawkins, and Nathan Kincaid, pioneers of the first-ever film sold as a non-fungible token, Lotawana. Which will be released soon. A monotonous life has pushed the unfulfilled Forrest (Todd Blubaugh) to a voyage of self-discovery by living amongst nature aboa...

BONUS EPISODE: Eric Roth - From Forrest Gump to Dune - Adventures Screenwriting in Hollywood

IFH 471: The Complete Guide to NFT in Independent Film (and How to Make Money)

So today we are going to go down the rabbit hole of NFTs. What the heck is an NFT. It is a Non Fungible Token. Basically, an NFT is a completely original digital file or a digital collectable which is registered on a blockchain ledger just like any cryptocurrency. But unlike cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, an NFT is totally unique and because it lives on the blockchain it verifies who is the rightful owner of this one-of-a-kind digital collectable file. In February 2021, digital ar...

IFH 470: How to Sell an Original Show to Hulu with James Lafferty & Stephen Colletti

Our guests this week are stars from the early 2000s teen drama television hit show, One Tree Hill, James Lafferty, and Stephen Colletti. The buzz the show had was undeniable, and if you were a fan of the show, then you would be glad to know that your favorite characters, Nathan Scott and Chase Adams have a new project together and they talk all about it in this week’s episode.  But first, a summary of our guests’ track records in the industry. Both James and Steven landed their first acting ...

IFH 469: Hemingway and the Art of the Documentary with Lynn Novick

I am a huge fan of today’s guest. Since seeing one of her first documentaries, I was transfixed by her power of storytelling. Our guest is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker, Lynn Novick---a formidable and respected PBS documentary filmmaker with thirty-plus years of experience in the business. Her archival mini and docu-series documentaries bring historically true events to the big screen alongside her filmmaking partner, Ken Burns.  You’ve most likely seen some of her...

IFH 468: The New Film Language of "ScreenLife" with Wanted Director Timur Bekmambetov

I have been a fan of today’s guest since I first saw his mind-blowing film, Night Watch years ago. Timur Bekmambetov is an established director, producer, and writer who has built a name for himself both in his home country, Russia, and here in the U.S., making films, music videos, and commercials.  At first glance at his film, I became obsessed with Timur’s work and his filmmaking style. He is the producer and director of Day Watch (2006), Wanted (2008), Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (201...

IFH 467: Limbo and Changing Minds with Comedy with Ben Sharrock

Today’s guest on the show is Scottish award-winning filmmaker, and writer, Ben Sharrock, known for his Cannes Official Selection 2020 feature film, Limbo, and Pikadero, among others. Ben’s unique visually captivating films are inspired by middle eastern and northern European cinema. Interpreting middle eastern character in his films as he does in some of his recent work stems from an academic background in Middle East Cinema, Fine Arts, and working advertising in Dubai. The rooted connectio...

IFH 466: Billy Crystal - An Exclusive Conversation with the Comedy Legend

There are performers that impact your life without you even knowing it and today's guest fits that bill. On the show we have comedic genius, multi-award-winning actor, writer, producer, director, and television host, Billy Crystal. We’ve seen Billy’s versatile work across all areas in the entertainment world, stand-up, improv, Broadway, behind and in front of the camera, feature films, television, live stages like SNL, and animated movies.  It's fascinating how much the man has done over the...

IFH 465: Making the $6000 Feature Film with David Simpson

We have on the show this week, film director, bestselling futurist author, speaker, and actor, David Simpson. You’ve probably stumbled upon his 1.7 million views TEDx presentation ‘Our Post-Human Future’, on Youtube. If not, no worries. This is your chance to get to know the talented storyteller that is David.   He’s written a number of brilliant sci-fi futurist books since his twenties, including the popular ‘Post-Human’ six-part book series, Dawn of the Singularity (The Singularity Saga), ...

IFH 464: How to Make Money with Your Film for 10 Years with Mike Dion

This week, I wanted to pick the brain of a brilliant filmmaker, Mike Dion. Mike is an award-winning filmmaker, marketing strategist, and multimedia storyteller who has made a living over the last 20+ years applying all the tools needed by a filmtrepreneur. He's found his niche creating documentaries of adventurous brevets and transcontinental cycling races across the US, Mexico, and Canada Mike has produced globally distributed feature-length projects like Hair I Go Again (2016), Inspired to...

MOTIVATION: You Can Do This!

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

MOTIVATION: You Can Do This

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2664729/advertisement

IFH 463: Clapboard Jungle - The Truth About Indie Filmmaking with Justin McConnell

On the show, today is an indie film director, and CEO of Unstable Ground multi-media company, Justin McConnell.  Even though he’s known for his work in post-production, Justin has also directed and written projects like Clapboard Jungle, Skull World, Lifechangers, and Galaxy of Horrors across the sci-fi-horror and documentary genres. Justin is a man who wears many hats; his multi-media company, Unstable Ground, which he has been running successfully for the last 22 years specializes non-excl...

IFH 462: Bloodsport & Rambo - Journey Into 80's Action Cinema with Sheldon Lettich

Get ready to go down the rabbit hole of 80's action cinema. I sat with an iconic 80s & 90s action film director, writer, and producer this week - Sheldon Lettich brought to our screens some epic actors and fighters like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone. He’s the trailblazing director and writer of Lionheart (1990), Bloodsport (1988), Rambo III (1988), and the Cold War drama, Russkies that first introduced us to the phenomenon that is Joaquin Phoenix.  An Ex-French Soldier begins ...

IFH 461: Nicolas Cage and Jumping Into Willy's Wonderland with Kevin Lewis

Get ready for a crazy ride! On the show this week we have indie filmmaker and screenwriter, Kevin Lewis. He’s been active on the scene and directed several indie films between 1996 to the present. Kevin's vastest film is the trippy indie (soon to be a cult classic) feature, Willy’s Wonderland, starring the legendary Nicolas Cage. Lewis has definitely paid his dues. He started out making films in Highschool with his VHS and Super 8 comers. Between the short film releases amongst his peers ea...

IFH 460: Slacker, Indie Cinema & How to Become a Filmmaker with Richard Linklater & Katie Cokinos

Well I put out an episode back in 2019 putting my dream list of guests out into the universe and in the past four months I've been humbled to have some amazing filmmakers and screenwriters on the show. Incredibly one of those dream guests has made his way on the show today.  We are joined by indie film icon and Oscar® nominated writer/director Richard Linklater. Richard was one of the filmmakers who helped to launch the independent film movement that we know today with his classic 1991 indie...

MOTIVATION: Balance

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

IFH 459: Hercules, Hollywood Accounting and Indie Films with Kevin Sorbo

Today on the show we have actor, producer, and director Kevin Sorbo. Kevin spent 3 years traveling around the world, modeling for print ads and appearing in over 150 commercials, before becoming a full-fledged international TV star when he was cast as the lead role in the immensely popular series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. In the mid-90s, Hercules became the most-watched television show in the world. Kevin also guest-starred as Hercules in episodes of the successful spin-off series X...

IFH 458: How to Sell Your Indie Film and Yourself with Alec Trachtenberg

Today on the show we have independent film producer, author, and sales consultant Alec Trachtenberg. With over a decade of experience building and managing the sales teams of some of the most cutting-edge technology startups, Alec has worked with major companies, such as Airbnb, Sony Pictures, Netflix, and Amazon. He has directly generated millions of dollars in revenue for a variety of companies in the technology and entertainment sectors, including Surkus, MomentFeed, and Entercom. He has ...

IFH 457: Will Netflix Destroy the Last Blockbuster with Taylor Morden

Many of the tribe know that I spent thousands of hours working in a mom and pop video store throughout my high school years. This is why I'm so excited to bring you today's show. We have Taylor Morden, director, and producer of the nostalgia documentary, The Last Blockbuster (2020). The Last Blockbuster is a fun, nostalgic feature length documentary film about the rise and fall of Blockbuster video and how one small town store managed to outlast a corporate giant. In 2017, when Morden start...

IFH 456: From Indie Docs to the Last King of Scotland with Oscar® Winner Kevin Macdonald

On the show, today is academy award-winning documentary and film director, and producer, Kevin Macdonald. He is one of few directors who dance the line of film and documentary seamlessly. He directed documentaries like Whitney (2018), crowdsourced documentary - Life in a Day (2011), Marley (2012), among others. He is famously known for his 2006 drama film, The Last King of Scotland, starring Oscar winning best actor, Forest Whitaker. Kevin has made a huge name for himself and his work over h...

IFH 455: The True & Raw Story Behind the Indie Classic Boondock Saints with Troy Duffy

I’m always looking for success stories in the film business to study and analyze. Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullan) Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), Kevin Smith (Clerks), and Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) come to mind. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the cult indie film classic The Boondock Saints but many of you might not know the crazy story of its writer and director Troy Duffy. Well, prepare to get you mind BLOWN. I had an EXCLUSIVE discussion with Troy this week, and let's sa...

IFH 455: The RAW and Scandalous Truth Behind the Making of Boondock Saints with Troy Duffy

I’m always looking for success stories in the film business to study and analyze. Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullan) Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), Kevin Smith (Clerks), and Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) come to mind. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the cult indie film classic The Boondock Saints but many of you might not know the crazy story of its writer and director Troy Duffy. Well, prepare to get you mind BLOWN. I had an EXCLUSIVE discussion with Troy this week, and let's sa...

MOTIVATION: Make a Living as a Filmmaker

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

IFH 454: Self Distributing Your Indie Film with AltaVOD with Robert Schwartzman

On the show today is LA native, music artist, filmtrepreneur, filmmaker and actor, Robert Schwartzman. Robert comes from a long line of musicians and film talents. He’s related to industry names like Nicolas Cage (cousin), Sophia Coppola (cousin), Jason Schwartzman (brother), Francis Ford Coppola (uncle), etc. Growing up with these influencers, he ultimately went the same route - acting, studying film editing, and directing music videos.  His career tipped slightly towards his passion for mu...

IFH 453: Clerks, Sundance & Making $500 Million at the Box-Office with Scott Mosier

You guys are in for a major treat. I'm always talking about those "lottery ticket" filmmaker stories that we all dream of happening to us one day. Well, today's guest's story is one of the mythological stories come to life. We have 90’s independent film icon, Scott Mosier. Scott is an indie film producer, editor, writer, director, actor, and podcaster of Smodcast, which he co-hosts with his long-term filmmaking partner, Kevin Smith. From Vancouver Film School to Hollywood, Scott's trajector...

IFH 452: What They Don't Teach You in Film School with Shane Stanley

Our guest on today's episode is Emmy award-winning filmmaker, actor, Filmtrepreneur, best -selling author, and instructor Shane Stanley. Shane's been in the business way before he could walk. He started off as a child actor at 9 months old when his father, who was a working actor volunteered him for national TV commercials, starring in commercials and films and even going on to win his first two Emmy Awards at age 16  and 19 for his role in the Desperate Passage (1987) series. Along with his...

IFH 451: Being Blindsided, Oscar and Blockbuster Directing with John Lee Hancock

I have an epic conversation in store for you all today. Our guest is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, filmmaker, John Lee Hancock. While working as a lawyer by day back in 1986, John moonlighted as a screenwriter, writing script after script. His spec script A Perfect World caught the eye of Steven Spielberg and eventually was directed by Clint Eastwood. After that success he went on to direct the crowd pleasing The Rookie. After the box-office success of The Rookie, John tackled the epic s...

IFH 451: Directing the Oscar® Winning The Blind Side with John Lee Hancock

I have an epic conversation in store for you all today. Our guest is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, filmmaker, John Lee Hancock. While working as a lawyer by day back in 1986, John moonlighted as a screenwriter, writing script after script. His spec script A Perfect World caught the eye of Steven Spielberg and eventually was directed by Clint Eastwood. After that success he went on to direct the crowd pleasing The Rookie. After the box-office success of The Rookie, John tackled the epic s...

IFH 450: The Art of the $9000 Micro Budget Indie Film with Edward Burns

We have made it to 450 episodes of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast. The IFH Tribe has given me 450 opportunities to serve them and for that I am humbled. Thank you all for allowing me to do what I love to do so much. With that said I wanted to bring you a massive guest for this remarkable milestone. Today’s guest is a writer, director, producer, actor and indie filmmaking legend Edward Burns. Many of you might have heard of the Sundance Film Festival winning film called The Brothers McMullen, ...

IFH 449: How to Making Money Distributing Your Indie Film with Ben Yennie

Our guest today is no stranger to the show. Ben Yennie was my very first guest on the podcast and he returned this week to discuss the current state affairs of film distribution and his newest venture, Mutiny Pictures which is a full-service film distribution firm. Ben Yennie is an author, film distributor, and producer rep with a high offer rate on films he’s represented at the American Film Market. After forging a successful career as a producer rep for some of Hollywood big talent names i...

IFH 448: How to Make Money with Film Tax Credits with Zachary Tarica

Raising money for independent films is the number one pain point for almost every filmmaker in the world. A buzz world so many producers hear now a days in "film tax credits."  These tax credits are magical and it's like money falling from the sky but how do they work? How can indie filmmakers get their hands on these greenbacks? Hopefully this episode will make that struggle a bit easier. On the show today we have tax credit guru  Zachary Tarica, CEO of The Forest Road Company and Chairman ...

IFH 448: The Science Of Maximizing Film Tax Credits with Zachary Tarica

Raising money for independent films is the number one pain point for almost every filmmaker in the world. A buzz world so many producers hear now a days in "film tax credits."  These tax credits are magical and it's like money falling from the sky but how do they work? How can indie filmmakers get their hands on these greenbacks? Hopefully this episode will make that struggle a bit easier. On the show today we have tax credit guru  Zachary Tarica, CEO of The Forest Road Company and Chairman ...

IFH 447: The Art of Epic Filmmaking with Edward Zwick

We have been on a major role lately on the podcast and this episode keep that going in a big way. Our guest on the show today is writer, producer, and director Edward Zwick. Edward made his big shift from his childhood passion of theater to filmmaking after working as a PA for Woody Allen in France on the set of Love and Death. He then moved to California in the summer of 1976 and has since forged a respected name for himself in Hollywood. Edward Zwick is a multiple Academy Award, Golden Glo...

MOTIVATION: Tools in the Toolbox

We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our filmmaking or screenwriting journey. This show will do just that. Never stop chasing that filmmaking dream. Keep on hustling. Proud Member of the IFH Podcast Network (ifhpodcastnetwork.com) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.