Best IndieWires Filmmaker Toolkit Podcasts (2025)

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'Rental Family' Director Hikari 35:25

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6h ago35:25

35:25

Director Hikari joined IndieWire's Jim Hemphill to discuss her new comedic drama, staring Brendan Frasier as an actor hired to be a friend and companion to a family in Japan. Hikari explains the fascinating real phenomenon behind the film, and how she achieved her exquisitely subtle emotional storytelling. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every F…

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'One to One: John & Yoko' Director Kevin Macdonald 32:28

6d ago32:28

32:28

Kevin Macdonald knows John Lennon and Yoko Ono are one of the most scrutinized relationships pop culture history. So he took a new approach to these icons: exploring how the TV they were watching from their Manhattan apartment shaped, and reflected, their views of America. IndieWire Doc Toolkit is sponsored by HBO Max. Listen to the Screen Talk Pod…

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'The Running Man' Director Edgar Wright 32:17

1h ago32:17

32:17

Director Edgar Wright sat down with the Filmmaker Toolkit to dig into his high-octane adaptation of Steven King's The Running Man. We dive into the world building, working with Glen Powell, and of course the craft behind Wright's action filmmaking. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire editors Anne Thompson & Ryan Lattanzio brea…

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'Nouvelle Vague' Director Richard Linklater 45:37

5d ago45:37

45:37

Richard Linklater returns to the Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his loving recreation of the French New Wave. Linklater shares why the movies of that period meant so much to his filmmaking journey, and reflects on how much easier they had it making 'Breathless' than 'Nouvelle Vague' today. Listen to the Screen Talk Podcast. Every Friday IndieWire edi…

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'The Alabama Solution' Directors Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman 54:10

12d ago54:10

54:10

Documentary filmmakers Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman spent one fateful day filming a barbecue at an Alabama state prison, a day filled with inmates telling them the pleasant day they were witnessing was a lie created by the prison. The duo began to speak with the men behind the prison's back, using contraband cell phones to uncover what is rea…

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'Frankenstein' Director Guillermo del Toro 37:41

4d ago37:41

37:41

Beloved Director Guillermo del Toro sits down with the Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about making his dream film, and how 'Frankenstein' has been a part of each of his prior films. Then del Toro opens up about an end to his era of monster movies, and how achieving this lifelong goal may be the start of a new chapter in his filmmaking style. Listen to t…

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'Bugonia' Director Yorgos Lanthimos 47:27

21d ago47:27

47:27

A new Yorgos Lanthimos film is always an event at IndieWire, and 'Bugonia' might be his most topical and direct one yet. Yorgos digs into the key decisions that make this tense character piece feel so large in scope (including shooting in a small basement in VistaVision), and how his collaborations with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons deepened even fu…

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'Hedda' Director Nia DaCosta 36:49

8d ago36:49

36:49

Writer and director Nia DaCosta joins IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to dive deep into her 1950s-set adaptation of Hedda Gabler. DaCosta explains how the film's lush look and sound came from years of building her team, and how the brilliance of the lead performances from Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss allowed for incredibly layered character studies. Lear…

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'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere' Director Scott Cooper 58:04

1M ago58:04

58:04

Director Scott Cooper sat down for a revealing and personal conversation about helming this anticipated and highly scrutinized biopic. Cooper talks about Bruce Springsteen's intense involvement in the film, making a movie that felt as raw as Nebraska sounds, and how telling this story from The Boss's life helped him process his own. Learn more abou…

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'The Mastermind' Director Kelly Reichardt 35:40

1M ago35:40

35:40

An IndieWire favorite, director Kelly Reichardt returns to Toolkit with her new film The Mastermind. Reichardt told us about working with Josh O'Connor, putting her own spin on the heist genre, and the cast-and-crew road trip it took to get the movie made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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'Task' Creator Brad Ingelsby 49:30

17d ago49:30

49:30

The creator of one of the hottest shows of the Fall joined IndieWire's Chris O'Falt for a spoiler-packed deep dive deep into the psychology of the characters and how he constructed the perfect seven episode arc. He also shares how Mark Ruffalo and ⁠Tom Pelphrey helped shape the complex men they play.⁠ This is a must listen for fans of the hit crime…

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'The Lowdown' Creator Sterlin Harjo 47:12

1M ago47:12

47:12

The creator of 'Reservation Dogs' is back with a new series staring Ethan Hawke as a man investigating crimes and corruption in Oklahoma. Sterlin shared some of the noir stories that inspired him, and explains why he never wants to leave Oklahoma for Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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'Roofman' Director Derek Cianfrance 35:53

1M ago35:53

35:53

Director Derek Cianfrance joins IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to talk about his latest film, “Roofman.” A true story about an escaped criminal who hides out in an abandoned toy store, “Roofman” is a comedy — and thus a departure for the typically serious Cianfrance. He talks about how and why he wanted to make this movie at this moment, and explains the…

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'Good Boy' Director Ben Leonberg (and his dog Indy!) 33:43

2M ago33:43

33:43

Who's a good boy? Indy, the star of this new horror film told entirely from his point of view. Director Ben Leonberg brought Indy into the office for a fun chat about filming a movie in his own home for 3 years, usually about 17 inches off the ground. Listen for how Ben used clever filmmaking to craft a great performance from of a dog who doesn't k…

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'The Smashing Machine' Director Benny Safdie 53:03

1M ago53:03

53:03

By Chris O'Falt

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'The Lost Bus' Director Paul Greengrass 41:35

2M ago41:35

41:35

The master of recreating real crisis is back. Director Paul Greengrass joins IndieWire's Chris O'Falt to discuss his newest survival thriller based on a true story from the 2018 California Wildfires. Greengrass explains why he changed his approach to filming the fires after the tragedies earlier this year, and how his background as a journalist lea…

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'Play Dirty' Director Shane Black 31:13

2M ago31:13

31:13

Writer-director Shane Black joins IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill to talk about his latest film, the action-comedy “Play Dirty.” They discuss Black’s approach to adapting author Donald Westlake, why he likes to set action movies at Christmas, and how he finds the right balance between violence, humor, and poignancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

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Using AI in Documentary Filmmaking with Stephanie Jenkins, APA Founder 56:34

2M ago56:34

56:34

Filmmaker’s Toolkit Podcast with Chris O’Falt (IndieWire) Welcome to the Filmmaker’s Toolkit Podcast, hosted by IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt. This week we dive into one of the most urgent conversations in nonfiction filmmaking: the role of artificial intelligence. Like many in the film community, Chris is deeply wary of what AI means for the art form w…

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'HIM' Director Justin Tipping 26:09

2M ago26:09

26:09

Director and co-writer Justin Tipping joins Toolkit to talk with IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill about his surreal new horror film from Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. Tipping explains how he found his visual language at the intersection between horror and sports, how working with Peele liberated and protected him, and why he cast comic Marlon Wayan…

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'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' Director Rob Reiner 27:28

2M ago27:28

27:28

Rob Reiner returns to Filmmaker Toolkit to talk with IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill about “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.” Reiner discusses returning to the characters who launched his career, working as an actor for Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard, and how digital capture made his job easier than on “This is Spinal Tap” in 1984. Learn more about your …

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'Friendship' Director Andrew DeYoung 40:59

2M ago40:59

40:59

On this week’s IndieWire’s Filmmakers Toolkit, Chris O’Falt talks with writer-director Andrew DeYoung about his dark comedy Friendship—now streaming on HBO Max. He reveals how he shaped Tim Robinson’s offbeat energy, uncovered a vulnerable side of Paul Rudd, and crafted a breakup story that’s as funny as it is unsettling—proving comedy hits harder …

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Live with 'New Jack City' Director Mario Van Peebles 37:08

3M ago37:08

37:08

Mario Van Peebles joins IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill for a live version of Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his directorial debut, “New Jack City.” In a conversation that followed a 35mm screening of the 1991 gangster classic, Van Peebles discusses casting the film, finding its visual language, and the influence of his father Melvin Van Peebles on his a…

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'Will & Harper' Director Josh Greenbaum 47:27

3M ago47:27

47:27

Director Josh Greenbaum took IndieWire behind the scenes of the planning, shooting, and editing of his Emmy nominated documentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris O'Falt

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31 Rules for Directing Episodic TV with Jon Cassar 42:25

3M ago42:25

42:25

Emmy-winning director Jon Cassar joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill for a special episode on Jon’s 31 rules for television directors. These are things he’s learned over the course of 30-plus years and over 200 episodes of TV that range from the technical to the political — all of them vital to sustaining a career. Learn more about your ad…

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'Sly Lives!' Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson & Producer Joseph Patel 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

"Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" is a documentary that knows to tell the story of Sly Stone's life and music, you need exceptional craft and storytelling discipline. From depicting music with experimental visuals, to convincing some of music's biggest names to talk on camera, listen to these two filmmakers, musicians, and friends expla…