Life is busy. Tariffs and trade wars and famous ladies in space. It can be tough to stay up-to-date on film industry news, profiles, analysis, and advice. That’s why we’ve curated some essential reads you may have missed over the past month. So take some time to catch up with this month’s good reads!
This Month’s Good Reads (April 2025)
The Traditional Indie Film System is Hurting. This Executive Says He’s Built a Winning Formula (via Ryan Faughnder for Los Angeles Times)
Cineverse (formerly known as Cinedigm) and its evolution from Short Term 12 to Terrifier.
My Journey Co-Directing Hell of a Summer (via Finn Wolfhard for No Film School)
The Stranger Things star ventures to the director’s chair.
Val Kilmer: Mercurial A-Lister Who Toggled Between Total Immersion and Resistance (via Adam Nayman for BFI)
Remembering the star of The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever.
Intimacy Coordinators Say Celebrity Pushback Misses the Bigger Picture (via Janay Kingsberry for The Washington Post)
The growing pains of setting a new industry standard.
This Studio Turns to Viewers of Faith to Greenlight Movies (via Calum Marsh for The New York Times)
The fan crowdsourcing that helps a faith-based production company find its hits.
‘Thank You to the Academy, But We’re Not Done Yet’ (via Chris Lee for Vulture)
John Wick director Chad Stahelski’s response to the newly announced Best Stunt Design Oscars category.
A Conversation with John Sayles (via Patrick Dahl for Screen Slate)
The Return of the Secaucus Seven, Matewan, and Eight Men Out director on his early films.
“You’re Either a Storyteller or a Liar”: Charles Burnett, in Conversation with Barry Jenkins (via Barry Jenkins for Interview Magazine)
A chat between two filmmaking greats.
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan Are Symbiotic. Sinners Is the Latest Proof (via Aisha Harris for NPR)
Tracking the five-film partnership between the actor and filmmaker.
Elaine May’s Women: In Praise of the Loser Brunette (via Amalia Ulman for Mubi Notebook)
The director of Magic Farm on finding inspiration in the raven-haired lady losers of cinema.
Eli Roth’s Fix for Indie Films’ Bloodbath? Crowdfunding 2.0 (via Nicole LaPorte for The Ankler)
The new fan-investment plan from the horror auteur.
In case you were ignoring us (aka blatant self-promotion)
Stowe Story Labs’ SAGindie Fellowship
Congrats to our 2025 Writers’ Lab fellow!
Filmmaker Interview: Duncan Skiles, director/producer of Neighborhood Watch
Our chat with the filmmaker of the new Jack Quaid/Jeffrey Dean Morgan buddy-comedy-thriller.
Videos worth watching
Twins were all the rage this month – in movies and out… here’s a refresher on doubling up your actors (via Insider)
How ’bout you? Read anything good this month?
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If you’re an independent filmmaker or know of an independent film-related topic we should write about, email blogadmin@sagindie.org for consideration.
