It always fascinates me when people with other artistic backgrounds settle on making films. They end up creating an art form that is noticeably different than their peers. My guest, Australian director Peter Skinner, spent five years as a sculptor, and then with the precision that art form requires, turned his focus into making astonishing films like his most recent, TWO UGLY PEOPLE (2025).

It's a hard film to describe but a beautiful one to watch. The impetus for the story of TWO UGLY PEOPLE came in the form of a question: " how do I tell a story about two people who want be together, but the only way they can be together is by being strangers?" and Peter actualized that here, in a work worthy of a sculptor.

In this episode, Peter and I talk about:

• the Letterboxd comment of " Peter Skinner is one of Australia's most exciting emerging filmmaking talents";
• how he got involved in filmmaking and the path of his classmates;
• sculpture's role in telling stories, directing, and cinematography;
• what he learned from making four shorts before his feature;
• how he describes TWO UGLY PEOPLE;
• the title!;
• the role of feedback for a film that is pushing boundaries of what people normally see on screen;
• the cinematography and production design of the film;
• how they found a space six hours away from Sydney;
• the festival and release strategy for the film -- and the crazy "pre-selection" process for Venice (is this common?!);
• the distribution process for the film;
• what's next for him.

Peter's Indie Film Highlight: BABYTEETH (2019) dir. by Shannon Murphy

Memorable Quotes:

"I made figurative sculptures and that were based on myths and obviously very, narrative-based. But a sculpture is a, a physical object that sits in a space that if it's a static object, doesn't do anything other than sit there. So you have to tell a story as economically as possible, but also as much as you can in the static frame. So then when you look at filmmaking, filmmaking is just that 24 times a second over an hour and a half of a film." 

" Imagine you're a painter and you have to buy all the materials and you have to paint all the thing, and you've never painted a big painting before, but it's gonna cost you a million dollars, and then people have to really like it. It's almost a fool's errand."

"I wanted to make a film I've never seen before."

" It's like these places that hold every room is its own story, and I'm just telling you the story of these two people in these two rooms."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: MOON (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast: Sam Rockwell; Kevin Spacey; Dominique McElligott; Kaya Scodelario

SYNOPSIS

Astronaut Sam Bell's (Sam Rockwell) three-year shift at a lunar mine is finally coming to an end, and he's looking forward to his reunion with his wife (Dominique McElligott) and young daughter. Suddenly, Sam's health takes a drastic turn for the worse. He suffers painful headaches and hallucinations, and almost has a fatal accident. He meets what appears to be a younger version of himself, possibly a clone. With time running out, Sam must solve the mystery before the company crew arrives.

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At the risk of sounding corny (and real in a world of AI slop podcast descriptions), let me add a fourth F: Ford. As in Tom Ford. No, not that one -- the cinematographer Tom Ford, who made my favorite film of the year absolutely shine through his work years ago.

What do I mean by that? As we talk about, much of what I love about URCHINS is its lighting, and that came from enduring relationships that Tom built over the years that he brought on for this film. There's a huge lesson in that and Tom's career; you can have all the talent in the world, but if you aren't a team player, the big brands and great films won't call you.

That's not this Tom Ford's problem. Just the opposite. Film Independent Spirit Awards, are you listening? URCHINS should win awards for its visually stunning canvas, and I'm so glad to be joined by the person who made it happen.

Tom and I talk about:

• how he got to be such a great shooter for top brands and films like URCHINS;
• learning vs. innate understanding of cinematography;
• why he's been so successful working with brands like Nike and top fashion;
• how freeing it was to have a director that kept him separated from clients' demands;
• advice for people wanting to work with top brands;
• whether he wants to direct and how to properly manage that relationship;
• the general state of cinematography in independent film and how it relates to URCHINS;
• how a guy from the United Kingdom shoot a love letter to Florida;
• the importance of the team Tom Ford has assembled throughout the years;
• his favorite shot in the film;
• avoiding cliches in URCHINS;
• his advice for aspiring filmmakers;
• what's next for him;
• working on short films;
• where cinematographers can go wrong.

Tom's Indie Film Highlight: SOME RAIN MUST FALL (2024) dir. by Qiu Yang

Memorable Quotes:

" Framing's always been more instinctive versus yeah, rule of thirds."

" it's all about just building connections with other people who have an interest in that kind of work."

" I grew up in a kinda small town in England where it has some similarities to Florida."

" Adam also offered back ends to everyone."

" Sometimes we can try and always show the face too much, and sometimes it's interesting to withhold a bit from the audience so they can put two and two together themselves or come up with their own meaning."

" Yeah, I definitely wouldn't put loads of money into a short. I think it's worth doing a short as a proof of concept, but even if it's a proof of concept, you don't need everything to be perfect as long as the storytelling's good."

" If it's just white walls and a camera, it's like you can have the nicest lenses in the world, but it's not gonna do as much for the story as a proper like decked out place."

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Listen To Part One With URCHINS Director Adam Rioux

The story behind URCHINS (2026), a coming of age tale set in the waterways of Florida, distills what is best and what is worst about the modern state of independent film. URCHINS is a dazzling display of cinematography and storytelling at its most compelling: it shows Florida like you've never seen before and the story is told in a very unconventional way without the tropes of the genre.

But: it never made it into a festival. Distributors wondered why it didn't cost more. A Black List critic gave its script a 4. The film doesn't fit neatly into the boxes of what people think will sell.

Those people are wrong. The film has premiered to sold-out shows around the country; has a substantial social media following versus competitors; and resonates with people who actually watch it.

So what we have with URCHINS is a fantastic prism for the state of the industry and even if I didn't love the film so much, it would make for a great podcast. I'll be back on Friday with my conversation with cinematographer Tom Ford, and just letting you know in advance, there might be other URCHINS episodes. It's that good.

In this episode, Adam and I talk about:

• why we both love the film -- Adam says it's "his love letter to Florida";
• how he got involved in filmmaking;
• the ways in which his storytelling and resilience set him apart;
• breaking with screenwriting conventions for this film;
• the subtlety of the romance tropes in this film;
• the quick run time of 70 minutes;
• the insanely great lighting and cinematography of the film;
• his advice for filmmakers in developing a visual language like he did for Florida;
• casting for a coming-of-age story by himself;
• the financial aspects of making this film;
• the response from festivals for URCHINS;
• theaters v. streaming and whether you can do both;
• what's next for him.

Adam's Indie Film Highlight: POOLS (2024) dir. by Sam Hayes

Memorable Quotes:

" What sets it apart, especially in the coming-of-age genre, is that it does, like you were saying, subvert kind of the tropes of the genre and...not in an aggressive way, but in a way that to me felt very refreshing."

" My parents were very much like pushing the standard path of get a good job, be able to pay the bills."

" And he was like, "if you only make one film for the rest of your life, if you only get one chance to cash in on this, what is that film?" And at that point, it was just like it had to be URCHINS."

" I hate being too heavy-handed, and that's maybe sometimes a criticism of my work is that sometimes it's a bit too subtle at times."

"It doesn't really have the traditional, like beats in that way or structure, and that is why The Black List hated the script."

" Sometimes people love a film just for a singular character, not even about what they did."

" I remember early on in when I first started doing just video work, I realized I was like, I'm really good at movement and I'm really good at like kinetic energy in a project, but I never felt like I could do still frames."

" It was the best moment of my life probably to just hear everybody just responding to these jokes and feeling the feels."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)

Director: David Gelb

Cast: Jiro Ono; Masuhiro Yamamoto; Daisuke Nakazama; Harutaki Takahashi

SYNOPSIS

A documentary about an octogenarian sushi master, his two sons, and the tiny restaurant in which they tirelessly work.

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From the looks of it, LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025) has everything going for it. Fantastic film. Taiwan's 2025 Oscar submission (and widely expected to be a nominee.) Edited and co-written by Sean Baker. A Netflix rollout. But the reality is much more complicated.

This was a 20 year labor of love by my guest, director Shih-Ching Tsou, and we talk about everything related to her career, how her perspective of the film changed after its release, the drawbacks of filming this on an iPhone 13, the pros and cons of going with Netflix, and more.

Shih-Ching Tsou's story is one of the best in independent film, and I'm so excited for you to hear her perspective about filmmaking and her personal, wholly original, gorgeous film, LEFT-HANDED GIRL.

We talk about:

• Taiwan's role in her filmmaking;
• how she feels about LEFT-HANDED GIRL now versus when it was released;
• the challenges making the film, even with a top EP; streaming on Netflix; Taiwan's Oscar entry, etc.;
• how she got involved in filmmaking;
• why LEFT-HANDED GIRL trusts the viewer instead of going for quick hits during the film;
• what it was like directing a six year old;
• the challenges of filming with an iPhone 13;
• how she takes lessons from Sean Baker's support as EP and editor and passes it on to other filmmakers;
• her recommendations on how directors can give back to others;
• the pros and cons of going with Netflix;
• opening in Cannes;
• the differences between audiences in the United States and globally when watching the film;
• why you should make films in Taiwan;
• what's next for her.

Shih-Ching Tsou's Indie Film Highlight: JAIL TIME RECORDS (2026) dir. by Dione Roach and Steve Happi

Memorable Quotes:

" When I first made the film, I, I didn't know how people would react to it."

" A lot of people told me about their own left-handed stories, about their own mother and daughter stories."

"I didn't study film. I met Sean when when he was editing his first feature, Four Letter Words."

"The only challenge [with the iPhone 13] is the focus."

" With Netflix, I feel like LEFT-HANDED GIRL really reached to every corner of the world."

Links:

Follow Shih-Ching Tsou On Instagram

I talk to filmmakers all the time who say things like, I'm reviving the romcom. Or my film is a homage to 1950s Westerns. The statements encompass so many genres but the truth is, most of the time they don't work. It ends up being a facsimile of something great, which isn't good at all.

This is a long way at getting to the point that NIMRODS, opening in theaters on August 14th, is the absolute real deal: a film that will remind you of the GOONIES, as my guest, director Lee Kirk hints at, without trying to remake it. It tells the story of three kids driving cross country to open for Green Day on New Year's Eve, and as you might imagine, complications ensue.

I'm so excited to celebrate original art with a director who knows his classics.

Lee and I talk about:

• how he was able to successfully bring back the feelings of 1990s/2000s road trip films;
• if non-Green Day fans will enjoy the film;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• actors writing parts for themselves and if that's a way in;
• how new filmmakers can find their voice;
• what he's learned since his previous features;
• whether this ever was going to be a biopic and how he feels about the genre;
• the amazing casting in this film;
• how he ended up casting himself in the film;
• the festival strategy for the film and the decision to go theatrical;
• the luxury of avoiding social media;
• if being a playwright bleeds over to screenwriting.

Memorable Quotes:

"We started talking about the movies that we wanted it to feel like, right? So one of the big ones was "Goonies." We talked about "Goonies," but also movies like "Footloose" and "Vacation"

"It's a film about being a teenager and the struggles that go along with not having all the agency over your life, having these hopes and dreams and beliefs in yourself, and wanting to find something, wanting to build a life, but frustrated with what you got."

"Every actor should be [writing their own scripts."

" If you like Quentin Tarantino, make your version of "Pulp Fiction," and you're gonna find something in there about what you have to say."

"Theatrical was always the goal."

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Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: OVERNIGHT (2003)

Directors: Tony Montana; Mark Brian Smith

Cast: Troy Duffy; Harvey Weinstein; Chris Brinker

SYNOPSIS

This documentary follows Troy Duffy, a brash, foul-mouthed bartender whose screenplay for an action film called "Boondock Saints" scores him a generous contract to write and direct the film for Harvey Weinstein at Miramax Studios. Duffy's band, the Brood, is also in the midst of signing a contract with Madonna's Maverick Records. Duffy's fiery manner is instrumental to his success, but when the deals go sour, no one seems safe from his explosive temper.

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I'm always on the lookout for original filmmaking to highlight, so if you just look at the objective facts of my guest Yiru Deng's film, TUNNEL VISION (2026), which premiered at LA Shorts International Film Festival on August 4th, 2026, you'll be impressed:

4 minute run time.

Animation with just killer transitions that we find out were painful to draw.

An excitingly original topic that is made to be shown on a screen.

By itself, those are amazing. But then when you hear Yiru speak about what it meant for her mother. who is affected by vision loss, it takes the work so much higher, into the best possible use of what we call filmmaking. I feel so lucky to talk with her about her incredible journey.

In this episode, Yiru and I talk about:

• what she wants people to know about the film;
• what kind of stories are best told through animation;
• how she got involved in filmmaking;
• what led her to apply for UCLA's MFA program and who she recommends for the program;
• the quick runtime and the unique choices she made for the film;
• why the LA Shorts Film Festival and Los Angeles for this film;
• what she's looking for in an animated film;
• what's next for her;
• the amazing transitions in this film and how she drew them.

Yiru's Indie Film Highlight: DON JOSE (2023) dir. by Moshe Ben-Avraham; PILLOWZZZ (2025) dir. by Moshe Ben-Avraham

Memorable Quotes:

"The film TUNNEL VISION is about womens' struggles under the expectations and the oppressive love in families."

" I feel like if you have a strong passion in the thing that you wanna do and you feel like you have a clear story that you want to talk about, a clear message that you want to express, of course, go for it."

" It was stunning to watch, but it was painful to draw."

Links:

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Yiru Deng's Website

Watch This Episode On YouTube

I couldn't stop laughing during the funniest film of the year, directed by my guest, Elliot Connors. It's called FULL FRONTAL, or if you want to use the full title (and you should), it's I’M GOING FULL FRONTAL FOR MY NYU STUDENT SHORT FILM (2026), streaming today, August 4th, 2026 on NoBudge.

I'd argue getting laughs is the hardest thing to do in independent film so that's why comedies are so relatively rare. And to do it in a short film -- that's a tough sell.

But Elliot has the, um, goods: He is a 2026 Just for Laughs “New Face” for his adult animated series OMNI, about a dystopian virtual reality and the group of lovable curmudgeons trying to change it. BA from Yale, MFA from NYU, just one watch of FULL FRONTAL, you'll see what I mean. It's so, so fucking funny.

But seriously: not safe for work. I'm in early on the Elliot Connors rocket ship and can't wait to get to the Moon.

Hat tip to the absolute best friend of the pod, Hope Lawson, for making this conversation happen.

In this episode, Elliot and I talk about:

• the insane reaction at NoBudge 50 for this film;
• how he describes the film and the reaction for people after watching it;
• how he got involved in filmmaking;
• the difficulty of making comedy work on screen;
• the importance of trusted people on what's funny;
• handling intimate filming and how he made the case and crew feel comfortable;
• why NoBudge?
• what NYU's writing program feels about streaming vs. festival rollouts;
• watching a lot of stuff versus a new perspective;
• what's next for him;
• the challenges of getting comedy shows produced nowadays.

Elliot's Indie Film Highlights: PAJARITO (2026) dir. by Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma; JEFFREY, BAD DAY (2025) dir. by Theo Matza; COUPLES THEFTAPY (2026) dir. by Kiran Arain

Memorable Quotes:

" Kentucker was saying, "We probably got a good 20 seconds of penis there." And I was joking that I'd used a prosthetic, so it wasn't my real penis, but it was my real penis. And there's plenty of it in the film."

" I grew up watching, like binging comedy sitcoms."

" If the jokes are working for you on the page, chances are it'll translate."

" So I'm always getting notes on my features of "this is not quite working." But when I write a half-hour comedy, I get a lot more positive feedback because I feel like I know the rhythm more."

" The director of my program, when I said, "should I really be studying screenwriting at such a tough time for the industry?" He said, "It's always tough."

Links:

Follow Elliot On Instagram

Elliot Connors Website