How to make an indie film: advice from the filmmakers who've done it

Brianna Lee (featured above) wanted to be an actor, but when the roles didn't come, she stopped waiting for someone else to cast her and started writing her own. That instinct, to just make the thing rather than wait for a call, carried her all the way to Raindance Film Festival, where she premiered her feature film, The Troll, a wild and techni-coloured psychological thriller about the darker side of social media, following a pop star who eventually cracks under the impossible pressures of fame and internet cruelty.

Making an independent film involves developing a story you can realistically produce, assembling a cast and crew, setting a budget, securing funding, planning the shoot and completing post-production. You don't necessarily need film school or a large budget, but you do need a realistic production plan and collaborators who can help execute it. We asked Brianna and fellow successful filmmakers at the 2026 Raindance Film Festival for their tips on how to break into the indie film industry: here are seven tips from those in the know.

For anyone stuck at the starting line, New York-based actor, comedian and award-winning filmmaker Brianna has the following to say: "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Stop being precious about your project and just start. That's the hardest part, everything else will work itself out."

David Martinez, executive director of the 2026 Raindance Film Festival, thinks that kind of confidence is exactly what separates people who make films from people who talk about making films. "If you're an aspiring filmmaker, you are a filmmaker," he says. The permission you're waiting for isn't coming, make a plan and follow it through.

At the core of every good film is a compelling narrative: think about structure, arc, the tension in the middle, and the eventual pay-off. Take your favourite films and break down what makes them so memorable, that will help you find your own voice and the kind of films you want to make.

Post-apocalyptic horror, Bloodlust, from Australian writer-director-producer duo Rupert Evans and Matt Michalik, which also premiered at the 2026 Raindance Film Festival, had a crew of four. They shot it in one take and it took almost a year to edit. The majority of the budget was spent on cheese sandwiches and fuel. As Matt explains, “You look around you, wherever you live, your friends, family or the gear you have... you realise that the best stories are there." That kind of resourcefulness led the pair to drafting in friends and family where they could and shooting in Victoria’s Wombat State Forest, where a permit wasn’t necessary. However, they did pay tribute to the indigenous owners of this land in the post-credits. When they did struggle to cast their lead actor, they put out a casting call and found Liam Maloney who was looking to kickstart his acting career.

Film festivals, events, meet-ups all offer opportunities to meet potential collaborators, too. David says, "Networking is really important, and if that's not you, find someone else who can help you. It is about who you know."

Film school will offer a formal education into all the elements of filmmaking, whether it’s sound design, cinematography or scriptwriting. There isn’t just one option either, while film school is for some, there are many options for part-time study or even short courses for independent film, like the ones offered through Raindance.

For the creators of Bloodlust, film school was where they first crossed paths, "If it wasn't for film school, Bloodlust wouldn't exist, as Matt and I would never have met. However, I found it quite claustrophobic and old-fashioned at times. They also would never have let us make this film," explains Rupert. Matt had been making films long before he entered any formal film education, “I’d always made silly films with friends and family…I’d classify this as my own schooling.”

However, for Brianna, she skipped film school and gained hands-on experience; “I've been making films for the better part of two decades and have never once taken a formal film class or lesson…I taught myself everything, from filming and editing to how to make shot lists and on-set terminology." She admits a ‘fake it, until you make it’ mentality helps, “but once you've done it so many times, you're actually not faking it any more," she reflects.

Haris Zambarloukos, the BAFTA and Oscar-nominated cinematographer behind Thor and Murder on the Orient Express, went to AFI, "the most cinematography centric school I could think of.” But his real education started long before any of that, he explains, in a darkroom from around age twelve. He describes his ongoing learning as less anything taught in a classroom and more as something he goes searching for himself: "You like a book, you read it, then the one before, then the one they read. That's how you learn, you go backwards." For him, formal training and teaching himself went side-by-side.

One of the biggest challenges for independent filmmakers is securing the money to get a project off the ground. Beyond camera kit, you'll need to budget for locations, travel, insurance, post-production and, where possible, paying the cast and crew.

Many filmmakers turn to crowdfunding platforms, using social media to build an audience and generate support. Others seek investment from production companies, private backers, and brands like Canon Europe, which offers a video grant for emerging talent. However, competition for funding is fierce, Janay Boulos explains: "There isn't enough funding and grants and support available for filmmakers."

Finding financial backing is only part of the equation. It's equally important to work with partners who share your creative vision. "We made the decision from the beginning that we are not going to sell for any channel. We're going to choose our partner and the people we want to work with," says Abd Alkader Habak, co-creator of Birds of War. For many filmmakers, retaining creative control can be just as valuable as securing the funding itself.

The directors of Bloodlust had support from their network, but admitted to mostly funding it out of pocket. “The most important first step is assessing what you already have. Whether it's equipment, locations, props, special skills, or even people... cutting corners is really just negotiating where to put your funds, energy and focus," explains Matt.

Limitations force decisions and, oftentimes, better ones than a huge budget would. Brianna Lee made creative choices that let her tell a bigger story than her micro-budget would ever allow. "I decided early to lean on acting, performance and dialogue instead of expensive visuals. The main protagonist, Killa B's pop star world was more suggested than shown, the audience had to use their imagination to fill the gaps."

Abd Alkader Habak, faced a different kind of constraint entirely, with no formal training and filming in a conflict zone in Syria. "We relied almost entirely on the sun and natural light rather than professional lighting equipment... I developed a deep understanding of how to work with available light and how it can shape emotion and atmosphere."

Both filmmakers turned their limitations into part of the film's identity, rather than an obstacle stopping them from making it at all.

There’s also an acceptance that for most it’s a career which takes years to build and as David Martinez says: "We've all had day jobs to make this work. There's no shame in that. Persistency is key."

What seems unanimous is the need for separation from the work. Filmmaking means long hours and constant problem-solving, a labour of love that's hard to switch off. Bloodlust’s, Rupert Evans admits: "we were very naive to the stresses that come from a film set. It took us to a level of mental exhaustion I never thought possible…The best way I have found to keep myself moving forward is to create a separation. When I get home after working on a set I do last minute checks for the next day then I put the film out of my head. Doing things like: reading, exercising, listening to music and cooking helps”

Matt Michalik finds getting organised keeps anxiety at bay: “If it’s the day before the shoot, I’ll be packing my bag, cleaning my car, re-reading the script… I think it’s important to set small things to look forward to in order to brave a stressful day or particular challenges. I’ll excite myself for a coffee, maybe I’ll look forward to re-listening to a song I’ve been into recently. I think it’s important to ask yourself how you’re feeling every step of the way so that your health is never suppressed.”

Haris Zambarloukos is a big believer in hobbies that have nothing to do with filmmaking. For him, that's surfing, a sport where the entire body is required, the exact opposite of hours spent hunched in a dark room over a colour grade.

Every filmmaker agrees that there’s no perfect time to make a film and no ideal budget. The films that reach audiences are the ones that get made. Janay Boulos remembers finishing Birds of War under deadline as something closer to letting go than finishing, "it felt like I was putting this thing out into the world, losing something I'd been holding onto for all these years." But once it was out, she says, it stopped being hers alone: "now that the film is out there, I feel like it has its own life."


David Martinez has witnessed hundreds of filmmakers succeed, "Believe in yourself. If you believe it here," he says, gesturing to his head, "and here," to his heart, "you'll manifest it, and you'll make it happen."