IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

Academy Award-winning editor William Goldenberg stops by the podcast to talk with IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill about his directorial debut “Unstoppable.” “Unstoppable”tells the true story of Anthony Robles, a wrestler who was born without a leg yet went on to become an NCAA champion. Goldenberg talks about his process casting, shooting, and cutting the film, which is now streaming on Ama...

Director Peter Berg joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill to discuss his epic new Netflix series “American Primeval,” a Western about the bloody battles that erupted in 1850s Utah between Mormons, immigrant settlers, indigenous tribes and faithless opportunists out to make a buck. Berg talks about creating the series’ visceral action sequences, relying on advisers and rigorous research to p...

'Sing Sing' tells the real life story of men imprisoned at the infamous prison in upstate New York, and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program that helped the men find their voice, dignity, and hope. Director Greg Kwedar sat down with IndieWire to discuss developing this sensitive story for the screen, and directing a cast of mostly formerly incarcerated men who understood the story better th...

Payal Kapadia is one of the most exciting up and coming filmmakers we have right now, and she sat down with IndieWire's Chris O'Falt in studio to discuss her new film that is one of the year's best. Listen in to learn a lot about Mumbai, filmmaking in India, and what how Kapadia's work in documentary informs her style; a blend of fiction and non-fiction filmmaking. Learn more about your ad choices...

IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill sits down with writer and director James Mangold to talk about his return to the musical bio-pic with his Bob Dylan film “A Complete Unknown.” The interview covers what Mangold learned about making musicals from “Walk the Line,” what he learned about directing actors from Robert De Niro on “Copland,” and why recording actors live instead of lip-syncing is the...

Succumb to the darkness with us as we sit down with one of our favorite directors to discuss his provocative vampire movie 'Nosferatu.' Eggers discusses the intense physical performance from Lily-Rose Depp, his trademark meticulous period reconstruction, and what it meant to complete this remake he has beed dreaming about for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The director of this summers box office sensation joined IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill to discuss the anxieties and joys of making a sequel to the beloved 2015 film, what Mann learned from his teen girl advisory board, and how his film evolved from script to screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did director Brady Corbet and his team make one of the most epic-feeling movies of the year for less than 10 million dollars? Listen in to our conversation with him to learn the filmmaking tricks they used to tighten the budget, and hear him discuss what the Brutalist Architecture in 'The Brutalist' really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At our inaugural Future of Filmmaking summit this November, IndieWire's Chris O'Falt hosted a fascinating discussion on performance capture filmmaking, featuring the director, VFX supervisor, and a lead actor from "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." Listen in to hear how the team on these films is pushing performance capture technology forward, and what it was like for the actors in "Ape Camp." L...

"Nickel Boys" is not only one of the best films of the year, but also one of the most experimental and challenging we've seen in a long while. IndieWire's Chris O'Falt sat down with Director RaMell Ross to explore why this story had to be told in first-person cinematography, and hear what Ross is trying to say about film form, and how it needs to evolve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

The director of "Jackie" and "Spencer" returns to his unofficial trilogy of films about famous women in moments of crisis, this time to depict the final days of one of opera's most renowned singers, Maria Callas. Larraín talks to IndieWire's Jim Hemphill about directing Angelina Jolie in the biggest role of her career, and how he found a cinematic language that felt truly operatic. Learn more abou...

'Sugarcane' is an investigative documentary about abuse at a Catholic Native school in Canada. The film's director's joined Chris O'Falt to talk about the years of developing the project, speaking to honest Native experiences, and the camera's power to heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard about this movie where Amy Adams turns into a dog? Writer and Director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) spoke with IndieWire's Sarah Shachat about how she related to this wild and thought-provoking story, and explains how she tackled the famous Hollywood no-no, working with both children and dogs in one film. Learn more about your ad ch...

Luca Guadagnino joins us for his 5th appearance on the Toolkit Podcast, this time to discuss his drug-infused psycho-sexual drama "Queer." Luca explains how the novel has been a part of his life for decades, why he decided to shoot the film on soundstages with painted backdrops, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Elizabeth Sankey's new documentary examines depictions of Witches across media and pop culture, using her own journeys with motherhood and mental illness as a powerful lens. She has a great chat with IndieWire's Sarah Shachat about the complex filmmaking and personal details that make the film special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The director of this fall's biggest box office smash joins Chris O'Falt to break down the incredibly complex making of the movie. They discuss the decision split the story into two films, how Chu reworked Elphaba's emotional arc, and the intricacies of Munchkin-land culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trio of directors behind Ken Burn's new film join IndieWire's Sarah Shachat for a deep dive into documentary filmmaking, and how they pushed their form forward to capture one of the most fascinating minds in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For his second feature as Director, Jesse Eisenberg takes us on a hilarious and emotionally complex family road trip to Poland. He sat down with IndieWire's Chris O'Falt to discuss writing the script, why he initially wanted to play the Kieran Culkin part, and what the title of the film actually means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of our favorite Toolkit guests is back to talk about his hilarious, heartfelt, and emotionally challenging new feature. Baker explains how he found the incredible mansion that anchors the film, what was important to get right in the portrayal of sex, and shares stories about working with the incredible multi-lingual ensemble cast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The director of The Batman, and its upcoming sequel, joined IndieWire's Chris O'Falt for an extra long deep dive into the spin off series on HBO Max. Reeves explained his role as creative head of this current Batman franchise, how the show is intimately connected to the films, and how he crafted a monster of an origin story for the unrecognizable Colin Farrell to portray. Learn more about your ad...

One of the best directors working today has made an incredible series about how form and narrative can manipulate our understanding of events. We dive right into a rich, spoiler-filled discussion of the series, so we recommend watching it all before listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Megan Park sat down with IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to discuss her new time-travel coming of age movie. Park discusses the wonderfully quirky Canadian-ness of the movie, and how she found the perfect "Old Ass" late in the process with Aubrey Plaza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IndieWire's Chirs O'Falt sat down with Co-Directors of one of the most urgent and powerful documentaries of the year while they were in town for the New York Film Festival. Basel is a Palestinian activist who had been filming his rural West Bank farming community as it had been destroyed by Israel's occupation. He builds an unlikely alliance with the Israeli journalist Yuval, who had been travelin...

The director of 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front is back with a story of a very different conflict: choosing the next Pope. Berger chatted with IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt about directing the impeccable Ralph Fiennes, making multiple scenes of voting feel dramatic, and how he inserted honest absurdities into the serious proceedings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Linklater sat down with IndieWire's Chris O'Falt back in June for the premiere of 'Hit Man,' one of the most fun movies of this year. Linklater explains the decision making that went into crafting the film's many twists and turns, and explores his deep collaboration with star Glen Powell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices