Maria Tran -The Rise Of The Indies (59)

Maria Tran -The Rise Of The Indies (59)

From Action Addicts - Talking action films and the Business of Show Business by Benjamin N. Redic II

March 22, 2026 · 1h 26m · Season 5 · Episode 3

About this episode

Maria Tran discusses her journey in indie filmmaking and strategies for success without traditional distribution.

What does it really take to make a feature film with almost no money… and actually turn a profit? In this episode, we sit down with Maria Tran—a powerhouse indie filmmaker who turned a $6,500 feature shot in 14 days into a profitable project across 12+ platforms. We break down how she: Built a feature film using community, non-actors, and pure grit Rejected traditional distributors to keep control and ownership Used FilmHub to land on platforms like Tubi, Amazon, and YouTube Movies Turned real data into smarter filmmaking decisions Scaled up to shooting TWO films back-to-back with a $30K budget each This isn’t theory—this is real, boots-on-the-ground filmmaking strategy. We also get into: Why most indie filmmakers get burned by bad distribution deals The truth about AFM (and why it’s not the golden ticket people think) How to fund films through local businesses and product placement Why action & horror are about to dominate the next 5 years The shift in power from Hollywood gatekeepers to independent creators If you’re serious about making films, making money, and not losing your rights in the process, this episode is required listening. 👉 Bottom line: You don’t need…

People in this episode

Host: Benjamin N. Redic II

Guest: Maria Tran

Topics covered

  • independent filmmaking
  • film distribution
  • budget filmmaking
  • action films
  • profitability in film
  • community filmmaking

Keywords

  • indie filmmaker
  • feature film
  • distribution deals
  • film funding
  • action and horror films
  • community support

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FilmHub

Places: Australia, Hollywood

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