Off The Lot: The Indie Filmmaking Podcast

Why is it so difficult to finance, produce, and distribute an independent film in Canada? And are film festivals actually helping indie filmmakers build sustainable careers?
In Episode 72 of Off The Lot, filmmakers Ken Kabatoff and Anthony Epp reunite for a candid conversation about the realities of independent filmmaking, from getting a movie financed to getting it in front of an audience.
Fresh off the sold-out Canadian premiere of his debut feature REMNANT at the Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival, Ken shares what he's learned about the festival circuit, the challenges of releasing a privately financed Canadian film, and why he ultimately had to look to American investors to get his movie made.
The conversation turns to the larger problems facing Canada's film industry, including government funding, private equity, distribution, and the difficulty of creating a commercially sustainable industry for Canadian filmmakers.
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Why do so many Canadian independent films struggle to break through internationally? And what does it actually take to get a feature film made in Canada?
This week on Off The Lot, we're joined by filmmakers Hayley Gray and Kaayla Whachell, the co-writers and co-directors of Send the Rain, which recently had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).
What started as an award-winning short film became a feature about family, responsibility, and the pull of home, set against the threat of a wildfire in British Columbia.
We get into the realities of taking a short film to feature length, navigating financing and shrinking budgets, and what happens when two directors share creative control over the same movie.
But the conversation also goes much further.
We tackle some bigger questions about Canadian filmmaking: Why do our films struggle to reach international audiences? Are we developing the wrong production habits? And how do we build a sustainable independent film industry when filmmakers are constantly being asked to sacrifice their own time and money?
In this episode, we discuss:
Turning an award-winning short into a feature film
The challenges and advantages of co-directing
Securing financing through the Canadian film system
Making creative decisions when the budget gets smaller
Directing non-professional actors and finding authentic performances
Why Canadian films struggle to find international audiences
The relationship between Canada's service production industry and independent filmmaking
Building a positive, collaborative film set
What first-time feature directors should know before getting started

Whether you're developing your first feature, navigating film financing, or trying to build a sustainable career as an independent filmmaker, this conversation offers a candid look at what it takes to get a movie made.
Subscribe for new conversations with filmmakers working to get their movies made.

You made your first feature film. Now what?
According to research by film industry analyst Stephen Follows, only about 1 in 4 first-time feature directors makes a second film within five years.
So why do so many filmmakers struggle to get their second movie made?
In Episode 70 of Off The Lot, Anthony Epp breaks down the numbers behind filmmaking careers and explores why getting your film SEEN might be more important than getting it made.
Because the reality is that a great film nobody watches may do less for your career than a good film that finds an audience.
In this episode, we cover:
Why so few first-time directors make a second feature
The relationship between audience visibility and career longevity
Why film festivals and distribution deals aren't enough
How to build your first 1,000 engaged viewers
Why marketing should begin before production
Lessons from indie successes like Hundreds of Beavers and RocketJump
Practical, low-budget strategies for getting your film in front of audiences

We also look at what Canadian independent filmmakers can do differently to build audiences and create sustainable careers outside the studio system.
THE BIG QUESTION: If you've made a feature film, how many ratings or reviews does it have? And what's actually worked to get people watching?
Tell us in the comments. We'd love to hear your experience.
Off The Lot is the podcast for filmmakers building careers outside the studio system.
Hosted by Ken Kabatoff and Anthony Epp.
For questions, stories, or inquiries: podcast.offthelot@gmail.com

What do you do when the traditional path to making your movie keeps saying no?
This week on Off The Lot, Anthony sits down with actor, writer and producer Jovanna Burke to talk about what she’s learned after more than 20 years working in film and television — and why rejection may actually be one of the most important parts of building a sustainable filmmaking career.
Jovanna opens up about transitioning from actor to producer, learning the business and financing side of filmmaking, building trust with investors, and the idea of pursuing “1,000 rejections” instead of being afraid of hearing no.
They also dig into the realities of making films in Canada: the limitations of relying entirely on public funding, why international co-productions could create new opportunities for Canadian filmmakers, and how we can build more Canadian-owned companies, IP and talent instead of relying exclusively on the service-production industry.
Jovanna also discusses her psychological supernatural horror feature Nuesta, currently being developed through the Whistler Film Festival Producers Lab, and her plans to build a production company connecting Canada with Latin America.
In this episode:
• Why filmmakers quit too early after rejection
• The “1,000 rejections” approach
• Going from actor to producer
• Building trust with film investors
• Why every producer needs to understand financing
• The limitations of Canada’s traditional funding model
• How international co-productions actually work
• Building Canadian-owned film and television IP
• Why starting embarrassingly small can be an advantage
• The importance of running toward the things that scare you
Off The Lot is the podcast for filmmakers building careers outside the studio system.

Why do some indie films actually get made while others spend years stuck in development?
In this episode of Off The Lot, Anthony breaks down the stages an independent film goes through between having a screenplay and actually getting the movie greenlit.
We cover what you should be working on at each stage — and, just as importantly, what you probably shouldn't be doing yet.
You'll learn:
• Who you need around you before you start raising money
• When to spend your own development money
• How much financing you should have before approaching cast
• When a casting director actually becomes useful
• When to start talking to distributors and sales agents
• Why attachments can create leverage — or hurt you if you approach them too early
• The difference between momentum and actual progress
• Why you shouldn't build your finance plan around grants
• When a movie can realistically be considered greenlit
• What to do when your project has been stuck for months — or years
Film development isn't one giant leap from screenplay to production. It's a series of smaller steps, with each one creating enough leverage to unlock the next.
The key is knowing what stage your movie is actually in — and what needs to happen next.
If you're developing, financing or packaging an independent feature, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for getting it closer to production.