

Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking
Liz Manashil & Alrik Bursell
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
Episodes 238-299 are available at our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 29, 2025 • 55min
Mercedes Bryce Morgan - From Short Content to Paid Feature Work!
This week we welcome writer/director Mercedes Bryce Morgan on the show to talk about her latest film Bone Lake, how she got the feature and her start doing paid short form content. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 25, 2025 • 1h 1min
Anne Hu - Geoffrey Prather - Bryan Poyser - BONUS Throwback Interview!
On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 453 from December 2023 with short filmmakers Anne Hu, Geoffrey Prather and Bryan Poyser who all talk about their latest short films at the time. We felt that this short filmmaker roundtable was a good match for our episode with Brandon ShipCowSky and Ted Hayden from Monday because they also talked about making their latest short films. After that Liz and I talk about our do’s and don’t's in giving/receiving feedback during post, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 22, 2025 • 1h 7min
Brandon Shypkowski and Ted Hayden - Why Make a Short?
This week we have a very special episode featuring not one but two indie short filmmakers who come on to talk about their films in separate segments. First up we have Brandon Shypkowski to talk about his film 29 Palms which he also co-starred in and then we talk to Ted Hayden who talks about his short Violet Vendetta which is an awesome action comedy starring Brandon Lee from Cobra Kai! After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 18, 2025 • 43min
Asif Akbar - BONUS Throwback Interview!
On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 352 from January 2022 featuring producer, writer and director Asif Akbar. I thought this was a good match for our episode with Kenny Beaumont from Monday because they both produce and direct narrative features. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 15, 2025 • 55min
Kenny Beaumont - Producing Family Movies Full Time and Directing F+!
This week we welcome writer/director/producer Kenny Beaumont on the show to talk about how he got his first feature F+ made and funded, his days producing dog movies and how he made his way to working on movies full time. After that we play another round of THE GAME and talk about the current statuses of our projects, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 11, 2025 • 56min
Theo Brown - BONUS Throwback Interview!
On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 463 from February 2024 with filmmaker Theo Brown who talks about making his first feature indie sci-feature on a low budget and how he casted the film. I thought this was a good match for Lincoln from Monday because both their features were low budget sci-fi films which they kinda did on their own with really small crews. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 8, 2025 • 47min
Lincoln Fenner - Turning a Profit on a Indie Sci-Fi Feature Before the Release!
This week we welcome filmmaker Lincoln Fenner who is based in Australia to talk about his indie sci-fi feature Time Rewind which made it’s budget back before it was released on digital. It’s just me on the show today so no The Game but I’m going to talk a bit about where I am at with my next feature and my current projects, read a brand new review of the show and read an email from a listener, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952
Watch Time Rewind on Apple TV
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/time-rewind/umc.cmc.1n7eg6cqbjlle1odhd4yhwbgf
Watch Time Rewind on Amazon Prime
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Rewind-Lincoln-Fenner/dp/B0DJSTJ3DQ
Other ways to watch Time Rewind, listen to the soundtrack, leave a movie review or buy movie merch at:
https://linktr.ee/lincolnfenner Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 4, 2025 • 1h 17min
Michael Molina - BONUS Throwback Interview!
On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 232 from October 2019 featuring writer Michael Molina who talks about being a tsaff writer on animated show The Casagraandes and making his first feature Trivia night back in 2016. Alrik thought this was a good match for our episode with Toby Jones from Monday because both Toby and Michael write in animation and also made their own indie features as well. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sep 1, 2025 • 1h 7min
Toby Jones - Creating an Imaginative No Budget Indie Comedy!
This week we welcome writer/director Toby Jones on the show to talk about his latest film AJ Goes to the Dog Park, which he made 100% independently out in Fargo North Dakota. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Aug 28, 2025 • 49min
Larry Fessenden - BONUS Throwback Interview!
On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 315 from April 2021 with actor, writer and director Larry Fessenden who talked about acting alongside Barbara Crampton in Jakobs Wife. We felt that Larry was a good match for our episode with Macon Blair on Monday because they are both indie legends who write, director and act and I think it’s interesting to compare the differences and similarities of their stories. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy!
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
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