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There's no hyperbole in this statement: my guest, native New Yorker and founder and managing principal at East End Capital, Jonathon Yormak, influences independent filmmaking more than any other guest I've had on the podcast. East End will have over 2.5 million square feet of studio space under management at the opening of his fifth studio in Los Angeles.

So not only does that space support a number of studio-level productions, the talent that works there is your next audio engineer, gaffer, cinematographer, or director...if New York and California remain friendly to U.S.-based production.

A big if...and a big topic in this extraordinarily special -- and important -- episode of the podcast.

In this episode, Jonathon and I talk about:

• what drew him to developing five different studios across Los Angeles and New York;
• the recent history of real estate/TV + film production, including the opportunities available in New York City;
• the role of COVID in building out the new studios;
• the expectations vs. reality of building in the entertainment world;
• the economics of building studio space after the strikes;
• competing for business, in the United States and abroad;
• the kinds of business his studios attract and why a production might choose one stage over another;
• the future of AR/VR and AI in studio space;
• how he stays current on news in this space;
• what he advises the New York City mayor and California regarding the film business;
• how he'd love Quentin Tarantino or Steven Spielberg to use one of his facilities.

Memorable Quotes:

"if you really look back the intersection...between real estate and film and TV production, it really began with Netflix and their explosion into digital content distribution and then spending an enormous amount of money directly on content creation."

"And so by 2018, 2019, you also had Apple and Amazon that had both started to get into the game. And in a couple of instances, Amazon in particular had leased some space for ten year terms. And so what you started to see was that occupancy was well north of 90% in almost every sound stage in the United States. And on top of that, there really had been no new development, with the exception of Atlanta, of new best in class film and television sound stages in the US for 25 years."

"To build anything in California takes forever." 

"What happened is, the strikes hit and at the same time, Wall Street was putting pressure on all of the streamers to figure out how they were making money."

"So they started to go to places...that had very favorable tax incentive regimes. So those would be...the UK, Ireland, Canada in particular."

"Our view of [AR/VR/AI], it actually is supportive of higher stage occupancy."

"So if you wanted to film in Times Square, you had to actually go to Times Square. You wanted to film in front of the Eiffel Tower, you had to go in front of the Eiffel Tower. In facilities like ours, where you can get the height and the distance away from them, you can film that in a sound stage."

"From AI...being able to make a movie. I still think that, the human element...it's not from everything I'm seeing, it's just not able to capture that well."

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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: CHRISTMAS, AGAIN (2014)

Director: Charles Poekel

Writer: Charles Poekel

Cast: Kentucker Audley

SYNOPSIS

A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York hoping to put his past behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift until a mysterious woman and some colourful customers rescue him from self-destruction.

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When I went back and edited this episode with my guest, filmmaker Tom Koch, I realized: he's doing a color series of films! To put that much thought into his work as well as have the creative control to name his films is the perfect way to describe Tom: extraordinarily thoughtful, humble, and a guy capable of doing anything in his films: acting, writing, directing, accents, ballet even!

His latest film, OLIVE (2025) is an absolute treat -- the logline "while caring for grandma, Sam, the character played by Tom -- begins to question the nature of their relationship" -- and it shows his mastery of the craft. He even knows war films, which is my unique quality. If he ever gets into indie film podcasting, I can't say I wasn't warned about how great he'd be.

In this episode, Tom and I talk about:

• save some talent for the rest of us, Tom -- acting, writing, producing, directing, ballet?!;
• how he got started in acting;
• how his approach evolved from ORANGE (2024) to OLIVE (2025);
• writing a script and playing a character you weren't expecting to play;
• when writing, directing, and acting becomes a bit too much in indie films;
• the challenges of casting in a world that cares more about celebrity and follower count than actual talent;
• how much being a stage actor matters;
• what does he look for in actors when he's casting his own projects;
• the best way to think about OLIVE before watching;
• what excites him about "telling stories with a twist", the motto of his production company;
• the festival circuit for his films and what advice he has for film festivals;
• what he's working on now and when people can expect to see OLIVE;
• whether we'll see him behind a camera and his great eye for war films.

Tom's Indie Film Highlight: AMOUR (2012) dir. by Michael Haneke; THE PIANO TEACHER (2001) dir. by Michael Haneke; THE WHITE RIBBON (2009) dir. by Michael Haneke; WARFARE (2025) dir. by Ray Mendoza; Alex Garland

Memorable Quotes:

"Nobody saw a stage play or school play of mine...when I was seven and said, oh, that kid."

"The big thing that I changed for OLIVE was that ORANGE was really a proof of concept." 

About acting in OLIVE: "And there was a part of me that thought it would make things easier because I didn't have to find an actor and I didn't have to tell them what Sam was, in a way."

"Sadly we're in a world now where we're competing with so many different productions and so many different artists, and funding for film is getting a bit harder because I don't know if people trust the medium as much as before."

More about acting: "It's one of the only jobs where people get placed in it out of nowhere when it requires so much training and people go to school for four years to...get better at acting and do like classical work. You would never do that with an athlete."

"I don't think it's necessary to do stage to be a great screen actor."

"You can take a little bit more liberties with a short...people are not really behind your butt saying oh, you can't write this, you can't write that. Oh, you have to change the ending because you're you're doing your own thing. So it's perfect for that."

"It's a very hard and tedious process where the cards are not in your hands and you work for a year on something that you create with a group of people. You put it on a Vimeo link and you pray."

"They've watched thousands of films and they picked a few, and they're like, go watch those."

"I feel like the more I act, the better director I can become."

Links:

Follow Tom On Instagram

Follow OLIVE On Instagram

Watch ORANGE Now

I don't know if I've met a more accomplished yet depreciatively humble filmmaker than my guest, Conor McCormick. Here are the facts, though: he was admitted as one of the few to the Square Peg Social, a program set up by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen "break down the walls and barriers that too often exist within the film industry." (There's a bunch of Reddit threads that speak to how hard this was). His films, most recently BUNKER BABY (2024) and FOR THE CURE (2025), speak to the current state of masculinity in a way that is sorely needed in today's film world.

Another way of saying all this, much more succinctly, is that I have an Irish filmmaker on the podcast. And not just any -- one of the country's brightest new stars.

In this episode, Conor and I discuss:

• what drew him to the topic of male existential crises in his filmmaking;
• the "write what you know" argument;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• what it's like going to film school in Ireland;
• getting his career started after film school;
• his selection into Square Peg Social, a new initiative by Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen;
• the collaborative nature of Square Peg;
• shout out to filmmaker Shelly Yo, another participant in Square Peg and an all-time favorite guest of the pod, who connected us (if you haven't watched SMOKING TIGERS...now is the time!);
• what it means to be an Irish filmmaker;
• where audiences can watch Irish films;
• what he noticed about the filmmakers selected for Square Peg;
• if film festivals can foster more of a collaborative environment like Square Peg;
• his special affinity for Austin, Texas;
• what's next for him;
• the amazing market for short films on airlines, including Aer Lingus, and the future for the medium (I didn't know Vimeo Staff Picks were not available in Europe).

Conor's Indie Film Highlight: JUNIPER (2021) dir. by Matthew J. Saville; HUNTER GATHERER (2016) dir. by Joshua Locy; SMOKING TIGERS (2023) dir. by So Young Shelly Yo

Memorable Quotes:

"it was just trying to tap into people in their late thirties who are...trying to figure that out. And I feel like...it's quite a universal experience right now is that we're all moving further on in life than our maybe our parents' generation before us and not as well set up and the sort of anxiety that comes around that."

"When you go international like that, I think you just realize the bar in terms of how good some of these films are."

"I think another thing that really helped is we all got to watch a sample of each other's work before we all met."

About the films selected at Square Peg: "It was...a varied mix of people. And if anything, it felt like it was more story first."

"You certainly have gone to some festivals where you go, you show up, screening ends, everyone disperses, and then you're like, all right...we're in a new city somewhere, we've traveled and now we're just gonna go to the pub by ourselves or something."

Links:

Follow Conor On Instagram

Conor McCormick's Website

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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: THE FEATHERWEIGHT (2023)

Director: Robert Kolodny

Writers: Tyler Taormina; Eric Berger

Cast: James Madio; Ruby Wolf; Keir Gilchrist

SYNOPSIS

In 1964, a camera crew follows retired featherweight boxing champion Willie Pep. Down and out in Hartford, Conn., married to a woman half his age and facing mounting debts, Pep decides to return to the ring.

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The pod's annual thank you edition episode.

Thank you to the guests. There wouldn't be a show without you. I am grateful you are willing to take the time to talk about your career. I hope through my preparation I show my appreciation for you.

Thank you to the listeners. The podcast started as a way to get a documentary made and has grown almost every month. I spend a lot of time editing so every second is hopefully something worthwhile for you. Let me know how I can improve.

Thank you to my wife, son, and family. I appreciate your patience with me while watching another weird film or "hold on, I'm editing." I absolutely cannot wait to talk indie kids' films.

This is such a blessing to do this and I'm grateful for all of you. Thank you.

I am very much aware of the fact that I make the occasional podcast about films that listeners can't just stream, even though I wish so badly you could. The short film, MERCY, by my guest, director Hedda Mjøen, is a film like that -- it shows the moral dilemma of a woman who has to choose whether she stands by a friend accused of rape. I endeavor that the essence of the film comes through on the podcast, so if I can't show it to you, I can paint a picture about what you're seeing.

But when it's available in January or February 2026, you have to see it. And you can talk to me about it because I'll still be thinking about such a beautiful film.

In this episode, Hedda and I discuss:

• why her film MERCY will stay with you long after watching;
• the story behind the film and how much was drawn from real life;
• what drew her to filmmaking and how MERCY turned into a short film
• her focus on "ethical dilemmas", "controversial topics", and whether we'll see one of those in a romcom;
• how she casted the film in a way that let the audience identify with the characters;
• what lessons she took from this film;
• the importance of female directors and the low percentage in studio films;
• the reaction to the film on the festival circuit;
• independent filmmaking in Norway;
• what she's working on next -- including what it's like in a trial in Norway and their very different judicial system;
• if she's happy with the translation of the title (and no dubs!) for her films.

Hedda's Indie Film Highlight: LOVABLE (2024) dir. by Lilja Ingolfsdottir; THE INNOCENTS (2021) dir. by Eskil Vogt

Memorable Quotes:

"I love to make something that's thought provoking and that sticks with you and maybe makes you think about your morals or your friendship, or your loyalty, or the choices that you make."

"You just have to make sure that you have a really good translator to make the subtitles."

"Usually when you have stories, the more specific they get, the more they hit home for the audience."

Links:

Follow MERCY On Instagram

Follow Hedda On Instagram

Watch This Episode On YouTube

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: HAM ON RYE (2019)

Director: Tyler Taormina

Writers: Tyler Taormina; Eric Berger

Cast: Haley Bodell; Audrey Boos; Gabriella Herrera

SYNOPSIS

A bizarre rite of passage at the local deli determines the fate of a generation of teenagers, leading some to escape their suburban town and dooming others to remain.

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If I told you just five words, it is a spy film, your mind would go to either action packed or maybe campy. Would you really think about a psychological thriller? And if I told you the film won a prestigious French award for best first film, how does it sound when the director says he made a foreign film? Contradictions abound with my guest Jonathan Millet's film, GHOST TRAIL (2024). One thing it is in any description is a cinematic gem. Currently streaming on Mubi, it expands the genre in ways you won't see coming. And the absolute best part? The director is even more interesting than the film.

In this episode, Jonathan and I talk about:

• what it was like winning the Louis Delluc Prize for Best First Film in 2024;
• his traveling to 50 countries and how he learned he was good at filmmaking;
• what he noticed about cinema in each country and French cinema-going;
• how GHOST TRAIL came about and why it was originally envisioned as a documentary;
• what he wants people to know before watching the film;
• why he never showed torture in the film and how he created a film with such depth;
• how he created a playable video game to be incorporated into the film (!);
• the crazy distribution process and whether it came up whether he needed to add action to the film;
• how he found such a capable actor in Adam Bessa, who had to plausibly be a spy, English professor, and torture victim in the film;
• his research process for making a spy film;
• France's reaction to the film;
• is France a great place for filmmaking?
• how important it was for him that GHOST TRAIL is viewed as a foreign film;
• what's next for him;
• how he feels about the pace of making new films.

Memorable Quotes:

"All the masters, the big directors I loved at this time as a classical, for example, they all arrived in cinema with another background. They all study something else and they bring it to cinemas."

"And they were looking for remote countries in war countries with trouble. And I was looking for it as well. So it was my screwup cinema actually."

"What I really love is to consider a film as an experience."

"The best co-writer for the film was reality."

"My producer said it would be cheaper to do that than buy Call of Duty rights."

"The editor of GHOST TRAIL is also the editor of ANATOMY OF A FALL (2023). And he's a great editor and he say I need time. It's not about being slow, it's just that if I have 10 weeks to edit a movie, I could do it, but if I have 20 weeks, I could try things and maybe some incredible outstanding idea will appear. 

Jonathan's Indie Film Highlights: LA LIBERTAD (2001) dir. by Lisandro Alonso

Links:

Watch GHOST TRAIL (2024) on MUBI

By the standards of twenty years ago, it is easy to have a film look "gorgeous." So indie filmmakers can't rely on equipment alone to set their films apart. It takes the work of true craftspeople, one of which is my guest, filmmaker Taylor Lee. In October, Taylor was the recipient of the NYU 2025 Grad Film Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography.

His story is an extraordinary one -- majoring in computer science at UCLA in 2020 to some of the most prestigious student awards and fellowships in filmmaking. How did he get there? Let's find out.

Also, watch LAYOVER before listening. A Vimeo Staff Pick, it will be with you for awhile.

In this episode, Taylor and I talk about:

• what surprises him in short films now;
• his reaction to winning the 2025 Grad Film Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography;
• his amazing story of pivoting from software engineering to filmmaking;
• his film viewing background before beginning graduate school and did it help or hinder his start;
• his contentment with film school (versus YouTube) and what he would tell a software engineer thinking of making the same leap he did;
• what drew him to cinematography;
• how he chooses which directors to work with;
• how he describes his own visual style;
• why he didn't shoot his directorial debut;
• what it was like as a writer/director vs. cinematographer or director;
• do cinematographers become harder to work with as they become more established?
• his directorial debut, LAYOVER, and what to expect when watching it;
• how he feels about editing his films;
• his relationship with receiving feedback;
• a geeky military uniform question (he used outdated uniforms in service of the script -- really genius);
• how is LAYOVER different than what he expected?
• what's next for him with PARKSIDE EAST and how it'll be released;
• the Spike Lee production grants and how they work for NYU students;
• how much gear matters to him.

Taylor's Indie Film Highlight: THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (2025) dir. by Hlynur Pálmason

Memorable Quotes:

"Recently I've been pretty drawn to filmmakers who...are very aware that an audience is watching the film and that the audience wants to be surprised."

"In terms of a fresh perspective....I think I still need to watch more movies, honestly. I think it helps."

"Sometimes it's my prep with directors. I'll ask them to give me like 10 of their favorite films."

"I learned pretty much everything I know from film school, and from YouTube, and really just doing it. I think that film school offers you an opportunity to just keep doing it."

"In an ideal world, you would look at several of my films and not see the same cinematographer."

"if you look at my reel, my cinematography reel, you'll see the same cinematographer. But that's just because I choose the best wide shots for the reel."

"The role of the director is really to have the vision and to communicate that vision to your crew and to your actors. And if I were to shoot it at the same time...I would need two of myself."

"Directors should treat each film like it's the last film that they're going to direct and cinematographers should treat each film like it's the first film that they shot."

"One of my professors always said, your relationship to feedback will define your graduate school experience."

"PARKSIDE EAST, it was all my classmates. There was no paid crew."

Links:

Follow Taylor On Instagram

Check Out Taylor's Reel