Telefilm, Gatekeepers & The Financial Reality of Indie Film

Mayumi Yoshida on Making Akashi and Changing Telefilm’s Rules

Mayumi Yoshida spent nine years turning a deeply personal idea into her first feature film, Akashi—writing, directing, producing, and starring in a story that crosses generations, countries, and languages. In this episode, Mayumi reveals how a conversation with her grandmother evolved from a stage play into an award-winning short and, eventually, a critically acclaimed feature. She also breaks down the fight to finance an 80% Japanese-language Canadian film—and how she and a coalition of filmmakers helped push Telefilm Canada to remove a policy that prevented many multilingual stories from qualifying for funding. We also discuss: * Directing herself while leading an international cast * Shooting in Vancouver and Japan on an extremely compressed schedule * How losing six production days shaped the film’s visual language * Rehearsing film scenes like theatre to survive two- and three-take days * Cutting a completed two-hour version down to 100 minutes * Using black and white, colour, production design, and sound to explore memory * Why filmmakers should choose stories they can remain committed to for a lifetime * The importance of knowing when you are—and are not—the right person to tell a story Akashi premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award, and went on to receive major recognition at the Whistler Film Festival, Reel Asian, and the Leo Awards. Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here: www.remnantmovie.com [https://www.remnantmovie.com/] Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter here: The Film Founder [https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about] Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter here: The Greenlight Report [https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3] Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here: @ken_kabatoff [https://www.instagram.com/ken_kabatoff/] @epptri [https://www.instagram.com/epptri/]

What Film Investors Actually Want In Your Pitch Deck

Most filmmakers build pitch decks around the movie they want to make. But an investor is looking at your project through a completely different lens: How do I get my money back—and what protects my downside? In Episode 57 of Off The Lot, Ken Kabatoff and Anthony Furey break down what an effective indie film investor deck actually needs to accomplish. We discuss: • The difference between a creative pitch deck and an investor deck • What private film investors actually need to understand • How to explain your budget, finance plan, tax credits, and recoupment waterfall • Why cinematography and concept art should not dominate the presentation • How cast, comparable films, timing, and market positioning help reduce perceived risk • Whether filmmakers need their own marketing plan • Why your deck should inspire a conversation—not replace one • The legal risks of publicly soliciting film investment • How to make financial information clear without making the deck feel dry A good investor deck does more than make your film look exciting. It demonstrates that you understand how the project will be financed, completed, sold, and positioned to return capital. If you are trying to privately finance an independent feature, this episode provides a practical framework for building the document that may open the door. Subscribe for candid conversations about financing, producing, directing, selling, and building independent films outside the studio system. Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here: www.remnantmovie.com [https://www.remnantmovie.com/] Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter here: The Film Founder [https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about] Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter here: The Greenlight Report [https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3] Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here: @ken_kabatoff [https://www.instagram.com/ken_kabatoff/] @epptri [https://www.instagram.com/epptri/]

Corey Payette on Turning Stage Musicals Into Award-Nominated Films

Corey Payette did not wait for a studio to give him permission. He built his stories on stage, proved them in front of live audiences, and then turned them into award-nominated films — including Star Walker, which earned 10 Leo Award nominations. In this episode of Off The Lot, Corey breaks down how he went from theatre, music, and original Indigenous storytelling into feature filmmaking, how Star Walker evolved from a stage musical and TV series development process into a feature film, and what it actually takes to make a drag musical outside the traditional studio system. We talk about: How Corey adapted Star Walker from stage to screen Why the film was made without traditional Telefilm or studio financing The challenge of shooting a feature musical in drag on a tight schedule How community, chosen family, and queer joy shaped the film Why one story can become a stage show, feature film, album, tour, and published script What Corey learned moving from theatre into filmmaking This is a conversation about building durable creative work, making films outside the system, and finding a way forward when the industry says no. Subscribe to Off The Lot for conversations with filmmakers building careers on their own terms. Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here: www.remnantmovie.com [https://www.remnantmovie.com/] Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter here: The Film Founder [https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about] Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter here: The Greenlight Report [https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3] Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here: @ken_kabatoff [https://www.instagram.com/ken_kabatoff/] @epptri [https://www.instagram.com/epptri/]

Telefilm, Gatekeepers & The Financial Reality of Indie Film

Anthony Epp sits down with Ken Kabatoff for a candid conversation about the recent changes to Telefilm Canada's development funding, the challenges facing emerging Canadian filmmakers, and the growing need to balance creative ambition with financial sustainability. They reflect on networking, content creation, building an audience, and why long-term careers are built through persistence rather than overnight success. Listen now for an honest discussion about filmmaking, funding, creative resilience, and what it really takes to keep making movies. Vulture: The Unglamorous Financial Realities of 5 Indie Filmmakers https://web.archive.org/web/20260623153204/https://www.vulture.com/article/indie-filmmakers-money.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20260623153204/https://www.vulture.com/article/indie-filmmakers-money.html] Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here: www.remnantmovie.com [https://www.remnantmovie.com/] Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter The Film Founder here: https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about [https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about] Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter The Greenlight Report here: https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3 [https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3] Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here: @ken_kabatoff [https://www.instagram.com/ken_kabatoff/] @epptri [https://www.instagram.com/epptri/]

Remnant, Obsession, and The New Path For Filmmakers

Anthony Epp and Ken Kabatoff discuss two of the biggest stories in independent filmmaking right now: the debate over crew compensation on breakout indie hits and the growing influence of YouTube creators in the film industry. Using the success of Obsession as a starting point, they explore backend points, producer risk, union protections, and what filmmakers and crew members can realistically expect from low-budget productions. They also examine how creators like Curry Barker, Kane Parsons, Markiplier, and Chris Stuckmann are using online platforms to develop their craft and build careers outside the traditional studio system. Along the way, Anthony and Ken discuss film financing, distribution, audience building, and why the recent success of independent horror films may be opening new doors for emerging filmmakers. Listen now for a conversation about independent film, creative opportunity, and the changing path to a career in filmmaking. Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here: www.remnantmovie.com [https://www.remnantmovie.com/] Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter The Film Founder here: https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about [https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about] Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter The Filmmaker's Notebook here: www.anthonyepp.com [https://anthonyepp.com/] Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here: @ken_kabatoff [https://www.instagram.com/ken_kabatoff/] @epptri [https://www.instagram.com/epptri/]