The No Film School Podcast

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins connects with two key voices in the film-industry ecosystem. First, she chats with screenwriter and filmmaker Nicolas Curcio to take the pulse of the movie business at the close of 2025—what’s changed, what’s hopeful, and what still needs to shift. Then, GG talks with programmer and curator Imani Davis of the American Cinematheque to e...

Director John-Michael Powell joins No Film School to talk about his gritty Southern crime thriller Violent Ends, which hits theaters October 31. Powell shares the winding journey that led to the film’s production—from being dropped from a college art program, to cutting indie films that made it to festivals like Sundance and SXSW, to editing the Emmy-winning Netflix series American Manhunt. Remark...

In this episode, No Film School founder Ryan Koo sits down with contributor and fellow Austinite Jourdan Aldredge to recap the highlights and insights from the 32nd annual Austin Film Festival. Known as "The Writers Festival," AFF has emerged as a critical space for screenwriters, writer-directors, and filmmakers to connect, learn, and showcase their work. Ryan and Jourdan discuss how the festival...

In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and guests Geeta Gandbhir and Viridiana Lieberman dive into the making of the breakout documentary The Perfect Neighbor, which uses police body‑cam, Ring‑cam and dash‑cam footage to tell a harrowing story of a neighborhood dispute and a fatal shooting in Florida under the “stand your ground” law. The conversation focuses on how editor Lieberman navigate...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director Mary Bronstein about her searing psychological comedy-drama If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You. The film, starring Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Christian Slater, and A$AP Rocky, explores the emotional breakdown of a woman navigating a mysterious illness in her child, an absentee husband, and a dangerously dependent relati...

No Film School founder, Ryan Koo, sits down with acclaimed director Jeremiah Zagar to explore his journey from Sundance Labs and indie documentaries to directing high-stakes prestige television. Zagar, best known for We the Animals and Hustle, shares an in-depth look at his process directing HBO’s Task—an emotionally rich, verité-style crime drama from showrunner Brad Ingelsby, starring Mark Ruffa...

How do you make enough money to support yourself as an independent filmmaker? It's nearly impossible. So these scrappy filmmakers tried something new. Moviegoers at this year's edition of Fantastic Fest were in for a surprise when the credits of the horror world premiere Dolly rolled: several QR codes lingered on screen. If you liked the movie, you could tip the filmmakers directly, through Venmo,...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins sits down with writer-director Zoe Eisenberg to discuss her provocative and powerful debut feature Chaperone, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Breakout Feature at Slamdance. Set in Hawaii, the film explores a taboo relationship between a woman and a teenage boy and dives deep into themes of loneliness, desire, and moral ambiguit...

This episode of the No Film School Podcast takes a deep dive into the intersection of AI and creativity in filmmaking. Host GG Hawkins speaks with Matty Shimura from ElevenLabs about the upcoming Chroma Awards—an international competition that aims to spotlight ethical, intentional, and innovative uses of AI in film, music videos, and games. The conversation explores how AI is being used as a tool...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins sits down with legendary screenwriter and director Shane Black, known for iconic films like Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, The Nice Guys, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The two dive deep into Black’s creative process, his latest project Play Dirty (an adaptation of Donald Westlake's Parker novels), and how his filmmaking journey and sobr...

In this episode, GG Hawkins sits down with filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie to dig into his solo directorial feature The Smashing Machine — a biopic‑adjacent portrait of UFC legend Mark Kerr starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The conversation ranges from genesis stories and casting experiments to the heavy emotional labor behind staging domestic fights, and how Benny’s dual identity as actor...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins sits down with Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan, the prolific directing duo and co-hosts of the long-running Just Shoot It podcast. With nearly 500 episodes under their belt, Matt and Oren dive deep into the realities of sustaining creative careers, the value of community, and how accountability and consistency have fueled their podcast and...

No Film School's GG Hawkins checks into Netflix’s brand new animated comedy, Haunted Hotel, and gets a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create an adult animation from the ground up. She’s joined by series creator and showrunner Matt Roller (Rick and Morty), art director Robbie Erwin, and writer Avital Ash for a roundtable conversation that spans the show’s long development journey, the c...

In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, and guests Erin Sullivan and Johnny Han take listeners behind the curtain of The Penguin, exploring how a VFX team builds a gritty, immersive Gotham — from early concept to final composite. The conversation covers creative philosophy, technical workflow, tool choices, collaboration across departments, and the emotional stakes of creating visuals that f...

In this episode, Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge explore what makes the 20th edition of Fantastic Fest so crucial for genre and indie filmmakers. They discuss the festival’s unique energy, audience connection, and events, spotlight standout films like Shelby Oaks, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Black Phone 2, Luger, Vicious, Primate, Whistle, Coyotes, and others. The conversation culminates in a new initiat...

GG Hawkins sits down with Carmen Emmi (director, writer) and Erik Vogt-Nilsen (editor) of Plainclothes, a striking debut feature that blends the aching vulnerability of first love with the sharp tension of queer identity under surveillance. Set in 1997 and laced with nostalgic Hi8 footage, the film isn’t just a period piece — it’s a raw, intimate time capsule of self-discovery, repression, and res...

Editor Taylor Mason returns to the No Film School Podcast to discuss her leap from indie features to her first studio film, HIM, directed by Justin Tipping. Host GG Hawkins explores how Mason's editing shaped the emotional tone, visual storytelling, and layered character dynamics of the surreal football drama. They also dive into how working on larger-scale projects differs from the indie scene, t...

In this episode, GG Hawkins is joined by Shelby Schultz, Director of Programming at LOOK Cinemas. Shelby shares her insights into the complex and often misunderstood world of theatrical exhibition, from how she discovers films to what drives the decision-making process behind booking movies in theaters. Drawing from her extensive background in distribution, financing, and development, Shelby expla...

In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director-producer Nora Fiffer about her debut feature Another Happy Day, and how she achieved a rare feat in indie filmmaking: shooting on strict eight‑hour days while providing on‑set childcare. The two explore how this family-friendly approach—driven by Fiffer's own journey into motherhood—shaped every stage of production, from scheduling and budget...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins sits down with filmmaker Macon Blair to discuss his journey from scrappy DIY filmmaking in Virginia to directing the 2025 reimagining of the cult classic The Toxic Avenger. The film hits theaters today, and Blair shares how he balanced homage and originality, kept the humor grounded in absurdity, and tackled the long production process. He...

No Film School delves into the high-pressure, fast-paced world of sketch comedy editing on Saturday Night Live's historic 50th Anniversary special. The episode features returning guest Ryan Spears—four-time Emmy nominee and Film Unit editor at SNL—joined by longtime collaborators Daniel Garcia and Paul Del Gesso. Together, they share insider stories on crafting memorable montages, rediscovering ar...

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins sits down with Oscar-winning editor Paul Rogers, best known for his work on Everything Everywhere All at Once. Paul opens up about his journey from Alabama to Hollywood, founding the post-production company Parallax, and how personal experiences—like fatherhood and burnout—reshaped his approach to creativity and work. The conversation dives...

This episode of the No Film School Podcast welcomes back Charles Haine, who hosts a compelling conversation with filmmaker Aditya Kripalani and lead actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangada Satarupa. The group discusses their latest film I'm Not an Actor, a cross-continental drama that was shot simultaneously in Mumbai and Frankfurt, using FaceTime as a primary storytelling and production tool....

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins sits down with powerhouse writing and showrunning duo Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco. The married couple behind hit shows like Friends from College and Platonic discuss the nuances of building a creative career, collaborating with your spouse, and navigating the demands of leading a TV series. They reflect on how their individual writi...

In this special episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins sits down with filmmaker duo Talia Shea Levin and Kara Grace Miller to discuss the journey behind their short film Make Me a Pizza—a provocative, hilarious, and genre-blurring short that’s become a viral sensation. Fresh off a big win at the Fantasia Festival’s Frontières 'Short to Feature' competition, Levin and Miller open up abou...