The Honest Filmmaker
REAL TALK FOR ASPIRING FILMMAKERS
Are you wrapping up your film degree or contemplating a career shift into the creative industry? The Honest Filmmaker is your go-to resource for navigating the real-world challenges of micro-budget and indie filmmaking.
Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Jim Eaves, the podcast delves into the nitty-gritty of independent film production. From securing funding and managing tight budgets to distribution strategies and building a sustainable career, this is unfiltered advice and practical tips from professionals who have been in your shoes.
Whether you're a recent graduate, a career changer, or an indie filmmaker determined to make your mark, The Honest Filmmaker equips you with the tools, insights, and honest guidance to thrive in the world of independent cinema.
http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk
Episodes
124 episodes
From First Film to Franchise: Ramon “Swift” Sloan on Indie Filmmaking
#indiefilm #filmmaking #indiefilmmaking #filmmaker #filmpodcast What does it take to build a real career in independent filmmaking?In this episode, I talk with filmmaker Ramon “Swift” Sloan about the realities of makin...
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Episode 123
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33:56
Making a Feature on Weekends: Tobias Jon on Gifted Pain
#indiefilm #filmmaking #indiefilmmaking #filmmaker #filmpodcastIn this week's episode, I’m joined by filmmaker Tobias Jon to break down the making of his debut feature, Gifted Pain. We talk about how the film came together, how ...
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Episode 122
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38:30
How to make money from your short films with ZB Siwek
#filmmakingpodcast #podcast #indiefilm #shortfilms #shortfilm #shortfilmmakers This week on the podcast, I’m joined by producer ZB Siwek, who shares how he’s monetising short films by packaging them into anthology featu...
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Episode 121
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30:05
Surviving Your First Indie Feature Film - From Dog Soldiers to Director with Craig Conway
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #indiefilmfest #moviemaking #indiefilm #movieproduction You might know Craig Conway from Dog Soldiers, The Descent, and his long collaboration with Neil Marshall. In this conversation...
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Episode 120
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25:50
Audience, Budget & Distribution - Building your Indie Film Career with Devon Bray
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #indiefilm #interview #movieproduction This week, I’m joined by filmmaker Devon Bray, a director who’s built a loyal audience across eight independent feature films.Devon shares ho...
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Episode 119
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36:01
How to Sell your Movie to HBO - with Stefan Van De Graaf
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #indiefilm This week I sit down with indie filmmaker Stefan Van De Graff to break down the real journey behind selling a first feature film.Stefan walks through how his debut thriller Simmer ca...
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Episode 118
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29:28
Directing Your First Micro-Budget Feature Film with Jessica Boss
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #indiefilm #moviemaking #microbudget What is it really like to direct your first micro-budget feature film?In this episode, I’m joined by first-time feature film director Jessica Boss, who brea...
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Episode 117
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34:51
How to Self-Distribute a Micro-Budget Feature Film with Alex Srednoselac
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #movieproduction #microbudget This week I chat to indie filmmaker Alex Srednoselac who breaks down what it’s really like to make, finish, and self-distribute a micro-budget feature film. Alex shares hi...
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Episode 116
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36:13
How to Fund a Micro-Budget Movie: 5 Practical Financing Strategies
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmakingtips #indiefilmWith 2026 just getting started, a lot of filmmakers are asking the same question: how do I finance my first (or next) indie feature? This week, I’m breaking down five practical ways to fund yo...
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Episode 115
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14:49
How to be a full time Filmmaker - Building a Micro Budget Movie Career with Gugu E. Michaels
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #moviemaking #microbudget #indiefilm This week on the podcast I’m chatting with filmmaker GuGu E. Michaels, an award-winning director and cinematographer whose work spans North American and African cin...
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Episode 114
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31:19
Is Filmhub's Relay the future of Indie Film Streaming? With Chad Wittman
#filmmakingpodcast #filmhub #relay #filmmaking This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Chad Wittman from Filmhub to break down their new streaming platform, Relay, and what it could mean for indie filmmakers navigating today’s crowd...
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Episode 113
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37:39
Making your Debut Indie Feature Film with Jon Hill
#filmmakingpodcast #moviemaking #indiefilm This week on the podcast I talk to filmmaker Jon Hill about his debut feature 'Above the Clouds' a film about one day after the passing of his father. The film took 13 years to complete, af...
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Episode 112
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44:00
No Risk, No Reward - Micro Budget Filmmaking with Justin Phillip
#filmmakingpodcast #moviemaking #indiefilm This week on the podcast I chat to filmmaker Justin Phillip. Justin started out as an actor then went onto learn all the equipment and lighting to become a qualified DP and gaffer. He's dir...
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Episode 111
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31:30
The Indie Filmmaking Rollercoaster - The Blade Cuts Deeper with Gene Dolders
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #indiefilm #moviemaking Some 10 months ago I spoke to Indie filmmaker Gene Dolders about his Giallo inspired horror film 'The Blade Cuts Deeper', now with the film released on streaming, Gene's back t...
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Episode 110
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24:29
Write it, Shoot it, Survive it - The Art of Getting It Done
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #moviemaking Indie Filmmaking Without the Safety NetThis week on the podcast I talk to filmmaker Chris St. Croix about his new thriller feature Killer Content - we talk about how the film was ma...
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Episode 109
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44:52
10 Things you should never do when making your first feature film
#filmmakingpodcast #filmmaking #movieproduction This week on the podcast I chat to friend of the pod Mark Hampton about the 10 things you should never do when making your first feature film. Marks film Unlicensed has just been...
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Episode 108
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36:49
How to finance your Horror film from grants and funding bodies
This week on the podcast I’m chatting to filmmaker Daniel M. Caneiro about his horror/comedy feature film Deviant. We chat about how he used grants to fund the film, his tips for applying for grants, how the film was made and tips for shooting ...
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Episode 107
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27:48
16 Mistakes that Indie Filmmakers make... from my own Painful Experience
#filmmaking #filmmakers #filmmakerscommunity ...
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Episode 106
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14:42
Indie Filmmaking Essentials - Everything I learned from making The Apocalypse Box
#filmmaking #horror #31daysofhalloween #indie film #microbudget #filmdirectorWith Halloween right around the corner, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about The Apocalypse Box , the last feature film I made ...
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Episode 105
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17:02
Everything you need to know about Directing Indie Film with Andrea M. Catinella
#filmdirecting #indiefilm #filmmaking #microbudgetThis week I chat to indie film director Andrea M. Catinella about his career and his advice for directing indie film. We talk about his work on horror films like '...
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Episode 104
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29:51
How to Make a Horror Movie with Erin Aine & Kyle Valle
#filmmakingpodcast #halloween #horrormovies #filmmaking In this weeks episode I sit down with husband and wife filmmaking team Erin and Kyle to talk about their latest indie horror project, Zombie Con Vol. 1 a bloo...
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Episode 103
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36:05
Turn your Short into a Feature film with Hillary Shakespeare & Chris Reading
#IndieFilm #FilmmakingTips #TimeTravelIsDangerous #ShortToFeature #IndieFilmmakers #FilmPodcastIn this episode, I sit down with filmmakers Hillary Shakespeare and Chris Reading to talk about the making of their indie sci-fi feature Time...
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Episode 102
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28:04
Crowd Funding Masterclass with Melissa Center
#filmmakingpodcast #crowdfunding #kickstarter #indiegogoThis week on the podcast I sit down with actor, filmmaker, and crowdfunding coach Melissa Center for a deep dive into the world of indie filmmaking and raising money for your creati...
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Episode 101
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31:23
Should your Micro Budget Feature be a Passion Project? with Alexandru Borchescu
#filmmaking #filmpodcast #podcastclips #indiefilm This week Jim sits down with writer-director Alexandru Borchescu to explore the bold leap that launched his first feature. Alexandru shares why he left film school in his final year...
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Episode 100
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27:00
How to Shoot a Gritty Gangster Flick - Michael Head’s Indie Gangster Blueprint
#filmmaking #indiefilm #podcast #microbudget #podcastclips This week I sit down with playwright-turned-filmmaker Michael Head to trace his leap from the stage to the big screen. We dive into the skills he carried from theatre...
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Episode 99
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29:58
