The Filmmakers Podcast

While Giles is away working on his own feature, the brilliant Conor Boru has stepped into his shoes to co-host (and edit) alongside Dom Lenoir, and they have delivered an absolute belter of an episode. Today, the lads sit down with director and co-writer Brian Duffield and author and co-writer Daniel Kraus to dig into their staggering new survival thriller, Whalefall. The film, starring Austin Abr...

In the inaugural episode of our brand new series, The Academy Masterclasses, Dom Lenoir sits down with director, writer and producer Jennifer Peedom and actress Thinley Lhamo to discuss the monumental task of bringing the true story of Tenzing to the big screen. Jen shares how her 23-year history with the Sherpa community in the Himalayas laid the groundwork for this epic feature. Together, they e...

Filmmakers, welcome to the podcast! We've got a brilliant episode for you today. Dom Lenoir and Conor Boru are sitting down with the incredibly talented Kitao Sakurai. You probably know Kitao's work as the regular director of The Eric Andre Show and the hit film Bad Trip, but he's here to talk about his massive upcoming project: directing the live-action Street Fighter movie! Kitao dives deep into...

Welcome back to the podcast! This week, host Dom sits down with returning guest and powerhouse filmmaker David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch, Training Day, The Beekeeper) to break down his gripping new survival thriller, Heart of the Beast. Reuniting with his Fury leading man Brad Pitt, Heart of the Beast follows a former Navy SEAL and his retired combat dog fighting for survival after a violent plane...

Get tickets for SESSIONS Festival Screening at LIFF this Friday 9th Oct at Genesis Cinema in London here: https://genesiscinema.co.uk/event/114469 Filmmakers, welcome back to the podcast! Today we have an absolute treat for you, especially if you love fiercely authentic, character-driven British cinema. We are sitting down with BAFTA-winning director Molly Manners and powerhouse producer Sarah Bro...

On this special bonus mini-episode, we sit down with the incredible George MacKay (1917, Femme, Captain Fantastic) to talk about his latest role as Edward Ferrars in Georgia Oakley’s stunning adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. George gives us a rapid-fire masterclass in acting, collaboration, and how to survive the intense, high-pressure environment of a major period drama set. 🎬 IN THIS EPISOD...

Filmmakers, welcome back to the podcast! Today we are tackling a literary masterpiece, but we are looking at it through a completely fresh, vibrant, and fiercely cinematic lens. We are joined by the phenomenally talented director Georgia Oakley and the absolute acting titan, Fiona Shaw. Georgia is fresh off the massive success of her BAFTA-nominated debut feature, Blue Jean, which won the Venice P...

Filmmakers, welcome back to the podcast! Today Giles Alderson is sitting down with director Jonatan Etzler to talk about his brand new feature, Bad Apples. Now, if you want a masterclass in putting in the reps, Jonatan is your guy. He directed 17 short films that played at various festivals, including Intercourse, which screened at South by Southwest, and Swimmer, which won Best Comedy at Clermont...

Filmmakers, welcome back to the pod! Today we are stripping away the craft and diving headfirst into the absolute engine room of our industry: The Business of Film. Giles Alderson is joined by a massive powerhouse panel to dissect the current state of the market, the realities of raising cash, and how to actually get your indie film seen and sold. We have data guru Stephen Follows, brilliant produ...

Filmmakers, we have an absolutely magical episode for you this week! While Giles Alderson has been out in Bulgaria producing his latest feature film, the brilliant Conor Boru steps into the host chair to sit down with the phenomenal director Susanne Bier to discuss her massive new release, PRACTICAL MAGIC 2. Nearly three decades after the original spellbound audiences, Susanne takes us behind the...

[From the Vault] Directing Blockbusters: Dexter Fletcher on Rocketman, Ghosted & Surviving Studio Pressure While we prep our upcoming Business of Film Special, we are unlocking the vault to revisit one of our most popular masterclasses with the brilliant actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher! Having transitioned from his indie debut Wild Bill to directing massive studio hits like Eddie the Eagle,...

Leveling Up the Second Feature: George Jaques on Directing, writing and producing Sunny Dancer, Bella Ramsey & Neil Patrick Harris How do you transition from a £500k indie debut to a massive ensemble feature starring some of the biggest names in television and film? This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Giles Alderson sits down with returning guest, writer-director George Jaques (Black Dog), to dis...

The Green Day Road Movie: Lee Kirk on Directing Nimrods & Indie Hustle This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, guest host Conor Boru (When the Screaming Starts) sits down with writer and director Lee Kirk to dive deep into the making of his latest feature, Nimrods. Born from an idea pitched by Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, Nimrods is a nostalgic, 90s-infused road trip comedy following thre...

In this week’s episode of the Filmmaker’s Podcast, host Dom Lenoir takes the reins while Giles Alderson is away in Bulgaria. We are thrilled to welcome back director Josh Greenbaum for an esteemed "hat trick" third appearance on the show, along with actor and screenwriter Sean Clements. We dive into their new film, The Dink, a pickleball sports comedy that captures the nostalgic magic of late 90s...

Welcome to a very special takeover episode of The Filmmakers Podcast! This week, the founders of the Female Film Club, Nicole Lieberman and Liza Van Der Smissen, take over the mic from Giles and Dom! Founded to champion films told from the female gaze, the Female Film Club is an online platform that connects female filmmakers internationally and provides a safe, dynamic space to network and collab...

Welcome back to The Filmmakers Podcast! This week, host Dom Lenoir sits down with actors Common and Alexandria Riley to discuss their complex roles in the hit Apple TV+ sci-fi series, Silo. In this short but sweet episode, we dive deep into the intense psychological journeys of their characters and the highly collaborative environment that brings the massive world of Silo to life. 🎬 In This Episo...

Apple's F1 Strategy: Jerry Bruckheimer & Eddy Cue on Practical Filming, Theatrical Windows, and Brad Pitt How do you shoot a massive Hollywood blockbuster in the middle of a live Formula 1 Grand Prix? This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Giles Alderson sits down with legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun: Maverick) and Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, to find out. In th...

From Docs to Drama: Morgan Matthews on Directing 500 Miles & Funding Indie Films How do you take the run-and-gun instincts of a documentary filmmaker and apply them to a highly structured narrative feature? This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Giles Alderson sits down with the phenomenal writer and director Morgan Matthews to find out. Morgan shares his incredible journey from studying photography...

Noyer on filmmaking, Tax Incentives, Folk Horror, and Directing Love is the Monster What do you do when your folk horror film is deeply rooted in Finnish mythology, but the financing dictates you have to shoot it in Canada? You adapt, you pivot, and you get your movie made. This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Giles Alderson sits down with returning guest, writer-director, and genre champion Alex...

How do you protect the human craft of storytelling while navigating a global independent market that is rapidly contracting? This week, Giles Alderson and Phil Hawkins sit down for an incredibly candid, wide-ranging masterclass with Jonathan Yunger—President of Millennium Media and co-founder of Arcana Labs. Jonathan has masterminded massive worldwide features grossing billions of dollars—producin...

How to Direct A-List Talent: Ol Parker on Rom-Coms, Rejection & Set Etiquette How do you maintain your creative voice while directing some of the biggest movie stars on the planet? This week, Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir sit down with Hollywood hitmaker Ol Parker to unpack the business of making audiences feel good. Known for writing and directing global smashes like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,...

Filmmakers! Welcome back to a very special Business of Film edition of The Filmmakers Podcast. Today, we are cutting through the absolute nonsense and delivering a survival guide for how to fund, produce, and sell an independent film in the current market. Host Giles Alderson is joined by an expert powerhouse panel: film industry data analyst Stephen Follows, director-producer and AI tech expert H...

From Oscar Gold to Fiction Filmmaking: Daniel Roher on Tuner How do you follow up winning an Academy Award? If you are Daniel Roher (Navalny), you resist the pressure to stay in your lane, take a leaf out of Bob Dylan’s book, and make a massive leap into fiction! This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Dom Lenoir sits down with Daniel to discuss his debut narrative feature, Tuner. Starring Leo Woodal...

The Making of RIVALS: Cast & Creators on the Disney+ Smash Hit Grab your shoulder pads and pour a glass of champagne! This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, we are doing a massive takeover of the show everyone is talking about: the phenomenal Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s legendary novel, RIVALS. Because the ensemble is so huge, one interview wasn't enough. In this special mega-episode, Direc...

Joanne Mitchell on Broken Bird, Directing in Serbia, and the Actor-Director Journey How do you take a story set in the rolling hills and local pubs of Northern England and shoot it entirely in Belgrade, Serbia? This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, Giles Alderson sits down with actor, producer, and director Joanne Mitchell to discuss her incredible feature directorial debut, Broken Bird. Originally...