IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

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'Drop' Director Christopher Landon Apr 10, 2025

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Director Christopher Landon joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill to talk about his latest film, “Drop.” A thriller set almost entirely in one location, relying heavily on cell phones, “Drop” created a number of logistical and aesthetic challenges for Landon, all of which he breaks down in this conversation.

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What Does a TV Director Actually Do? 40-Year Vet Bethany Rooney Explains Apr 04, 2025

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On this episode IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill is joined by veteran television director Bethany Rooney, who talks about a career that began on “St. Elsewhere” in the 1980s and continues to the present day on shows like “Tracker” and “Criminal Minds.” Rooney takes the listener through the nuts and bolts of every facet of TV directing, explaining the similarities between TV and features and the very real differences.

Watch full director interviews on our Toolkit YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oEavFHbDlFCGlOmGO71Tvzb1qEHofCg&si=w5vAKxoVhhhSZLwT

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Indie Sustainability: Why Cant Filmmakers Make a Living? with Producer Alex Saks Mar 31, 2025

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We're debuting a new series on the Toolkit feed; a look into some of the challenges and opportunities facing independent filmmakers in 2025. First up, we sit down with veteran producer Alex Saks, to dig into why even our most successful independent filmmakers are struggling to make a living right now. If directors like Sean Baker and Brady Corbet can work with the best indie studios, get great reviews, win awards, and STILL can't make rent, what does that mean for indie filmmaking as a whole?

Watch the entire interview here: https://youtu.be/KTMP36_o-sk

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'Audrey's Children' Director Ami Canaan Mann Mar 27, 2025

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This impressive indie film documents the groundbreaking work of physician and co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Dr. Audrey Evans. Director Ami Canaan Mann joins IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to discuss illuminating this incredible woman's life, and share how she made such a handsome looking feature on a truly indie budget (it involves an abandoned hospital!)

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'The Actor' Director Duke Johnson Mar 20, 2025

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“The Actor” director Duke Johnson stops by Toolkit to talk with IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill about making his live-action feature debut after making a name for himself in the world of stop-motion animation. Topics include the challenges of adaptation, why he cast actors in multiple roles, and how he made the most of a budget and schedule that fell far short of his ambitions.

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'Novocaine' Directors Dan Berk & Robert Olsen Mar 13, 2025

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“Novocaine” directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen join IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to talk about their new action-comedy, which merges the influence of 1980s hits like “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon” with the story of a new kind of action hero. Berk and Olsen discuss how they made the most of a modest budget, why Cape Town, South Africa doubled for San Diego, and much more.

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'Mickey 17' Director Bong Joon Ho Mar 07, 2025

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Korean only version begins at: 23:01

We are thrilled to welcome back Oscar winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon Ho. His new movie takes place in a world where human printing exists (memories and all), and follows a man who agrees to be killed again for science. Director Bong reveals the pandemic-inspired origins of the film, what it was like working with Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo, and more.

You can watch the full conversation on IndieWire's Youtube page: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oEavFHbDlFCGlOmGO71Tvzb1qEHofCg&si=GIs_qajyGCSlhXvu

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'Eephus' Director Carson Lund Mar 06, 2025

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So what makes a great hangout film like “Dazed & Confused” or “American Graffiti”? That’s what IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt asks director Carson Lund, a student of the sub-genre and who just made a great one with his baseball film “Eephus,” the story of two recreational baseball teams, up in small town New England, playing their last game on their beloved field before it gets torn down.

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'Compensation' Director Zeinabu irene Davis Feb 27, 2025

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'Compensation' is an underdiscussed classic that follows two young black couples, one of whom is deaf, played by the same actors in two time periods, facing two different pandemics. In making the movie in the 90s, and discussing it now, Zeinabu is brilliant at capturing the complexities and patterns of black lives.

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'Universal Language' Director Mathew Rankin Feb 20, 2025

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'Universal Language' is a charming, deceptively deep indie film about a town that is somehow both Winnipeg, Canada and Tehran, Iran, and the lives of its citizens. Director Mathew Rankin sat down with IndieWire craft writer Sarah Shachat to discuss what it takes to live in community, finding his family on set, and of course filming with live turkeys.

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