The No Film School Podcast

No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with Kanopy’s Aaron Spears and Matt Lewis about curation, film discovery, and how independent films find audiences in a streaming landscape shaped by algorithms. The conversation covers Kanopy’s library- and university-based model, the importance of human-led programming, how poster art and social media influence discovery, and why theatrical and festival experiences still matter for the long-term life of a film.

In this episode, No Film School'se GG Hawkins and guests Aaron Spears and Matt Lewis discuss...


What Kanopy is and how it differs from subscription-based streamers like Netflix


Why Kanopy’s free, ad-free model through libraries and universities matters for film access


Aaron’s path from film programming and art house theaters to Kanopy’s content programming team


Matt’s background in entertainment marketing and how he brings that experience to Kanopy


How Kanopy’s programming team curates new titles each week


Why human taste, context, and browsing still matter in an algorithm-driven media landscape


How poster art, title design, and trailers shape audience expectations


What filmmakers should consider when creating key art for their films


How Kanopy uses social media clips and themed collections to help audiences discover films


Why niche programming, rock docs, horror, and repertory-style collections can build loyal audiences


How universities use Kanopy for coursework and casual film discovery


The continued importance of festivals, theatrical screenings, and communal moviegoing


Why libraries may be one of the most important access points for independent cinema


Upcoming Kanopy titles and programming, including I Really Love My Husband, Fright Fest, and The Napa Boys


Advice for emerging filmmakers interested in curation, marketing, and film culture

Memorable Quotes:


“The big headline is, it's free. And also no ads.”


“I really feel like browsing itself, this is probably the librarian in my head too, like browsing itself should be a pleasure.”


“I think if you can represent that with a poster, that really helps too.”


“Do your best to watch one movie a day.”

Guests:


Aaron Spears


Matt Lewis

Resources:


Kanopy

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GG Hawkins speaks with BAFTA-winning director Marc Munden about directing the new Netflix adaptation of Lord of the Flies, written by Jack Thorne. Munden discusses revisiting William Golding’s novel, shaping the series’ visual language, filming on a remote island in Malaysia, working with 36 young actors, and how limitations around child actors’ schedules helped inspire the show’s hallucinatory nighttime look.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Marc Munden discuss...


Why Munden was initially conflicted about adapting Lord of the Flies again


How Jack Thorne structured the four-part series around Piggy, Jack, Simon, and Ralph


Using the rainforest as an alien, living ecosystem that mirrors the boys’ collapsing society


How production restrictions led Munden to develop an infrared-inspired visual approach for nighttime scenes


Rehearsing for five weeks with 36 child actors before shooting


Directing young performers toward natural behavior instead of “performing”


How Munden uses analog production books filled with references, sketches, script pages, and notes


Why post-production became a continuation of discovery, including iPhone footage and evolving portrait sequences


Munden’s advice for emerging filmmakers: make films, learn to write, be kind, and keep learning from others

Memorable Quotes:


“I thought, well, who needs another Lord of the Flies?”


“I wanted to just characterize the rainforest as something which is alien, that has a strange beauty to it.”


“I think filmmaking is the mixture of extreme joy and small defeats.”


“I would say, shoot your own film.”

Guests:


Marc Munden

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GG Hawkins continues No Film School’s 2026 distribution experiment with filmmaker Pete Ohs, focusing on the release of Erupcja, his Warsaw-shot microbudget feature starring Charli XCX, Lena Góra, Will Madden, and Jeremy O. Harris. Pete breaks down how the movie was made, how its TIFF premiere led to a deal with One Two Special, and what he learned from theatrical touring, Q&As, VOD timing, marketing assets, fan edits, and the emotional sustainability of releasing independent films.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Pete Ohs discuss...


Making Erupcja in Warsaw, Poland, with Charli XCX and a small, experimental production model


How SAG’s Global Rule One affected the budget of an international indie production


Premiering at TIFF and navigating sales conversations with CAA and multiple distributors


Why Pete chose One Two Special based on alignment, communication, and “vibes”


Building a release around Q&As, theatrical events, and in-person audience engagement


Creating playful marketing assets, including a zine, a voicemail phone line, and fan-edit materials


Releasing trailer stems and encouraging remix culture around the film


How theatrical box office expectations were framed for a movie made under $100,000


The limits of relying on actors or stars to carry indie film promotion


Why filmmakers should treat Q&As as another form of storytelling


The idea of “regional filmmaking” and creating meaningful local releases


Finishing and releasing projects as part of sustaining a long-term filmmaking practice

Memorable Quotes:


“We went to Poland in August of 2024 for two weeks with half of an outline and shot the movie in order.”


“If the numbers were better or the percentages were better, but the vibe was worse. I would have been suffering.”


“The work doesn't end.”


“Treat it as practice for storytelling.”

Guests:


Pete Ohs

Resources:


Erupcja on IMDb


No Film School: How a Film Score Actually Gets Made (Step by Step) & Pete Ohs’ Distribution Experiment of 2026


No Film School: Pete Ohs' 2026 Distribution Experiment #1: 'OBEX'


No Film School: Pete Ohs Rethinks How We Make Movies

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Instagram: No Film School on Instagram


📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com

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No Film School’s GG Hawkins talks with filmmaker Shane Brady and producer Emily Zercher-Brady about turning a devastating real-life hack into the revenge comedy-horror feature Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma. The conversation covers the couple’s filmmaking origin stories, how losing $20,000 sparked the movie’s premise, why they pushed forward after their budget was cut in half, what it took to shoot between Los Angeles and Florida during the SAG strike, and how they approached building a collaborative low-budget set.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Shane Brady, and Emily Zercher-Brady discuss...


How Shane’s early love of horror movies, theater, magic, and performance led him into filmmaking


Emily’s background in performance, leadership, and problem-solving as the foundation for producing


How Shane and Emily began working together through Camp Hollywood short films with young actors


The real-life hack that drained $20,000 from their savings and became the emotional starting point for Hacked


Calling the FBI, dealing with law enforcement limitations, and channeling frustration into a revenge story


Why they decided to keep going after the movie’s budget was cut in half just weeks before filming


How Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer production story inspired them to get scrappy


Navigating the SAG interim agreement process while Emily was pregnant


Splitting production between Funko Studios in Los Angeles and locations in Tampa, Florida


Creating a “socialism set” where cast and crew were treated as equal creative collaborators


Working French hours, offering hot meals, and protecting crew morale on a low-budget shoot


Building festival relationships that helped lead to their distributor, Scatena & Rosner


How they are thinking about audience outreach, VOD, and asking viewers to support independent filmmakers

Memorable Quotes:


“The absolute number one thing I want in my life is to be remembered, and when I’m gone and in the dirt, people can put on a film or a TV show or a recording of a play or something.”


“Make it work and nobody can know that anything is going wrong.”


“We have the money to film the thing.”


“Everyone is equal playing fields and cast and crew, like you all mean everything and are a special piece of the puzzle.”


“Everything that you work towards and someone just goes click.”

Guests:


Shane Brady


Emily Zercher

Resources:


Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma on IMDb


Where to watch Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma

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: podcast@nofilmschool.com

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No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director Hasan Hadi and producer Leah Chen Baker about the development, financing, production, and release journey behind The President’s Cake. The conversation traces the film from NYU and COVID-era writing sessions through the Sundance Labs, the challenge of building an aggressively independent financing plan, shooting on location in Iraq with non-professional actors, and the impact of winning both the Caméra d’Or and the Audience Award at Cannes.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Hasan Hadi, and Leah Chen Baker discuss...


How Hasan and Leah’s collaboration began at NYU and grew through shorts, writing check-ins, and shared creative sensibilities


Why film school was essential for Hasan as a filmmaker coming from a country with limited cinema infrastructure


Developing The President’s Cake before applying to the Sundance Labs


How the Sundance Screenwriting, Directing, Producers Lab, and Catalyst Forum helped build confidence around the project


Leading with the film’s “risky” elements: a first feature, non-professional actors, no rehearsals, a period setting, and shooting in Iraq


Building a financing plan through micro grants, institutional support, small stakeholders, and equity partners


Why filming in Iraq was non-negotiable for the story’s authenticity


Creating an international crew while ensuring every department included Iraqi local crew


The realities of shooting with limited infrastructure and a long production schedule


What changed after the film won at Cannes


How Iraqi and international audiences have responded to the film


The importance of setting an end point for one project so the next one can begin

Memorable Quotes:


“But for me as a filmmaker who came from country that has almost no infrastructure in cinema. So my first film set when I was in film school almost, film school was necessary for me.”


“There were a lot of do not do's on our pitch for our first feature.”


“Even the failure sometimes was considered progress. It's not a success, it's a progress.”


“Stories have DNAs and roots and they have, you know, fingerprints and this story has a very strong fingerprints that is in Iraq.”

Guests:


Hasan Hadi


Leah Chen Baker

Resources:


The President’s Cake on 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: podcast@nofilmschool.com

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