The Art of Film Funding

Send us Fan Mail Alternative ideas for Outreach distribution for the documentary,  Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide . In 2020, Nivi Jaswal-Wirtjes lost her father to COVID-19 while struggling through her own burnout after 15 years in high-pressure global marketing and strategy roles across consumer packaged goods, life sciences, and media. That dual reckoning — grief and exhaustion — beca...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we're delighted to welcome Jessica Wrabel , a versatile and respected actress and producer with more than two decades of experience in television, film, and theater. Today we'll discuss Jessica's journey as a producer, how she financed her film, the unique opportunities, and challenges of faith-based filmmaking, and what she's learned about bringing an i...

Send us Fan Mail Deborah Patz’s book, Film Production Management 101 , has become one of the industry's most respected resources and is often described as the “essential roadmap to the business side of production.” The newly updated third edition covers everything from budgeting and scheduling to respectful workplaces and sustainable production practices. Deborah covers important producing sk...

Send us Fan Mail Rae Shaw is a Black female writer-director whose work has been evolving to stretch the boundaries of how Black women see and are seen in the world. Her work concentrates on lifting the experiences of Black women and women of color by telling stories that dimensionalize us in spaces that have sought to diminish, exploit and punish us through stereotypes. Her screenplays have won ho...

Send us Fan Mail Check out our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE! This platform brings together all of From the Heart’s Courses, Classes, Services and Resources in one convenient central hub. Learn more and sign up at https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ Use Coupon Code AFFPOD10 for 10% anything in the platform.  Today, we’re talking about the next evo...

Send us Fan Mail Joanne Butcher has shaped the careers of more than a hundred independent filmmakers as a Consulting Producer, helping them navigate the business realities that define success in the industry. Her deep experience in fundraising and distribution has supported the completion and release of dozens of feature films, and she has been directly involved in bringing over 25 features to scr...

Send us Fan Mail Carole Dean interviews her daughter, Carole Joyce — a two-time Telly Award–winning producer and Vice President of From The Heart Productions. With decades of experience helping filmmakers develop, finance, and promote independent films, Carole Joyce has guided countless projects from idea to screen and has become a respected mentor within the independent film community. Together,...

Send us Fan Mail Jon has been at the forefront of independent film for decades. Today, we’re diving deep into what it really takes to get your film seen—and how to survive and succeed in a very challenging distribution landscape. Jon Reiss is a filmmaker, author and media strategist who wrote the book Think Outside the Box Office. His company, 8 Above, creates custom audience-building strategies,...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine being able to understand your audience before you even shoot your first scene… to test your story, evaluate casting choices, and anticipate market performance—all from your script. That’s no longer science fiction. It’s happening now. Benjamin Schnau is a multilingual actor, producer, host, book author and public speaker native in English and German plus conversational Fre...

Send us Fan Mail This is a revolution to budget making. If you want to learn how to budget your film with the newest program that will save you hours and be accurate, listen to these two brilliant, intelligent line producers Stephen Marinaccio & Matthew Cuny, Co-Founders of Cinematic Apps who took years to create and share this new way to budget your film. Learn More!  Line Budgeter: linebudge...

Send us Fan Mail From PBS broadcasts to grassroots theatrical screenings, Mike has built a career defined by independence, impact, and a deep belief in cinema as a communal experience. He has worked across productions that have been screened at major festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, and Toronto, and has been a driving force behind the independent film movement in upstate New York. Wh...

Send us Fan Mail Danielle Guilbot is an Austin-based actress and film-tech entrepreneur.  She is the founder of TexasFilmScene.com : the Texas Movie Operating System . TFS is a clearinghouse connecting producers, crews, and talent with everything they need to bring productions to Texas — from firsthand producer insights and crew resources to a full breakdown of the state's film incentive prog...

Send us Fan Mail AI is no longer something on the horizon. It’s already here, quietly reshaping how films are developed, produced, edited, and even distributed. But with that power comes critical questions—about ethics, authorship, and the future of creative work itself.  In this episode, we’re not just talking about what AI can do—we’re exploring what it should do, and how filmmakers can stay ali...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most powerful opportunities emerging right now—branded content. What if your film could be funded not by waiting for a studio or investor… but by aligning your story with a brand that shares your message and your audience? What if branding wasn’t a compromise—but a creative partnership? Our guest, Johann Garcia, founder of BrandedStrea...

Send us Fan Mail Jonathon Smith is a writer, director, and producer whose work spans independent film development and forward-looking conversations about the evolving film industry. Known for his thoughtful approach to storytelling and production, Jonathon has been actively exploring how emerging technologies, shifting studio structures, and new distribution models are reshaping opportunities for...

Send us Fan Mail Anabelle Munro is an award-winning writer, producer, director, and singer and owner of Blue Boots Productions whose creative work spans film and music with a deep commitment to socially conscious storytelling. She is the creator and manager of the Ethos Film Festival, a festival designed to celebrate films that embody integrity, purpose, and artistic excellence. Through Ethos, Ana...

Send us Fan Mail Kinema is a technology-driven global screening and streaming platform designed to democratize film distribution and empower independent filmmakers. Before launching Kinema, Rish was a Principal at Human Ventures, where he supported and invested in early-stage startups across a range of industries. Prior to that, he worked in fintech, leading strategic projects at Transactis ahead...

Send us Fan Mail Mark Elias is a Los Angeles-based writer, actor, and independent filmmaker focused on grounded, commercial indie films with bold concepts and strong character work. He is the producer of We Could Be Heroes , a comedy-crime heist rooted in gaming culture. Mark is currently raising the film through WeFunder , allowing the public to invest and follow the project’s real-time journey f...

Send us Fan Mail Christopher Riley is a screenwriter, director, and author with a career spanning award-winning international cinema and major studio assignments. His groundbreaking 1999 German-language courtroom thriller After the Truth earned multiple awards, and his screenwriting work includes projects for Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sean Connery’s Fountainbridge Films, Ma...

Send us Fan Mail THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN ™ is a fundraising expert and innovator, as well as a multi-award-winning European-American film and theater director and producer. She has garnered over 37 awards and accolades and was once an Oscar contender in the “Best Documentary” category for her acclaimed feature-length film, Torn from the Flag. She is also known for her Cannes-award-winning short Bro...

Send us Fan Mail Helen Hall is an award-winning producer, director, and composer whose work explores the intersection of art, science, and energy. With more than 30 years of experience, she creates films that combine original research with cinematic storytelling to explore complex and unusual subjects She is currently completing the feature documentary Pictures of Infinity , based on more than two...

Send us Fan Mail Christine La Monte, producer/director/writer and former film marketing executive at Universal, Disney, and Orion is the founder/president of La Monte Productions where current projects include VIVA VERDI! the feature documentary Shortlisted for Best Song, where she serves as producer, writer and executive producer. Also on the awards circuit, AI WEIWEI’S TURANDOT, a co-production...

Send us Fan Mail Scott Billups is an award-winning cinematographer and visual effects creator who has worked on over fifty motion pictures. As a world leader in the creation of virtual characters for movies and games, Scott went back to school in his forties to study AI as a way to breathe life into his inanimate creations. Armed with an entirely new tool set, Scott was Apple’s first evangelist to...

Send us Fan Mail Our special guest this week is the award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner. Timoner founded Interloper Films and is known for movies about visionaries challenging the status quo and personal documentaries that reveal the bittersweet side of facing seemingly impossible challenges. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Television Academy and chairs the Nonfiction Su...

Send us Fan Mail Spade Robinson is an award- winning screenwriter and director, with experience that spans feature film, documentary, television, commercial and theater.  Spade is the owner of full service production company, Spade Ink Media, producing and developing a slate of film, television and podcast projects.  Spade is also the owner of Atlanta Film Project, a screenplay and documentary con...