Why subscribe?
Some say I speak out loud what others only whisper. I just try to tell the truth—from my point of view—about cinema, creativity, and what it takes to survive and thrive in both.
This space is for people who love film, live film, and want it to evolve.
I write about the present state and future of cinema—not just the what but the why, how, and what else. Topics range from:
The creative process behind independent film
Insights into the industry from decades in the trenches
Bold ideas for building a more sustainable, equitable ecosystem
Musings on culture, courage, and creative sustainability
You can also read the HopeForFilm First Principles and Tenets to see where I’m coming from.
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Online you can leave comments and help build community. Online is also the easiest way to see all the subjects I write about, organized in a couple of topics along the top horizontal bar, but you can read HopeForFilm in whatever format you enjoy most: as a newsletter in your inbox, on the webpage where it resembles a blog, or on the Substack app.
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If finances are a challenge, message me—I'm always happy to gift a subscription to good people trying to do good work.
Why join?
This is more than a newsletter. It’s a community of filmmakers, filmlovers, artists, and curious minds committed to:
Speaking truth to power
Pushing creative boundaries
Building a better model for cinema together
Don’t take my word for it—check out why so many subscribe. If you care about authored work that dares, provokes, and uplifts, you’re in the right place.
And again, if you don’t feel you can pay right now, message me, and let me know, but be nice, and show you are a good person because, well, why not?
Who is behind the curtain?
I call myself a filmworker. I’ve produced over 70 films (and overseen 60+ more), launched Amazon’s feature division, built startups, taught at universities, run film societies, and try to leave the industry better than I found it.
Many of the filmmakers I’ve worked with—Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Hal Hartley, Michel Gondry, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Todd Field —have shaped modern cinema. I’ve also written the memoir Hope For Film, which tells much of the story behind the stories.
But this Substack is about now—what we make next, together.
