The No Film School Podcast

In this episode recorded live from the final Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, GG Hawkins is joined by No Film School’s Ryan Koo and Jo Light to commemorate the end of an era. The trio dives into personal memories, the legacy of Robert Redford, and what the future may hold for the festival as it prepares to relocate to Boulder, Colorado. They reflect on how Sundance has supported filmmakers through its labs, how festival culture shapes careers, and the emotional highs and lows of navigating the indie film landscape. GG also shares behind-the-scenes insights from her recent event at Sundance focused on women in the business of film, while offering a candid look at what it really takes to get a film into a top-tier festival.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Ryan Koo, and Jo Light discuss...


What makes Sundance in Park City so special—and why it's bittersweet to say goodbye


The importance of Sundance's labs and the legacy of Robert Redford


The emotional impact of community and connection during film festivals


GG’s first Sundance as a filmmaker with a feature and her reflections on that journey


Advice for filmmakers on submission strategy and post-production polish


What types of films stand out at Sundance today: high-concept, star-driven, or uniquely personal


Highlights from GG’s industry dinner focused on women in the business of film


Thoughts and hopes for the new Sundance location in Boulder, Colorado

Memorable Quotes:


“The old rules don’t apply and the new rules haven’t been written.”


“If it’s not ready, don’t submit yet. Unless Willem Dafoe is in your movie.”


“You’re already 99.9% past the obstacles just by making a movie.”


“Robert Redford used his power to help others.”

Guests:


Ryan Koo


Jo Light

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January is often perceived as a slow month in Hollywood, but in reality it’s one of the most strategic windows of the year for filmmakers. On this episode, GG Hawkins and guests Ana Liza Muravina and John Lamm unpack how the industry “wakes up” in early 2026, what that means for creative careers, and how artists can structure their time, their projects, and their expectations to thrive amid shifting economic and ecosystem forces. From understanding industry seasonality, permission structures, and macro trends in distribution to practical strategies for developing and releasing work, this conversation offers both mindset shifts and concrete guidance for filmmakers navigating careers in the current landscape.

In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and guests Ana Liza Muravina and John Lamm discuss:


Breaking down the idea of a “Hollywood shutdown” and why January becomes a key moment of restart, planning, and opportunity.


How to contextually plan your writing year and align creative output with industry cycles (inspired by ideas from Final Draft’s annual planning guide).


Why building structure as an independent artist (even without external deadlines) empowers your career and creative focus.


“Permission structures” in the industry — what they are, how they shape opportunity, and how filmmakers can navigate or build them.


The importance of community, cohorts, and trusted feedback systems for career sustainability and perspective.


How macroeconomic forces, consolidation in the streaming market, and attention economy shifts are reshaping how films get financed, distributed, and found.


Practical project strategies — from refining scripts based on audience/readers to building a tailored outreach atlas for producers and executives.


The value of aligning ambition with realistic pathways — creating work you can make now while aiming for larger goals down the line.


Inspiring perspectives on why now may be an era of opportunity for scrappy independent filmmaking.

Memorable Quotes:


“Most filmmakers think January is slow, but quietly it’s one of the most strategic months of the year.”


“It’s one of those weird things … every now and then when I zoom like 10,000 feet back … it’s not necessarily indictment on your art.”


“You see it … LA is the concentration of us. It’s artists who are so good at what they do just waiting for someone to give them permission to do what they do well… And the answer generally is unless you decide to stride and do it yourself, no one gives you permission.”


“Don’t get too bogged down in the how, the strategy … let’s make movies, y’all. Let’s just do it.”

Guests:


Ana Liza Muravina


John Lamm

Resources Mentioned:


The Current: Less Chaos, More Momentum (On the Circuit)


How to Plan Your Entire Screenwriting Year: A Month-by-Month Guide (Final Draft)


Video: Preparing for the Creator Economy Apocalypse (with Chris Gethard)

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In this episode, Charles Haine sits down with documentary co-directors Geneva Peschka and Anna Andersen to discuss their latest project The Solace of Sisterhood, which recently premiered at Tribeca. The conversation dives deep into the ethics of documentary filmmaking, how they found and built trust with their subjects—the Caramel Curves, a New Orleans-based all-female motorcycle club—and how they navigated a successful festival run. From storytelling intention to set culture, the team shares their collaborative journey in bringing vulnerability, softness, and strength to the screen.

In this episode, No Film School's Charles Haine and guests discuss...


How Geneva and Anna met and began their creative partnership


Their journey developing The Solace of Sisterhood and pitching it to Fujifilm


Building trust and a safe space for documentary subjects


How bringing in co-founder True’s daughter, Skye, as a camera operator deepened the film


The evolving importance of ethical statements in festival submissions


Shifting set culture to prioritize respect, connection, and vulnerability


Working with the Fujifilm GFX100 and achieving a cinematic, soft visual tone


The emotional highs and logistical challenges of their festival journey, including premiering at Tribeca

Memorable Quotes:


"It starts for us on set—how people come together and how we approach one another and hold space for each other."


"Documentary inherently asks so much out of our participants... it’s a job you have to do with integrity and with ethics."


"You’re changing who’s telling the story... you’re letting them know they are a part of their narrative, as they should be."


"Filmmaking can be very lonely... but we are each other's strengths."

Guests:


Geneva Peschka


Anna Andersen

Resources:


The Solace of Sisterhood – Tribeca 2024

Find No Film School everywhere:


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This episode of the No Film School Podcast dives deep into the power and necessity of physical spaces in modern film culture. Host GG Hawkins sits down with Maggie Mackay, Executive Director and board member of Vidiots—a beloved LA video store-turned-nonprofit cultural institution. They explore the origins and revival of Vidiots, what it takes to build a sustainable, audience-centered film space in a digital world, and why community, curation, and accessibility matter more than ever. It’s a moving, behind-the-scenes look at how passion, resilience, and radical thinking can reshape the future of cinema spaces.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Maggie Mackay discuss...


The emotional and communal value of physical film spaces


How Maggie revived Vidiots through radical reimagining and persistence


The challenges of creating a nonprofit, sustainable film hub


Why the video store experience is still relevant to new generations


How partnerships and collaboration helped save and relaunch Vidiots


Building an audience-first, equitable business model


Creating spaces where younger and older generations can discover film together

Memorable Quotes:


"Holy shit, what are we letting disappear on us?"


"You can deep dive in ways in a video store that you can't in any other way."


"Seeing kids grow up in the video store… it's the highlight of my career."


"Think about doing the risky, crazy thing… and call us if you want to figure out how to make it happen."

Guests:


Maggie Mackay (IMDb)

Resources:


Indie Empire


Use code GG25 for 25% off the Micro Budget Mindset course with GG Hawkins

Find No Film School everywhere:


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Twitter: No Film School on Twitter


YouTube: No Film School on YouTube


Instagram: No Film School on Instagram


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This episode of the No Film School Podcast features two conversations. First, host GG Hawkins reunites with filmmaker Pete Ohs, who returns to share the unique distribution experiment he’s launching with four films releasing throughout 2026. He reflects on his “table of bubbles” filmmaking philosophy and his desire to find joy instead of stress in the release process. Later, GG is joined by composer Hollie Buhagiar, whose original score for GG’s debut feature I Really Love My Husband is now out. They break down their collaborative process in detail, from early cue drafts to the film’s final emotional moments, revealing how bird calls, pitch-shifted vocals, and “surf rock” found their way into the film’s DNA.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss...


Pete Ohs’ philosophy of “table of bubbles” and how it’s guiding his 2026 film distribution approach


Why Pete is using a different distribution strategy for each of his four new films


What feels broken about indie film distribution today — and how to approach it differently


Hollie Buhagiar’s journey into composing and her intuitive, emotion-driven scoring method


The evolution of the score for I Really Love My Husband, including early drafts and final cues


How creative freedom, happy accidents, and imperfect instruments brought the film to life


The importance of developing a shared language between director and composer

Memorable Quotes:


"The films are a table made of bubbles. They cannot support anything."


"The biggest result is just — is this fun?"


"What's a convincing note?”


"With great power comes great responsibility — even for the piano."

Guests:


Pete Ohs


Hollie Buhagiar

Resources:


Pete's original pod interview


Score for I Really Love My Husband on Spotify

Find No Film School everywhere:


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