Explore every episode of the podcast The Art of Film Funding
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Goes Vertical: How Filmmakers Can Create, Sell and Make Money from Vertical Drama | 01 Oct 2026 | 01:01:46 | |
Dana Protsyshak is the founder of Dana Productions, the LA Vertical Drama Market, and Vert-I-Go Media, a vertical drama platform designed with creators and community in mind. Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards | |||
| Beyond the Festival: How to Protect, Distribute and Extend the Life of Your Independent Film | 24 Sep 2026 | 01:03:38 | |
Apple TungFong is the founder and CEO of CineLot, a technology platform designed to connect the many stages of the film-festival process—from submissions and judging to programming, screenings, filmmaker communication, and opportunities beyond the festival. Today, through CineLot and its partnerships, Apple is also helping bring professional film-identification and content-protection tools within reach of independent filmmakers. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards | |||
| Don’t Wait for Hollywood: Garrett Patten on Building Your Own Independent Film Career | 17 Sep 2026 | 00:41:37 | |
Garrett Patten is a versatile actor, director, and filmmaker known for his work on Self Custody. As an active force in the West Coast creative community, Garrett builds projects at the intersection of independent film, visual storytelling, and contemporary culture. He explores narrative depth both in front of and behind the camera, bringing fresh creative energy and strong industry connections to every project. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards | |||
| Hook Them From the First Frame: The Art of the Fundraising Trailer | 10 Sep 2026 | 00:29:16 | |
Today we have an important conversation about one of the most critical aspects of film funding. Your trailer. This is by far your most important funding asset. Our guest today is Carole Joyce, Vice President of From the Heart Productions and Director of our Roy Dean and the Carole Dorothy Joyce Grants. Carole has the unique opportunity to see over 500 trailers a year from applications for the Roy W Dean grant. She knows what impact a trailer has on a judge and winning grants. Carole Joyce is an award-winning film and television producer, documentary filmmaker, and nonprofit executive with more than thirty years of leadership in independent film. She serves as Vice President and Director of the Roy W. Dean Grants at From the Heart Productions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she has helped steward since its earliest years, and as Chief Executive Officer of Authentic Vision Consulting, Inc. A graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors, Ms. Joyce launched her career as a student documentarian with the award-winning film Survivors. She is the granddaughter of Roy W. Dean, the producer whose legacy is preserved in the grant program she now directs. Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards | |||
| Move beyond traditional funding models with Simone Pero, Emmy nominated producer | 02 Sep 2026 | 00:46:51 | |
Description: Today we're talking with Simone Pero, an Emmy-nominated producer and the founder of For Impact Productions. Simone helps mission-driven artists move beyond traditional funding models and build real ecosystems of support around issue-driven work, through her signature Artists for Impact™ cohort program. She's also a sought-after public speaker and writer on the role of art and creative expression in social change. Her website is www.forimpactproductions.com, and you can download her free guide “Your North Star for Social Impact" at www.forimpactproductions.com/guide/. | |||
| Winning Film Grants with Carole Joyce | 21 Aug 2026 | 00:37:43 | |
Our guest today is Carole Joyce, Vice President of From the Heart Productions and Director of our grant programs, including the Roy W. Dean Grants and the Carole Dorothy Joyce Grants. Carole has the unique opportunity to see grant applications from the other side of the table. She knows what makes an application memorable, what causes an application to lose momentum, and what filmmakers can do to communicate the heart, purpose, and potential of their projects more effectively. Grant application: https://fromtheheartproductions.com/roy-w-dean-film-grants-and-awards Setting goals & your mission as a filmmaker: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n3m632njjeriwwgfdir2t/Your-Mission-and-Goals-as-Filmmaker.mp3?rlkey=21n33hxu3cbw2s46mvk6pdeyc&st=5u0fvooq&e=1&dl=0 Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| The Producer Is You: How Filmmakers Can Build, Fund, and Finish Their Films | 05 Aug 2026 | 01:00:06 | |
Today, we are talking with Irina Chernikina, producer/director/writer, about one of the most important—and often misunderstood—roles in independent filmmaking: the producer. What does an independent producer actually do? How does a producer guide a film from its earliest development through production and post-production? The Film Funding Group event takes place Thursday, 8-6-26 at 4pm PT / 5 pm MT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET Learn More at https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmfundinggroup The Event Recording will be posted in "featured" section at https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmfundinggroup Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Brace for Oblivion: Xackery Irving on Courage, Truth, and Ukraine’s Front Lines | 01 Aug 2026 | 00:51:39 | |
Over more than 30 years, Xackery Irving has produced hundreds of hours of nonfiction programming for The New York Times Television, History, and National Geographic. For his work on Brace For Oblivion, he was granted the p.g.a. mark by the Producers Guild of America. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Employment Committee of the Producers Guild of America. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Human-Powered Filmmaking: Ben Wolf on Craft, Community and Change | 29 Jul 2026 | 00:54:06 | |
What happens when a neighborhood asks for one dangerous street to be made safer—and discovers that the fight is really about power, money and who gets to shape the future of a city? Stay with us as filmmaker Ben Wolf reveals how he transformed that battle into his feature documentary directing debut, Changing Lanes. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Bodies of Water: Transforming Grief into a Global Story | 22 Jul 2026 | 00:45:55 | |
Today, we are speaking with award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and storyteller Betsy Murphy. Her documentaries have screened at international film festivals and appeared on Hulu, Showtime, and Amazon Prime. Her projects have also been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The UK Sunday Times, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated. Betsy is also the author of eight books, including Autobiography of an Orgasm, Grief Glimmers Grace, and Write On: A Daily Writing Practice for Anyone with a Story to Tell. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Scaling a Documentary for Global Change: Nivi Jaswal’s Path from Self-Funding to 1,000 Screens | 09 Jul 2026 | 00:56:11 | |
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 — became the catalyst for her life’s new direction: uncovering the connections between personal well-being, food systems, and planetary health. She founded The Virsa Foundation Inc., and. the JIVINITI Research and Advocacy Program, a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit uniting experts in anthropology, psychology, lifestyle medicine, and creative advocacy to design plant-powered, climate-conscious initiatives that prevent chronic illness and foster resilience. Nivi also led The GAIA Study, the largest U.S. nonprofit study on burnout, lifestyle, and nutrition, conducted with Ipsos Public Affairs. Her research inspired the award-winning feature documentary “Third Degree Burnout – A Survivor’s Guide”, which won Best Documentary Feature awards at the 2025 Greenpoint Film Festival, 2025 Seatte Film Festival, 2025 Show Low Arizona Film Festival, and several others, and continues to screen internationally. As a speaker, she has shared her work at King’s College Hospital, Harvard Kennedy School, University of California Berkeley, University of California Santa Barbara and the University of the Arts London. Through research, filmmaking, and advocacy, Nivi transforms personal loss into a mission to heal both people and planet. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Faith, Film & Funding: Jessica Wrabel's Journey with her film | 24 Jun 2026 | 00:49:02 | |
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 independent film from concept to audience. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Production Management 101: The Real Business of Making Movies | 17 Jun 2026 | 00:51:58 | |
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 skills in this podcast. Deborah is also the author of “Write! Shoot! Edit!” for teens - both books published worldwide by MWP Productions. She has worked in the industry since the mid-80s, with a filmography that spans micro-budget to international co-productions, from family and children's programming to science fiction extravaganzas and feature films of various budget sizes with companies such as Disney, Lucasfilm, Alliance/Atlantis, Nelvana, MCA/Universal, and the IMAX space team. Currently she's working in business affairs at Telefilm Canada and teaches filmmaking skills based on her books. When not involved in books and films, she sails with her family in Pacific Northwest. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Short Films, Big Impact: A Conversation with Rae Shaw | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:44:13 | |
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 honors at top international screenwriting competitions, and her film work has screened at top film festivals. She is the author of the recent screenwriting book, THE SHORT, from MWP, the foremost publisher of independent filmmaking books. Wicked Lovely Films - www.wickedlovelyfilms.com Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| The Future of Independent Filmmaking: Inside From the Heart THRIVE | 27 May 2026 | 00:28:40 | |
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 evolution of that mission: From the Heart THRIVE — a new educational and membership platform designed specifically to help independent filmmakers grow, connect, and succeed in today’s rapidly changing industry. Adam Heyes is a multidisciplinary creative and business developer, working primarily with independent filmmakers. Adam serves as Director of Development at From the Heart Productions, and has been working with the company since 2012. He helps the organization in many way, and supports our clients with pitch decks, design, editing, film and event production, website development, marketing, crowdfunding course design, and fundraising. Adam manages several programs for From the Heart Clients including our LargoAI reports and our Grant Advance donor research system. He designed our updated website and Fiscal Sponsorship Dashboard, and now our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE As a producer, Adam is attached to multiple projects in development and release, including the forthcoming documentary I Believe You, and the feature film When the Voiceless Roar. Adam currently also currently serves as President of a new company called IndieHeart, which provides AI based services and proprietary platforms specifically designed for independent filmmakers. Adam graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA’s Honors Program with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Human Complex Systems, and holds a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. | |||
| The S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Formula: Joanne Butcher's Seven Steps to Get Your Film Funded, Made, and Seen Worldwide | 20 May 2026 | 00:57:43 | |
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 screens around the world. What sets her apart is the way she empowers artists to evolve into savvy industry professionals—storytellers who not only understand craft, but who can confidently communicate with investors, funders, and distributors. She has supported creators at every stage of their journey, from first-time short film directors to teams building multimillion-dollar productions that attract top-tier talent. Joanne is a relentless champion for diverse and emerging voices, pushing open doors and dismantling long-standing barriers within the filmmaking ecosystem. Through her leadership, guidance, and industry advocacy, she continues to help filmmakers transform their passion into sustainable careers—ensuring that the stories that need to be told find their audiences, globally. Link to her calendar: Current Films In Distribution Website Instagram Facebook Group LinkedIn Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| How to Throw a Film Funding Party That Raises Real Money with Carole Joyce | 13 May 2026 | 00:33:32 | |
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, they explore how filmmakers can create intimate, inspiring fundraising events that not only raise money, but also build relationships, generate momentum, attract new supporters, and help bring important stories to life. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Think Outside the Box Office: Mastering Film Distribution in Today’s Market | 06 May 2026 | 00:45:55 | |
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, theatrical experiences and digital release campaigns for independent feature and documentary films. Reiss has consulted with hundreds of filmmakers and film organizations throughout the world including The Gotham, IDA, Screen Australia, Film Independent, Creative Scotland. Current clients include The Librarians, Among Neighbors, Death and Taxes, 1800 On Her Own, Sabbath Queen, Food & Country, The Ride Ahead and The Body Politic. He has conducted workshops on six continents and helped create and run the IFP/Gotham Filmmaker Lab for ten years. In 2023 he created the 8 Above Distribution Lab to teach filmmakers how to distribute and market their films. He writes about distribution and marketing on his 8 Above Substack. Last year he co-founded the Future Film Coalition a new organization to research and advocate for the economic sustainability of independent film. Jon got his start in filmmaking and distribution at the infamous San Francisco documentary collective Target Video. He not only shot seminal bands such as Black Flag, Iggy Pop, Throbbing Gristle, The Cramps but was one of the first – if not the first person to conceptualize and execute video tours throughout Europe, carting 500 lbs. of video deck and projector in a VW Bus across 15,000 miles. 8 ABOVE is a theatrical distributor and rights management partner dedicated to connecting award-winning independent films with audiences. Working in close partnership with filmmakers, 8 Above develops strategies that build community and social impact around unique theatrical experiences. Founded by distribution pioneer Jon Reiss, 8 Above has developed bespoke audience-building strategies and theatrical campaigns for independent films, specialty films, and documentaries, including The Librarians, Among Neighbors, 1800 On Her Own, Sabbath Queen, Food & Country, The Ride Ahead, The Body Politic, Sam Now, Two Gods, My Love Affair with Marriage, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, and Hooligan Sparrow. Art of Film Funding Podcast Listeners can get a 6 month free subscription to Jon Reiss' Substack! You can access the free 6-month subscription offer here: https://jonreiss.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=544beac3 Select a plan and then check the box that says "Apply 180 Day Free Trial" before checkout to get access for free. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| The Future of Film Funding: Predicting Audiences Before You Shoot | 30 Apr 2026 | 01:02:28 | |
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 French who also built a successful career as a business development and account executive in the tech industry working for companies like Splunk and Nasdaq. He is now overseeing client accounts globally within the film & streaming division of AI tech company Largo, THE platform that turns creative intuition into strategic impact through audience predictions, AI-powered content tests, and simulated focus groups. Combining his tech background with his experience as an actor working on feature films and TV-shows himself, he is now leveraging his experience to support producers, directors and filmmakers taking the next step in getting their project off the ground with the assistance of AI. Benjamin is widely known for his role 'Minion' in the Academy-Award Winning movie ‘Mank’ alongside Academy-Award Winner Gary Oldman, directed by David Fincher, produced and released by Netflix, for 'The Current War' playing opposite protagonist George Westinghouse portrayed by actor Michael Shannon and for his lead role 'Jupp Klein' 'Megastructures' produced by National Geographic available on Netflix. His book 'The Reality of Hollywood' was released worldwide to educate and guide upcoming actors to establish themselves in the film industry in Hollywood long-term. https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Hollywood-Success-Through-Actors-ebook/dp/B09WQD71YF/ https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-reality-of-hollywood Benjamin just wrapped the action feature film ‘Citizen Vigilante’ starring in critical role Jack opposite actor Armie Hammer and in the movie ‘Sweet Nothings’ where he plays the lead role Ethan, which both being scheduled for release in Fall 2026. Benjamin Schnau https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4250622/ https://www.instagram.com/benjaminschnau/ Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| The End of the Old Budget — How Two Veteran Producers Are Reinventing the Way Hollywood Manages Money | 22 Apr 2026 | 00:46:39 | |
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: linebudgeter.com LinePM: line.pm Art of Film Funding listeners can use code filmfunding10 for 10% off. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Owning Your Film’s Future: Lessons in Independence from Mike Camoin | 15 Apr 2026 | 00:53:47 | |
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. What makes Mike’s journey so powerful is not just what he’s created—but how he’s done it: with courage, clarity, and a commitment to bringing audiences together. Learn More: Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| Is Texas the New Hollywood? How Smart Producers Are Rethinking Where They Film | 09 Apr 2026 | 00:39:58 | |
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 programs. Join our new educational platform From the Heart THRIVE and get free classes on film funding: https://fromtheheartproductions.thrivecart.com/from-the-heart-thrive/ | |||
| The New Filmmaker’s Reality: AI, Ethics, and the Future of Storytelling | 03 Apr 2026 | 00:48:07 | |
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 aligned with their creative voice while navigating a rapidly evolving industry. | |||
| From Film to Brand: How Filmmakers Can Finance and Distribute Through Branded Content | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:30:49 | |
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 BrandedStreams, is at the forefront of this movement. He works with filmmakers and creators to help them understand how to position their projects as valuable storytelling opportunities for brands—opening new doors for financing, marketing, and distribution. | |||
| Surviving the New Film Industry: AI, Studios, and the Indie Filmmaker’s Advantage | 18 Mar 2026 | 00:43:42 | |
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 filmmakers. As both a creative and a strategist, he brings a valuable perspective on how filmmakers can adapt to industry disruption while staying true to their artistic voice. Jonathon is especially interested in how independent filmmakers can use new tools—including artificial intelligence and evolving digital platforms—to develop projects, reach audiences, and build sustainable careers in filmmaking. | |||
| Ethos Film Festival & The Power of Purpose-Driven Cinema | 12 Mar 2026 | 00:41:45 | |
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, Anabelle has built a space where independent filmmakers can showcase their work in an environment that values meaningful cinema, thoughtful dialogue, and creative collaboration. Her leadership reflects both artistic passion and entrepreneurial spirit — qualities every independent filmmaker must cultivate. | |||
| The New Frontier of Film Distribution with Rish Aggarwal of Kinema | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:44:47 | |
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 of its 2019 acquisition by Mastercard. At Kinema, he champions community-led screenings, virtual events, direct audience relationships, and, most recently, partnered with Show&Tell Films to expand resources and education for filmmakers within the Kinema ecosystem. | |||
| Beyond Kickstarter: Using WeFunder to Build Investor-Driven Indie Films | 11 Feb 2026 | 00:43:07 | |
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 from campaign to production. His work blends entrepreneurial execution with story-driven filmmaking, with a mission to build audience-first entertainment that can break out commercially. | |||
| Format Is Power: How Scripts Get Taken Seriously in Hollywood | 04 Feb 2026 | 00:36:11 | |
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, Mandalay Television Pictures, and the Fox television network. Chris is also the author of The Hollywood Standard, the definitive script format manual celebrating 20 years as a best-selling reference for screenwriters worldwide, as well as The Defining Moment: How Writers and Actors Build Characters. He has taught screenwriting at the graduate and undergraduate levels for more than 20 years, shaping the next generation of storytellers. | |||
| Film Funding Mastery: How THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN™ Raised Thousands and Built a Global Crowdfunding Model | 28 Jan 2026 | 00:40:11 | |
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 Brown Paper Bag. THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN™ is recognized worldwide as acrowdfunding consultant. She engineered the FROM ZERO TO A MILLION IN 90 DAYS™ fundraising course and major crowdsourcing campaigns — including raising $1.7 million forTorn from the Flag — and now teaches filmmakers and entrepreneurs how to use fundraising techniques, crowdfunding, and strategic donor engagement to power their projects forward. She splits her time between Hollywood and Hungary, works internationally as a director and fundraising educator. | |||
| Helen Hall shares how to use MIPCOM for funding your documentary | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:41:18 | |
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 decades of research into Nikola Tesla’s long-hidden blueprint for a sustainable energy future. The film has received major honors, including the Roy W. Dean Award and the Carole Dorothy Joyce Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking. | |||
| Christine LaMonte — Craft, Collaboration & Creative Excellence | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:55:19 | |
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 with Italy’s Incipit Film and La Monte Productions | |||
| Post-Cinema: Scott Billups on AI and the Future of Filmmaking | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:49:44 | |
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 Hollywood, co-founder of the AFI Media Lab, CTO of the game industry’s leading supplier of AI (Rival Theory, which became a subsidiary of Google), founder of an AI healthcare company that created the first personified virtual clinician on the IBM Watson health platform, and developer of an AI-robotic eldercare pilot program for the National Institutes of Health. Billups currently resides in Port Hueneme, California. | |||
| ALL THE WALLS CAME: Ondi Timoner on Creating Transformative Films - Hosted by Heather Lenz | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:54:43 | |
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 Subcommittee for Special Projects at the DGA. Timoner is the only director to win Sundance's Grand Jury Prize twice—for DIG! and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC. Both films are in MoMA's permanent collection. Her numerous credits include her 2022 documentary LAST FLIGHT HOME, about her father's end-of-life journey. It was Oscar-shortlisted, Emmy-nominated, and earned her the Visionary Award for Observational Filmmaking as well as the Humanitas Prize. Today we’ll discuss her recent documentary, ALL THE WALLS CAME DOWN, about the historic LA fires that took her home and town of Altadena. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. | |||
| From Script to Screen to Strategy: Spade Robinson on the New Era of Filmmaking | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:57:35 | |
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 consulting firm, helping storytellers and companies to tell the most compelling version of their stories. | |||
| What Everyone Gets Wrong About Crowdfunding — with Bri Castellini | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:59:54 | |
Description: We’re joined by Bri Castellini, one of the top crowdfunding experts in the indie film world. While at Seed&Spark, Bri helped filmmakers raise over $25 million—achieving an incredible 85% success rate. Bri is an independent film and screenwriting consultant and a subject matter expert in arts crowdfunding, indie filmmaking, film festivals, podcasting, romance novels, and the USA television show Burn Notice. As a filmmaker herself she's known for her short film Ace and Anxious (writer/director, 160k+ views on YouTube) and for her podcast Breaking Out of Breaking In. She personally helped launch over $25 million dollars in crowdfunding campaigns with an 85% success rate while she was the Manager of Creator Success at the artist crowdfunding platform Seed&Spark, and she’s spoken at over 200 events and festivals virtually and in person on the subjects previously mentioned. Her full work history can be found on her website BriCastellini.com. And find her at https://www.instagram.com/castellinifilmschool/. In this powerful conversation, Bri reveals what most filmmakers get wrong about crowdfunding, why going viral is not the goal, and how to fund your film by simply telling your story with heart. | |||
| From Twilight Zone to Today: Paul Chitlik on the Art of Screenwriting | 12 Nov 2025 | 00:45:56 | |
A master storyteller shares decades of lessons and his newest book. Description - : Paul Chitlik has written for all the major networks and studios in English and in Spanish. He was story editor for MGM/UA'S "The New Twilight Zone," and staff writer for Showtime's sitcom "Brothers." He directed episodes and was coordinating producer for “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol” and “U.S. Customs Classified.” He wrote and produced “Alien Abduction” for UPN. He wrote, produced, and directed “Ringling Brothers Revealed” a special for The Travel Channel. (He had been a roustabout for Circus Vargas years earlier.) He wrote, produced and directed “The Wedding Dress,” for Amazon Prime. He received a Writers Guild of America award nomination for "The Twilight Zone" and a GLAAD Media Award nomination for "Los Beltrán,” for Telemundo. He won a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family movie. He taught in the MFA programs of UCLA, and many prestigious universities around the world. His book, “Rewrite,” is available in English, Chinese, and Korean. His latest novel is “Lies, All Lies.” His latest screenwriting book is “The Screenwriting Sensei.” And we will cover that book today. | |||
| Award winning filmmaker Jeremy Workman discusses his successful indie release of SECRET MALL APARTMENT - Hosted by Heather Lenz | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:54:02 | |
Our special guest this week is the award-winning documentary filmmaker Jeremy Workman, whose work has been Emmy Nominated and Oscar short-listed. His films include LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD (Discovery), DECIDING VOTE (The New Yorker), THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET (Greenwich Entertainment / Kino Lorber), MAGICAL UNIVERSE (IFC Films), and most recently SECRET MALL APARTMENT. Secret Mall Apartment premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival and went on to win 9 major film festival awards. It was released theatrically in over 250 cities in March 2025, becoming the fourth-highest grossing documentary since 2020 (excluding music concert films). Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Secret Mall Apartment was even parodied on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Executive Produced by actor Jesse Eisenberg, the film is now being developed as both a stage play and a scripted movie. Today we’ll discuss the film and Jeremy’s success making movies that take us deep inside extraordinary worlds. | |||
| Award winning filmmakers Elliot Kirschner & Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse discuss their documentary The Last Class featuring Robert Reich teaching about income inequality - Hosted by Heather Lenz | 30 Oct 2025 | 01:04:14 | |
Today our special guests are Elliot Kirschner and Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse. Elliot Kirschner is a New York Times best-selling author and an Emmy Award-winning news and documentary producer. Elliot began his career at CBS News, reporting and producing for 60 Minutes, Sunday Morning, and The Evening News. Elliot now authors the Through the Fog newsletter. Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse is the Executive Director of Inequality Media and Inequality Media Civic Action and the founder of CoffeeKlatch Productions. She is also the co-host of “The Coffee Klatch,” a conversational podcast about the news of the week, with her longtime collaborator Robert Reich. Today we’ll discuss The Last Class, a documentary feature produced by Heather and directed by Elliot about Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich. | |||
| You are the Magic: Film Funding with help from the Quantum Field | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:37:53 | |
Carole Dean is Founder and President of From the Heart Productions Inc, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit. From the Heart’s mission is to help indie filmmakers and creatives, with unique projects that contribute to society, get funding. From the Heart accomplishes this through five Roy W. Dean Film Grants a year, fiscal sponsorship, education, mentorship, and free resources. Since 1993, From the Heart has assisted thousands of documentaries, features, short films, and web series in getting their films funded. From the Heart has helped filmmakers raise over $70,000,000 for their films. | |||
| Mark Mori on The Baristas vs The Billionaires: Funding and Fighting for Change | 27 Sep 2025 | 00:45:31 | |
Mark is currently directing The Baristas vs The Billionaire and Executive Producing, Exiled From Hollywood, Orson Welles’ Lost Masterpiece. His first film, Building Bombs, was an Academy Award nominee, Best Documentary Feature some of his other notable projects include: Kent State, The Day the War Came Home, Emmy Award, News and Current Affairs; Blood Ties the Life and Work of Sally Mann, Academy Award nominee, Best Documentary Short Film; The Fire This Time, Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize nominee and Writers Guild of America TV Currents Affairs Award nomination. | |||
| Brace for Oblivion: Filmmaking on the Frontlines with Xackery Irving | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:59:43 | |
“Inside Ukraine’s war zone, a filmmaker captures courage, chaos, and the cost of truth.” Xackery is a New York–based director and producer, drawn to stories that unfold in times of crisis, where resilience and identity intersect. His debut documentary, American Chain Gang, exposed controversial forced-labor prison programs in the U.S. His follow-up, Nothing Without You, explored memory, loss, and obsession. And now, with his latest film, Brace for Oblivion, he brings us an immersive chronicle from the Ukrainian frontlines, filmed over three years, following seven citizen-soldiers through the cycles of combat and rare moments of homecoming. Beyond his films, Xackery co-chairs the Producers Guild of America’s Employment Committee and actively supports the international indie film community. In our conversation, we’ll cover the power of pivoting as a producer, trusting your storytelling instincts, navigating today’s marketplace, and building strong creative teams. And of course, we’ll dive into the craft of writing, shooting, and editing documentaries under extraordinary circumstances. | |||
| Counterculture Utopia? Documentary Filmmaker Jonathan Berman discusses rereleasing Commune | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:42:36 | |
Our special guest today is documentary filmmaker Jonathan Berman, who began his career as a stock footage researcher and assistant editor. He is director and producer of The Shvitz, a film about the last traditional steambaths in New York. His film My Friend Paul, about his relationship to his bipolar best friend, was produced for public television. Calling All Earthlings is an exploration of Joshua Tree and the area’s UFO-inspired dome, The Integratron. Berman co-wrote the story for On The Run, featuring Michael Imperioli and John Ventimiglia, and produced the NYC music documentary Sabbath in Paradise, which featured Harvey Pekar and John Zorn. Today we’ll discuss his film Commune, which is being rereleased 20 years after it was made. | |||
| Award winning filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito discusses her biographical documentaries - Hosted by Heather Lenz | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:33:10 | |
Our special guest this week is Lisa D’Apolito, an Emmy nominated producer and director who is also a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. She started as an actress in film, theater and television, and her roles included a part in “Goodfellas.” She went on to producing and directing in advertising. Lisa’s documentary, “Love, Gilda,” was nominated for 2 creative Emmys. Lisa was named one of Variety’s 10 Documentarians to Watch in 2018 and SHOOT Magazines New Directors’ Showcase 2019. Her recent films include Albert Pyun: King of Cult Movies which premiered at Comic Con and Shari and Lamb Chop, which is being theatrically released in 2025. Curently, she is working on a documentary about singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. | |||
| Emily Best on Crowdfunding That Works: How Seed&Spark Helps Filmmakers Succeed | 10 Aug 2025 | 00:39:04 | |
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, a platform that makes entertainment more diverse, inclusive, connected and essential. Seed&Spark’s platform and national education program have helped thousands of bold storytellers raise millions to bring to life entirely new stories, and Seed&Spark delivers those stories into workplaces for employee training, engagement, and intelligence through an enterprise SaaS platform Film Forward. In 2023, CNBC named Seed&Spark one of the top 200 fintech companies in the world. She serves on the Advisory Board for a variety of early stages startups and the Board of Film Impact Georgia. In 2024, alongside Christie Marchese at Kinema, Emily spearheaded an effort to launch The Distribution Playbook, a free and open- sourced field guide for independent filmmakers to succeed in distribution. She has produced films, VR, shorts and series that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, Tribeca and more. She is currently touring with a feature documentary she produced called RATIFIED about the 100+ year struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment. | |||
| The Future is Fan-Funded: A Conversation with Legion M’s Jeff Annison | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:52:12 | |
Jeff Annison is the co-founder and President of Legion M, the world's first fan-owned media company that is using new equity crowdfunding laws enabled by the JOBS Act to create a film and television company built from the ground up to be owned by fans. He was also the co-founder and CEO of Underground Labs, a product development studio that built mobile apps, websites, and enterprise products for clients including AT&T, Sprint, NFL, SEC, ACC, Universal Music, Warner Music, Sony Music, Diet Coke, Paramount Pictures, and more. Underground Labs also created the New York Rock Exchange, a first-of-its-kind marketplace that allowed fans to own a piece of a song. Prior to Legion M, Jeff was a cofounder of MobiTV, one of the world’s first live mobile television services. Jeff led engineering and product development as the company scaled from 3 co-founders to over 300 employees, won an Emmy Award for Innovation in Television, and grew to over 25MM paying subscribers. Jeff started his career designing toys for Hasbro and theme park ride effects for Universal Studios. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. To connect with Jeff visit | |||
| Filmmaker Philip Shane shares strategies to create award winning documentaries - Hosted by Heather Lenz | 16 Jul 2025 | 01:04:36 | |
Our special guest today is the award-winning documentary filmmaker, Philip Shane. A few of his career highlights include co-directing, writing, and editing BEING ELMO, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. For his editing work on DANCING IN JAFFA, which had its World Premiere at the TriBeCa Film Festival, Shane won the Best Editing Award at Israel's DocAviv Film Festival. He worked at ABC News for nearly a decade and edited many distinguished long form programs including Ted Kopple's Iraq War documentary, TIP OF THE SPEAR, which won the DuPont Columbia Award for Broadcast Journalism and MARTIN LUTHER KING: Searching For The Promised Land, which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Program. Beyond filmmaking, Shane also produces and hosts the long-running podcast, WHAT THE IF. Each week he invites scientists, science historians, and journalists to show us how they would use real science to explore extraordinary imaginary scenarios. Shane has also become a regular speaker and consultant on the use of Artificial Intelligence in documentary filmmaking and beyond. Currently he is directing and producing a feature documentary, THE WORLD I WANT TO LIVE IN, about Myst, a video game currently in The Museum of Modern of Art in New York. Recently he directed and produced JADE DOSKOW: PHOTOGRAPHER OF LOST UTOPIAS, which we’ll discuss today. | |||
| How to Raise Money for Your Doc with Jilann Spitzmiller | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:49:01 | |
Jilann Spitzmiller is a veteran filmmaker with over 20 awards for her documentary and multi-media work. For more than three decades, she has honed a mastery in long-range, character-driven, cinema verité storytelling, supported multiple times by funders such as Sundance Institute, ITVS and George Soros’ Open Society Institute. She has been a Sundance Documentary fellow and was selected for the Stowe Narrative Lab in 2024. Jilann’s most notable films include MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY, which premiered at SXSW and played in over 600 theaters and is now on AppleTV, Amazon and other platforms. She produced the cult favorite, SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS which premiered at Sundance and won 11 awards and went onto US theatrical and worldwide television distribution. She directed the award-winning features STILL DREAMING and HOMELAND which both aired nationally on PBS. Spitzmiller directed and wrote episodic documentary for Discovery’s MEDICAL DIARY and NBC’s LIFE MOMENTS, Jilann also has many cinematography credits, shooting on nonfiction episodic for NETFLIX, CNN, PBS, DISCOVERY, NBC, and Bravo. Jilann is currently teaching film funding in her Doc Funding Hub https://courses.desktop-documentaries.com/memberships/doc-funding-hub | |||
| Creating your future: How Filmmakers access genius through the quantum field | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:28:47 | |
Today’s episode is especially important because I’m sharing the opening chapters of my new book, Creating your Future: The Difference between normal and genius is your connection to the field. I’ve written to empower filmmakers—not just with funding tools—but with access to the quantum field. I want to hear what resonates with you. Your feedback will help shape the rest of this book. So please email me at Info@fromtheheartproductions.com with your thoughts, ideas, or stories of how you connect to the field.” A talented filmmaker, photographer, and producer, Carole Joyce is Vice-President and Director of the 501(c)3 non-profit From the Heart Productions and the Roy W. Dean Grant, which she has been an integral part of for 30 years. From the Heart Productions has provided Fiscal Sponsorship for thousands of films, including the Emmy Award winning documentaries "I Am Evidence" and "Belly of the Beast," the renowned Central American film "Cadejo Blanco," and the 2022 HBO documentary "A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting." | |||
| Preserve Your Legacy: How Chance McClain Turns Family Stories into Hollywood-Style Films | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:41:40 | |
Chance McClain is a creative powerhouse, blending a rich background in filmmaking, radio, and theater with a passion for storytelling. As the founder of Heritage Films, Chance has created more than 800 feature-length documentaries, celebrating family stories and life legacies. His work has connected generations, preserving the essence of individuals and families through visually stunning films. A proud Army veteran and a pioneer in narrative innovation, Chance’s career spans sports radio, Broadway musicals, and entrepreneurial filmmaking. From directing a Streamy-nominated film to writing and producing an off-Broadway musical while running a sports station, his versatility and dedication shine through. Today, Chance leads his team at Heritage Films with a heartfelt commitment to authenticity, merging technical expertise with an artistic touch. Whether inspiring others to embrace their past or discussing the art of storytelling, he captivates audiences and helps them see the value in preserving their own legacies. | |||