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.
Readers generously give me some credit for helping to build the FilmStack community.
And HopeForFilm is where NonDē was born. And if you don’t yet know what that is, you are going to have to read up!
Stay up-to-date & access everything
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.
HopeForFilm currently has 3 active columns:
HopeForFilm: My (Ted’s) thoughts on TheFKATheFilmBiz, creative practice, NonDē, FilmStack and whatever captures his attention.
Takeovers: Generally on Thursdays, other authors and publishers take the HFF reins and share what inspires, supports, provokes, or sparks them. Find new writers to follow and subscribe to.
Hopeful Conversations: Ted interviews directors and other industry professionals on their films and side hustles.
The Five: is currently dormant but was a collection of links that inspired me (Ted) each week. It has become it’s own standalone newsletter, now curated by the FilmStack community: FilmStack Daily Digest. Please check it out!
On your subscription page setting you can turn off any of these columns so you do not have to receive them if you prefer — turn on only the ones you want.
Different Subscription Levels To Suit Your Needs or Desires
Free Subscribers:
Get regular essays delivered to your inbox or the Substack app
Join HopeForFilm Chat for industry discussions
Leave comments on free posts and be part of our growing film-loving community
Paid Subscribers:
Unlock over 600 archived posts
Access all current and future premium essays, deep dives, and resources
Support the continuation of this ad-free, independent space
Leave comments on ALL posts.
Join a crew of people who care about the soul of storytelling
Founding Members:
Get a free 25 minute 1:1 consult with me (it’s best to come prepared).
Experience the well being that comes from knowing you help this newsletter continue, as well as be offered to those that can’t afford it.
Select a post to free from the HFF paywall for 2wks.
And if you want a poster from the films I produced or supervised as an executive, I will send you a random one from my collection. Just DM me.
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.
