If you're anything like me, you're cutting your current film while developing the next one, managing a YouTube channel or three, running a podcast, and constantly in production while keeping teams on track. Maybe you also have a family and a household to run. Or a physical storefront or take on client work. Tbh, I love the chaos of it. I love being so busy I fall asleep without remembering my head hitting the pillow. I love waking up early to meet my screenwriting coach on UK time, and I love...

If you're anything like me, you're cutting your current film while developing the next one, managing a YouTube channel or three, running a podcast, and constantly in production while keeping teams on track. Maybe you also have a family and a household to run. Or a physical storefront or take on client work. Tbh, I love the chaos of it. I love being so busy I fall asleep without remembering my head hitting the pillow. I love waking up early to meet my screenwriting coach on UK time, and I love...

IndieWire published a piece recently that stopped me mid-scroll. The headline was "Don't Call It a Comeback: How Independent Film Will Be Rewired in 2026." It's a sharp analysis of where indie film actually stands right now — not the hopeful spin, not the doom spiral, just a clear-eyed look at the new operating reality. And one line in particular landed like it was written directly at me:"Producers are asked to think like founders. Directors are expected to articulate not just vision but valu...

IndieWire published a piece recently that stopped me mid-scroll. The headline was "Don't Call It a Comeback: How Independent Film Will Be Rewired in 2026." It's a sharp analysis of where indie film actually stands right now — not the hopeful spin, not the doom spiral, just a clear-eyed look at the new operating reality. And one line in particular landed like it was written directly at me:"Producers are asked to think like founders. Directors are expected to articulate not just vision but valu...

Two weeks ago, a YouTuber did something Hollywood said was impossible. Mark Fischbach — better known as Markiplier to his 38 million subscribers — self-financed a science fiction horror film called Iron Lung for $3 million. He wrote it. He directed it. He starred in it. And when he shopped it to studios and distributors looking for a theatrical release partner, he was turned down across the board. One executive openly mocked the idea that the film would find an audience. So he distributed it ...

Two weeks ago, a YouTuber did something Hollywood said was impossible. Mark Fischbach — better known as Markiplier to his 38 million subscribers — self-financed a science fiction horror film called Iron Lung for $3 million. He wrote it. He directed it. He starred in it. And when he shopped it to studios and distributors looking for a theatrical release partner, he was turned down across the board. One executive openly mocked the idea that the film would find an audience. So he distributed it ...

The Sundance Film Festival opened this week in Park City for its final year in the Utah mountain town that became synonymous with independent cinema. Over 16,200 submissions poured in from 164 countries, all chasing the dream that's sustained indie filmmakers for decades: make something great, get discovered, secure distribution, build a career. But here's the uncomfortable truth the industry whispers about in hotel lobbies and after-parties: that dream is statistically dead for most filmmake...

The Sundance Film Festival opened this week in Park City for its final year in the Utah mountain town that became synonymous with independent cinema. Over 16,200 submissions poured in from 164 countries, all chasing the dream that's sustained indie filmmakers for decades: make something great, get discovered, secure distribution, build a career. But here's the uncomfortable truth the industry whispers about in hotel lobbies and after-parties: that dream is statistically dead for most filmmake...

Last Wednesday, I found myself in a packed Tomorrow Theater for MIXED*, a hybrid film showcase curated by my friend Garett Stenson. The concept was simple but ambitious — 211 films submitted from 44 countries, distilled into a single evening in Portland, Oregon. But MIXED* clearly had bigger ambitions than a typical screening — less curated showcase, more catalyst for the kind of conversations independent filmmakers actually need to be having about AI. The night opened with a musical performa...

Last Wednesday, I found myself in a packed Tomorrow Theater for MIXED*, a hybrid film showcase curated by my friend Garett Stenson. The concept was simple but ambitious — 211 films submitted from 44 countries, distilled into a single evening in Portland, Oregon. But MIXED* clearly had bigger ambitions than a typical screening — less curated showcase, more catalyst for the kind of conversations independent filmmakers actually need to be having about AI. The night opened with a musical performa...