Liz Manashil and Alrik Bursell discuss independent filmmaking, everything from writing, producing and directing to working as crew. But this is not just a podcast about "making it," it's also about struggling with rejection, self-doubt and everything else that comes with pursuing a career in film. Follow along as we forge our own way through the industry and talk to guests who are also making it happen. Episodes 238-299 are available at our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Sophia Banks - Bringing a Love of 70s Genre Films to Tilt!
Tilt (2011) · Aug 17, 2026
Omar Lopex - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Ana (2020) · Aug 13, 2026
Glenn Garrabrant - Making Indie Features and Honing Your Process!
Local Area Network (2025) · Aug 10, 2026
Dallas Jenkins - BONUS Throwback Interview!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024) · Aug 6, 2026
Joshua Porter - The Eleven Year Journey to Feature #1!
No Evidence of Man (2026) · Jul 27, 2026
Georgia Bernstein - Getting Your First Feature into Sundance!
Night Nurse (1979) · Jul 13, 2026
Roger Nygard - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Trekkies (1997) · Jul 3, 2026
Alice Brooks - BONUS Throwback Interview!
In the Heights (2021) · Jun 25, 2026
Joseph Zentil - Taking a Chance on Your First Feature!
Born to Lose (2026) · Jun 15, 2026
Michael Kellman - Distributing Your First Feature in 2026!
Say Less (2026) · Jun 8, 2026
Madison Young - Writing and Directing a First Feature Based on a Memoir!
By the Roots (2026) · Jun 1, 2026
Katie Aselton - Making a Movie for Yourself!
Magic Hour (2022) · May 25, 2026
Rob Smat - BONUS Throwback Interview!
The Last Whistle (2019) · May 7, 2026
Gille Klabin - Riding The Wave of the First Feature to Feature 2!
The Wave (2019) · May 4, 2026
Gille Klabin - Riding The Wave of the First Feature to Feature 2!
Weekend at the End of the World (2025) · May 4, 2026
Simon Cellan Jones - From Directing Low Budget TV to The Family Plan 2!
The Family Plan 2 (2025) · Nov 24, 2025
Nyla Innuksuk - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Slash/Back (2022) · Oct 16, 2025
Hassan Said - Briana Walsh - Jordan Potch - BONUS Throwback Interview!
This Is Your Song (2023) · Oct 10, 2025
Toby Jones - Creating an Imaginative No Budget Indie Comedy!
AJ Goes to the Dog Park (2025) · Sep 1, 2025
Brian Helgeland - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Finestkind (2023) · Aug 21, 2025
Jeff Ryan - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Mean Spirited (2023) · Aug 2, 2025
Christopher Yates and Sabrina Zahir - Coming Together as Producer and Director to Make a First Feature!
American Spirit (2024) · Jul 28, 2025
James DeMonaco and Sebastien Lemercier - Forming a Lasting Director Producer Partnership!
The Purge (2013) · Jul 21, 2025
James DeMonaco and Sebastien Lemercier - Forming a Lasting Director Producer Partnership!
The Home (2025) · Jul 21, 2025
Thom Harp - BONUS Throwback Interview!
The Donor Party (2023) · Jul 11, 2025
Julia Max - Orchestrating Your Dream First Feature Film!
The Surrender (2025) · Jun 2, 2025
Leon Chills - Writing and Selling Your First Feature Script in Hollywood!
Shadow Force (2025) · May 19, 2025
Mick Davis - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Walden (2023) · May 1, 2025
Dito Montiel - Casting Jennifer Coolidge to Breath Life into Feature #8!
Riff Raff (2025) · Apr 28, 2025
Julia Stiles - From Starring in Studio Features to Writing and Directing an Indie Feature!
Wish You Were Here (2025) · Feb 17, 2025
Jules Bruff - Orchestrating the Production of Your First Feature!
Good Side of Bad (2023) · Feb 11, 2025
Deborah Puette - From Acting to Writing and Co-Directing a Feature!
Cash for Gold (2024) · Feb 3, 2025
Bianca Beyrouti - Maria Mealla - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Bring Me an Avocado (2019) · Jan 23, 2025
Antonio Negret - Daniel Negret - Luiza Ricupero - Making a Feature with Family!
Shaman (2025) · Jan 20, 2025
Susie Yankou - Starring, Writing and Directing Your First Feature!
Sisters (2023) · Jan 13, 2025
Dallas Jenkins - Making Your Dream Feature with the Creator of The Chosen!
The Chosen (1981) · Jan 6, 2025
Dallas Jenkins - Making Your Dream Feature with the Creator of The Chosen!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024) · Jan 6, 2025
Angela Gulner and Mark Meir - From Acting to Directing and Producing The Beldham!
The Beldham (2025) · Dec 23, 2024
Frazer Bradshaw - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Deep Sky (2023) · Dec 4, 2024
Andrew Schrader - Writing Screenplays to Writing Novels!
After (2019) · Oct 14, 2024
Neasa Hardiman - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Sea Fever (2020) · Oct 10, 2024
Jessamine Burgum and Kara Durrett - Navigating the Golden Elevator with Pinky Promise Films!
I Don't Understand You (2024) · Sep 2, 2024
Roxanne Benjamin - BONUS Throwback Interview!
There's Something Wrong with the Children (2023) · Aug 22, 2024
Darren Lynn Bousman - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Death of Me (2020) · Aug 1, 2024
Marcus Dunstan - Directing Horror Films without Compromise!
Saw IV (2007) · Jul 29, 2024
Marcus Dunstan - Directing Horror Films without Compromise!
Saw V (2008) · Jul 29, 2024
Marcus Dunstan - Directing Horror Films without Compromise!
Saw VI (2009) · Jul 29, 2024
Ben Stier - The Process of Making a Hometown Feature!
Girl Without End (2023) · Jul 15, 2024
Bruce McDonald - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Dreamland (2019) · Jun 27, 2024
Clinton Cornwell - Shooting First Feature 12 Months for Over 18 Months!
12 Months (2013) · Jun 10, 2024
Rodes Phire and Ty Gordon - The Producer Director Collaboration and Making Your Movies!
Never Forgotten (2022) · Jun 3, 2024
Jesse Handsher - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Being Napoleon (2018) · May 23, 2024
Jonathan Kiefer - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Around the Sun (2019) · May 9, 2024
Paulina Lagudi - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Mail Order Monster (2018) · May 2, 2024
Stefon Bristol - Leveling Up By Directing A List Actors for Feature #2!
Breathe (2024) · Apr 22, 2024
Travis Burgess - Making a Micro Budget Who Done It!
Hayseed (2023) · Mar 25, 2024
Kate Forsatz and Meredith Veach: BONUS Throwback Interview!
Threebound (2019) · Feb 22, 2024
Theo Brown: Casting Your Feature on Your Own Terms!
An Electric Sleep (2023) · Feb 12, 2024
Infusing Holiday Cheer Into A Holiday I Do with Director Paul Schneider!
A Holiday I Do (2023) · Dec 18, 2023
Getting Your Script Made After Thirty Years with Dennis Paoli!
Re-Animator (1985) · Oct 30, 2023
Getting Your Script Made After Thirty Years with Dennis Paoli!
From Beyond (1986) · Oct 30, 2023
Getting Your Script Made After Thirty Years with Dennis Paoli!
Suitable Flesh (2023) · Oct 30, 2023
Karan Boolani: Premiering Your First Feature at TIFF!
Thank You For Coming (2023) · Oct 16, 2023
Making Always, Lola and Going Freelance During the Strike with Jeffrey Crane Graham!
Always, Lola (2022) · Aug 14, 2023
Producing Your Ass Off and Putting AI to Work with Stephen Gibler!
Bread and Butter (2014) · Jul 24, 2023
A Life on Set with Director Sylvia Caminer!
Follow Her (2022) · Jun 5, 2023
Collaborating on Your First Feature Film with Alicia J. Rose and Alicia Jo Rabins!
A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff (2021) · Apr 17, 2023
Making a Thoughtful First Feature with Dawn Jones Redstone!
Mother of Color (2022) · Mar 20, 2023
Making an Anthology Horror Feature with Ryan Spindell!
The Mortuary Collection (2020) · Feb 27, 2023
An Ideal Career with Horror Filmmaker Roxanne Benjamin!
There's Something Wrong with the Children (2023) · Jan 16, 2023
Taking Your First Documentary to Sundance with Maria Loohufvud & Love Martinsen!
Calendar Girls (2022) · Dec 29, 2022
Reverse Engineering a Successful Film with Producer Zac Hersh
Followers (2021) · Oct 31, 2022
Reverse Engineering a Successful Film with Producer Zac Hersh
Follower (2022) · Oct 31, 2022
Four Inuktitut Young Women, Aliens and Winning the Grand Jury Award at SXSW with Nyla Innuksuk!
Slash/Back (2022) · Oct 24, 2022
#1 on Netflix: What Lies Below with Braden Duemmler!
What Lies Below (2020) · Oct 3, 2022
Co-Directing with 9 Other Directors: Voodoo Macbeth with Zoë Alyce Salnave!
Voodoo Macbeth (2021) · Sep 26, 2022
The 10 Year Journey to Paradise Highway with Anna Gutto!
Paradise Highway (2022) · Jul 25, 2022
Pandemic Filmmaking and NFT Releases with Rick Dugdale!
Zero Contact (2022) · Jun 6, 2022
Therapeutic Films with Richard Ledes!
Adieu, Lacan (2022) · May 16, 2022
Riding the Elevator with Riley Stearns!
Dual (2022) · Apr 18, 2022
Bringing the Marginalized to the Mainstream with Milan Chakraborty!
Lina (2016) · Feb 14, 2022
Destined to be a Cinematographer with Alice Brooks!
In the Heights (2021) · Dec 20, 2021
Destined to be a Cinematographer with Alice Brooks!
tick, tick... BOOM! (2021) · Dec 20, 2021
Learning When to Say 'No' as a Director with Jenn Page!
Playing with Beethoven (2021) · Nov 29, 2021
Directing Yourself in Your First Feature with Bill Crossland!
Catching Up (2019) · Nov 22, 2021
Writing, Directing, and Acting in See You Next Christmas with Christine Weatherup!
See You Next Christmas (2021) · Nov 1, 2021
Navigating The Massive Success of an Indie Genre Film with Brett and Drew Pierce!
The Wretched (2019) · Aug 3, 2021
From Razzies to Release from Director Jail --- Tom Putnam!
The Dark Divide (2020) · Jul 19, 2021
Chatting with BAD ASS' Craig Moss about LET US IN!
Let Us In (2017) · Jul 5, 2021
Shooting and Distributing a Genre Feature for $30k with Hudson Phillips and Jordan Noel!
This World Alone (2021) · Jun 4, 2021
Burning Pustules of Regret AKA Making Your First Feature Film with Chelsea Christer!
Bleeding Audio (2020) · May 17, 2021
Quitting Your First Feature and Making Your Second Come True w/Anthony Scott Burns!
Come True (2020) · Mar 24, 2021
Producing with The Midas Touch w/ Sev Ohanian!
Fruitvale Station (2013) · Mar 2, 2021
Producing with The Midas Touch w/ Sev Ohanian!
Searching (2018) · Mar 2, 2021
Producing with The Midas Touch w/ Sev Ohanian!
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) · Mar 2, 2021
Life Before, During and After The Love Witch with Writer/Director Anna Biller!
The Love Witch (2016) · Feb 2, 2021
Amber Sealey: Filmmaking Life Through the Pandemic and Directing No Man of God!
No Man of God (2021) · Dec 28, 2020
Shooting Red Stone During the Pandemic w/ Derek Presley and Jason Starne!
Red Stone (2021) · Dec 21, 2020
Making That First Feature Film, Writing and Surviving the Pandemic with Jessica Ellis!
What Lies West (2019) · Oct 5, 2020
Directing Hard Kill starring Bruce Willis w/ Matt Eskandari!
Hard Kill (2020) · Sep 7, 2020
Live Q&A for What We Found w/ Director Ben Hickernell and Stars Jordan Hall, Julian Shatkin, Yetide Badaki, Oona Laurence and Brandon Larracuente!
What We Found (2020) · Aug 27, 2020
Creating a Sustainable Career Making Feature Films with Bradley Gallo!
The Call (2013) · May 25, 2020
Creating a Sustainable Career Making Feature Films with Bradley Gallo!
Mr. Right (2015) · May 25, 2020
Creating a Sustainable Career Making Feature Films with Bradley Gallo!
Them That Follow (2019) · May 25, 2020
Directing Famous Actors in the True History of the Kelly Gang with Justin Kurzel!
True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) · May 11, 2020
Going Home For Feature #2 'The Wretched' with Brett and Drew Pierce!
The Wretched (2019) · Apr 27, 2020
Neasa Hardiman - Shooting Sea Fever Across Four Different Countries!
Sea Fever (2020) · Apr 20, 2020
Malgorzata Szumowska - Directing a Film in Another Language!
The Other Lamb (2020) · Apr 13, 2020
Josie Azzam - Editing at the Speed of Life!
Speed of Life (2020) · Mar 30, 2020
Rob Riutta - Production Designing The Alternate!
The Alternate (2000) · Dec 17, 2019
Alex Wolff - From Acting in Blockbusters to Directing an Indie Feature!
The Cat and the Moon (2019) · Nov 6, 2019
The Alternate Update w/Special Guest Andrew Schrader!
The Alternate (2000) · Sep 30, 2019
Kevin O'Brien - Making At the End of The Day!
At the End of the Day (2024) · Aug 5, 2019
Ben Mullholland - Making The Lake Merritt Monster!
The Lake Merritt Monster (2023) · Jul 8, 2019
Making the North Pole - Yvan Iturriaga & Darren Colston!
The North Pole (2025) · Feb 12, 2019
Angie Powers & Elizabeth Stark - Lost in the Middle!
Lost in the Middle (2017) · Jan 21, 2019
J.D. Dillard - from Bad Robot Receptionist to "The Fly" Remake!
The Fly (1986) · May 20, 2018