Film School Is Over. Now What? Filmmaker Zack Abdulbaki
He is a filmmaker, has a podcast, runs a film festival -- what doesn't my guest, Zack Abdulbaki, do? Well, for one: he doesn't overcharge people on FilmFreeway. He doesn't delay in sending in DCPs for film festivals. And he certainly doesn't brag about his work.
So I'll do it for him. For me, and certainly I'm biased, this is the way forward. You can just make a film, especially a short film, and hope for the best. Maybe it's start a podcast, maybe it's a YouTube channel, but hope isn't a strategy.
I think Zack has the roadmap for what a successful independent filmmaker looks like in 2027, and I'm grateful he's here to talk about it.
In this episode, Zack and I talk about:
- hosting a podcast; running a film festival; making his own short films -- does he know something we don't about how to be successful in indie films?;
- his start in filmmaking growing up in the United Arab Emirates;
- whether he recommends going to film school;
- independent film in the Middle East, the postponement of the Red Sea Film Festival, and the revival of the Dubai Film Festival;
- film schools in Dubai;
- his strategy with short films and why he's okay with showcasing all his films that demonstrate growth;
- why he's putting together a film festival;
- the benefits of his approach to indie filmmaking and what kind of advice he'd give other filmmakers;
- writing v. directing v. producing -- how he learned how to do all three;
- what it's like running a film festival and how he handled submissions;
- the overall theatrical experience;
- what people don't know about the industry of indie films and filmmaking;
- screenwriters and whether they have more ideas than, say, directors;
- how he finds podcast guests;
- what's next for him.
Zack's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Emma Halleen; THE COURIER written by Anthony Casabianca
Memorable Quotes:
" Having a podcast for me was just started from wanting to learn from filmmakers and ask them "How do you do it?"
" I wish there was a rule in place where we're giving you this tax incentive, and then you should hire a certain percentage of people from the UAE or Saudi Arabia."
"The entry fee was $1."
" I'm not gonna lie and say there's some committee who chose the movies. I chose all the movies."
" In the industry, it's really like a matter of will you have institutional success or entrepreneurial success?"
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