The No Film School Podcast

How The ‘Los Frikis’ Directors Injected Dark Humor, History, and HIV into Their Film

Listen Later

In this episode of No Film School, Jason Hellerman interviews Tyler Nielsen and Michael Schwartz, the dynamic directing duo behind the bold and provocative film Los Frikis. Known for their previous success with Peanut Butter Falcon, Tyler and Michael take listeners on a journey into the making of their latest project—a darkly comedic and deeply human tale about the Los Frikis generation in 1990s Cuba. The film explores themes of rebellion, freedom, and survival, centering on punks who willfully injected HIV to escape oppression.

In this episode, No Film School’s Jason Hellerman, Tyler Nielsen, and Michael Schwartz discuss:

  • How Tyler and Michael transitioned from Peanut Butter Falcon to Los Frikis
  • The challenge of balancing dark humor with historical and cultural authenticity
  • Why the directors learned Spanish to ensure authenticity in directing Cuban actors
  • Their approach to punk rock aesthetics, both musically and visually, in the film
  • Practical advice for filmmakers tackling deeply unconventional and emotional stories


    • Memorable Quotes:

    • “Punk rock is choosing freedom and choosing, like, your reality, regardless of the authorities or the powers that be.”
    • “If you task the audience with remembering 10 things, they might remember the wrong five. So we focused on the five things that mattered most.”
    • “We really just try to set a vibe. The vibe matches the story. And then we invite people to bring themselves to it.”


      • Resources:

      • Microbudget Workshop with GG Hawkins
      • Tyler Nielsen IMDb
      • Michael Schwartz IMDb


        • Find No Film School everywhere:

        • On the Web: No Film School
        • Facebook: No Film School on Facebook
        • Twitter: No Film School on Twitter
        • YouTube: No Film School on YouTube
        • Instagram: No Film School on Instagram


          Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]


          Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          The No Film School PodcastBy No Film School
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5

          4.5

          418 ratings

          More shows like The No Film School Podcast

          View all
          Filmspotting by Adam Kempenaar & Josh Larsen

          Filmspotting

          3,946 Listeners

          The Treatment by KCRW

          The Treatment

          613 Listeners

          The Business by KCRW

          The Business

          663 Listeners

          Scriptnotes Podcast by John August and Craig Mazin

          Scriptnotes Podcast

          2,430 Listeners

          The Next Best Picture Podcast by Evergreen Podcasts

          The Next Best Picture Podcast

          490 Listeners

          IndieWire: Screen Talk by Indiewire: Screen Talk

          IndieWire: Screen Talk

          328 Listeners

          The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast by Directors Guild of America

          The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

          739 Listeners

          IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit by Chris O'Falt

          IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

          102 Listeners

          The A24 Podcast by A24

          The A24 Podcast

          1,056 Listeners

          The Big Picture by The Ringer

          The Big Picture

          5,620 Listeners

          The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna by Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

          The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

          969 Listeners

          Team Deakins by James Ellis Deakins, Roger Deakins

          Team Deakins

          1,121 Listeners

          Script Apart with Al Horner by Script Apart

          Script Apart with Al Horner

          206 Listeners

          The Town with Matthew Belloni by The Ringer

          The Town with Matthew Belloni

          1,064 Listeners

          Ankler Agenda by TheAnkler.com

          Ankler Agenda

          104 Listeners