The Honest Filmmaker

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you stop waiting for Hollywood to give you a chance and start building an audience yourself? On this episode of The Honest Filmmaker, I’m joined by writer, director and producer Dempsey Tillman, who is taking an unconventional approach to independent filmmaking with his sci-fi horror series, The Bad Ones . Instead of waiting for a streamer or distributor to come...

Send us Fan Mail Making an independent film is only half the battle. Finding an audience, marketing your movie and making your money back are challenges every indie filmmaker needs to plan for. In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker, Jim speaks with prolific independent filmmaker Dewey Allen about his journey from buying a camera at a pawn shop to producing multiple feature films on tight budgets...

Send us Fan Mail What happens after you've made your independent film? Finding a distributor might feel like the finish line, but for many filmmakers, it's where the next challenge begins. In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker, Jim Eaves talks to actress, writer, director and producer Nicki Micheaux about her journey from acting in television to making her own independent feature, Summ...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Honest Filmmaker, I'm joined by filmmaker, producer and horror industry veteran Steve Barton. Steve has spent around 30 years in the film business, from working in journalism and founding Dread Central to making films and working alongside some of the biggest names in horror, including George A. Romero and Sid Haig. We talk about the long, messy reality of bu...

Send us Fan Mail How do you make a feature film for around £33,000 and get it into cinemas without a traditional distributor? In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker, Jim talks to filmmaker Kevin Walls about his feature film Premature , from writing the first draft in just two weeks and bootstrapping the production, through to crowdfunding, a 23-day shoot and the challenge of distributing the fini...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you decide you're going to make a feature film,  despite having almost no connections in the film industry? For Ole Hartmann, it started while watching Desperado . Inspired by Robert Rodriguez's story of making El Mariachi , Ole realised that perhaps he didn't need to wait for someone else to give him permission to make a movie. He could finance on...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to make your first feature film? This week on The Honest Filmmaker Podcast, I'm joined by Devin Smock and Sam David , who are currently making Hollar , their debut feature. They're about 60% through the film, having already completed a 16-day shooting block and spent around $15,000. Now they're working towards the next stage and figuring out...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you want to make a feature film but don't have much money? Filmmaker Victor Gabriel joins The Honest Filmmaker to talk about the making of HELLMARE , his horror feature that cost roughly $10,000 and was shot in just 13 days . Victor started out by making a tiny $100 found-footage film , using friends' houses, borrowed locations and the equipment he alre...

Send us Fan Mail How do you finance an independent feature film when you don't have a studio behind you? Filmmaker Peter Stylianou joins Jim to talk about his journey from making his first feature, Who Needs Enemies , for around £6,000 to his latest film, The Nice Ones , made with a budget of around £80,000. Peter explains how he self-financed his first feature with help from his family, what...

Send us Fan Mail Can you really make a feature film for £9,000? Filmmaker Cathal Fitzpatrick joins Jim to talk about the extraordinary journey behind Hollow Trees . The project began as a £500 proof-of-concept short film made while Cathal was at university . The short went on to attract around 4 million views online , giving Cathal the motivation to turn the idea into a feature. But the millions o...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to move from making short films to making a feature? This week, Jim talks to filmmaker Aaron Truss about his unconventional route into filmmaking, from being obsessed with films as a kid and discovering Batman '89 , to making a £20 zombie short film at university and eventually turning that short into the feature film Employee of the Dead . Aaron talk...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to make 20 feature films and turn micro-budget filmmaking into a full-time career? In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker Podcast, Jim talks to filmmaker Charlie Steeds about his extraordinary journey from making short films as a teenager to building a career making horror features. Charlie shares how he financed his first film for around $2,000, how he moved fr...

Send us Fan Mail Making one film is an achievement. Making a career out of filmmaking is something else entirely. In this episode, Jim sits down with writer, director and producer Rob Hollocks to explore what happens after the excitement of making your first feature. Why do so many talented filmmakers struggle to make another film? How do you recover from rejection, navigate festivals, understand...

Send us Fan Mail For many filmmakers, making a feature film feels like an impossible leap after years of producing short films. This week, Jim sits down with filmmaker Asif Pervez to explore how he made that transition with his debut feature, "Mommy, I Don't Want To." Asif discusses the creative and logistical challenges of producing a period film on a micro budget, from transformin...

Send us Fan Mail Tom Box is the founder of Blue Zoo Animation, one of the UK's most celebrated animation studios and the creative force behind hit children's shows including Numberblocks , Alphablocks , Colourblocks , The Adventures of Paddington , Love Monster and more. In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker Podcast , Tom shares the journey from studying animation at Bournemouth Univer...

Send us Fan Mail Writer and director Tim David joins The Honest Filmmaker Podcast to discuss the transition from directing premium commercial campaigns to making his feature film Kangaroo Island . Tim shares what years in advertising taught him about storytelling, pitching, preparation and leadership on set, before revealing the challenges of making an independent feature. We also discuss collabor...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to survive as a micro budget filmmaker? In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker , I sit down with filmmaker Pat Higgins for an honest conversation about the realities of independent filmmaking. Together we unpack ten hard truths that every filmmaker eventually learns—usually the hard way. From discovering that making a great film doesn't automatically...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to make a feature film? In this episode, filmmaker Alex Alessi joins me to discuss the journey behind Homebody , from deciding to self-finance the project to working with Richard Kind, navigating the film festival circuit, and finding distribution. We also explore the blurred line between acting and directing, profit-sharing with cast and crew, approaching...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to make a first feature film? In this episode, writer-director David St. Clair joins The Honest Filmmaker to share the journey behind his debut feature, The Lonely Crowd. David discusses moving from short films to feature filmmaking, raising finance, working with investors, designing a film around a realistic budget, surviving challenging night shoots, nav...

Send us Fan Mail AI is rapidly changing filmmaking — but what are the real implications for artists, copyright and the future of creative work? This week, Jim sits down with Jonathan Yunger, Co-President of Millennium Media and Co-Founder & CEO of Arcana Labs. Jonathan has spent years producing major Hollywood films including titles in The Expendables and Has Fallen franchises, before stepping...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually take to make a feature film on a micro budget ? Filmmaker Evan Marcewicz joins the podcast to share how he went from skipping film school to shooting a feature film in just five days . We discuss financing an indie film, choosing the Sony FX6 , the realities of filming in difficult locations like cars and the financial risks involved — including loans and max...

Send us Fan Mail Filmmaker Daniel J. Pico joins the podcast to unpack the realities of making independent horror films on a micro budget. We discuss the pitch behind The Withering , why horror remains one of the strongest genres for indie creators, how film financing actually works behind the scenes and what is involved in getting projects funded. The conversation then turns to the growing role of...

Send us Fan Mail Director Daya Dodds and actor/writer/producer Zoe Carroll join the podcast to discuss the making of Witches of God — a micro budget black and white horror feature created with extremely limited resources. In this conversation, we explore the realities of making independent films on low budgets, including production compromises, camera choices, film festival strategy, marketing thr...

Send us Fan Mail Filmmaker Jason Morris joins the podcast to discuss the realities of micro budget filmmaking in today’s industry . Including film funding, distribution, profitability and the changing landscape for independent filmmakers. From producing films at different budget levels to releasing projects through distributors and aggregators, Jason shares practical insight into what actually wor...

Send us Fan Mail #moviemaking #filmmaking #indiefilm  #filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #moviemaking #microbudget #indiefilm  Filmmaker, actor and producer Austin Galante talks about the grind of making independent films in today’s market, from shooting music videos and working with major recording artists to directing feature-length horror films and navigating distribution deals. Austin shares the s...