IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

Latest Episodes:

'My Undesirable Friends' Director Julia Loktev Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

American filmmaker Julia Loktev, born in the Soviet Union, returned to Moscow in 2021 to make a documentary on the persistence of independent journalism in Putin’s Russia, only to find herself documenting its death in real time as Russia invades Ukraine. Julia walked us through how she felt living inside this dark moment of Russian history, and how she can't help draw comparisons back home.

Read our full review of "My Undesirable Friends" - https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/my-undesirable-friends-part-1-last-air-in-moscow-review-1235053151/

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio break down insider news from Hollywood and debate the latest films and series. - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indiewire-screen-talk/id893977298

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Pizza Movie' Directors Brian McElhaney & Nick Kocher (BriTANicK) Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, also known as the comedy duo BriTANicK, join IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to talk about their new Hulu “Pizza Movie, which elevates lowbrow comedy to high art with its meticulous sense of visual design and structure. McElhaney and Kocher talk about influences, casting, and more in this wide-ranging interview.

Read our full review of "Pizza Movie" - https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/pizza-movie-review-britanick-hulu-comedy-1235186676/

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Ready or Not 2: Here I Come' Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, better known as Radio Silence, join IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to talk about their new film “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.” A sequel to the 2019 thriller “Ready or Not,” “Ready or Not 2” takes the story in surprising new directions while delivering the pleasures of the original. Radio Silence talks about striking that balance, approaching difficult exposition, and more in this interview.

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Bride!' Director Maggie Gyllenhaal Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Maggie Gyllenhaal is back on the Filmmaker Toolkit and bigger than ever for her second feature, a reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein with a blend of genres, 1930s-style musical numbers, and a focused feminine rage. Maggie talked about the world building of her epic, from the harnessing of IMAX cameras to a graphic novel approach to designing the characters.

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Industry' Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

The hit HBO drama "Industry" just dropped its season 4 finale last night, and we have creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay on the Filmmaker's Toolkit to break it all down. They discuss turning the series into a conspiracy thriller this season, incredible moments like Erics walk off and Yasmin's punishing arc, as well as the meaning of the final shot and mysterious flash frame.

Can't get enough "Industry?" Revisit our season 3 interview with Mickey and Konrad - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-creators-konrad-kay-and-mickey-down/id1142632832?i=1000671314786

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Sinners' Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

For her masterful work on "Sinners," Autumn became only the fourth woman in history to be nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar. She opened up with IndieWire VP Chris O'Falt about the prospect of becoming the first woman to win that award, and how being a woman in the field affected her early career and her current balance between work and family. And of course we dig into all the nerdy craft details, including a more candid conversation about the decision to use IMAX than you may have heard elsewhere.

Revisit our episode with "Elvis" Cinematographer Mandy Walker, the third woman nominee in the category - open.spotify.com/episode/5iPCSArQfCBhCce1HbdsWE?si=CleehbCZTPmF7POubrB9ow

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

0:00 - Intro

1:53 - Autumn's career and personal live leading to "Sinners."

15:00 - Why the look of "Sinners" is so personal to Autumn.

18:50 - Capturing the authentic harsh sun & muggy nights of Mississippi Delta

23:54 - The challenges and technical details of shooting on IMAX film cameras.

35:13 - Executing the surreal 'I Lied to You' sequence.

40:12 - The challenges of blending VFX and ultra high-res IMAX footage.

48:44 - The awards campaign and how it feels to potentially be the first woman to win the Best Cinematography Oscar.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Showrunner Ira Parker Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

The world of 'Game of Thrones' has never felt quite like this before. Showrunner Ira Parker spoke with us about making a half hour comedy that eschews the dragons and royal politics for a smaller character piece with a kinder tone. Ira explained how he evolved the typical 'Game of Thrones' style in order to connect the filmmaking to his lead characters soul, and revealed some of the alternate paths this season could have taken in the adaptation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baz Luhrmann Found Lost Elvis Footage and Turned It Into a Dreamscape Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Baz Luhrmann sits down with IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to discuss EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert. While making his 2022 biopic, Luhrmann uncovered boxes of unseen Elvis footage that inspired a new kind of documentary he describes as a cinematic “dreamscape.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Zootopia 2' Directors Byron Howard & Jared Bush Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

A rare treat today on the Filmmaker Toolkit: a deep dive into feature animation directing! Directors Byron and Jared explain how the film was essentially in pre-production, production, and post-production simultaneously across it's 5 year development. They also dug into the ways casting and character creation intertwine, and the challenge of packing every frame to the brim with detail.

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VFX of 'Avatar Fire & Ash' with Richard Baneham and Eric Saindon Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Visual effects supervisor Baneham and Wētā FX senior effects supervisor Eric Saindon talk to IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit podcast about working on James Cameron's 197-minute epic — that has only seven seconds with no visual effects. Hear which sequences were most challenging to pull off, and just how much of the Avatar world is built for real alongside VFX.

Subscribe to Top Of The Line - IndieWire's new newsletter about the craft of film and TV - https://cloud.email.indiewire.com/signup/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected