Screw the Gatekeepers

Filmmakers need to stop waiting for permission from gatekeepers who don’t understand where the industry is heading.

Write your own film. Direct it. Shoot it. If you’re really smart, distribute it too.

Curry Barker is 26 years old. He made Obsession in 20 days on a $750,000 budget.  It has now generated over $75 million worldwide — and is easily one of the year’s most profitable releases.  Its second weekend actually grew 39% over its opening — virtually unheard of for a wide-release horror film.  Audiences care more about originality, ideas and execution than whether a studio executive approved it.

I’ve been an independent filmmaker for 26 years. Proud to go solo. Quick to pivot while technology shifts fast. Small operators move before leviathan businesses can even schedule the meeting about the meeting.

I don’t need an agent to get my screenplays read. I can make my own luck while collaborating with producers, creatives and talent who actually want to build things.

It’s open season.

.