NonDē Uprising

Brooke Berman is an award-winning playwright, filmmaker, and author of three books, including a memoir, No Place Like Home. Her plays have been produced all over the world and include Hunting and Gathering, Smashing (which she adapted for Natalie Portman), Out of the Water, Sam & Lucy, and more. Her most recent work is Ramona at Midlife, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Fandango.In Episode #027 of NonDē Uprising, Brooke looks back at her journey as a playwright and offers playful yet practical advice like understanding how a dumpster fire gives a person room to grow, making a movie with friends is better than chasing movie stars, and why saying “I don’t know” can be the most convincing statement you utter. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Count on Ari Gold to always take the non-traditional path or make what seems straightforward a bit more interesting. Ari’s most recent film, Brother Verses Brother, was executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and premiered to rave reviews at SXSW. It’s a one-shot musical odyssey and a companion to Ari’s first book of poetry, Father Verses Sons. Ari’s work has screened at hundreds of other festivals and has won best film at SXSW twice. He’s now in post-production for his fourth feature film, Helicopter.In Episode #025 of NonDē Uprising, Ari talks about the surreal honor it is to have your hero be your mentor, the power of shooting a movie without permits or paperwork, and why shooting entirely in one shot was more than a gimmick. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Thomas Verdi is a film director currently in pre-production on his feature debut, The Community. His work has been featured by Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Film Independent, No Film School, AT&T Shape, and more. He also founded and runs Wellsboro Film Festival, Discontent Media Group, and The Film Fund, which has awarded over $150,000 in funding to winning filmmakers. In Episode #023 of NonDē Uprising, Thomas explains how his pursuit of becoming a filmmaker led him down an unavoidable path of starting a string of businesses. He talks about how he merged his interests in filmmaking and entrepreneurship, reflects on the entrepreneurial tactics of his filmmaker heroes, and ponders how younger generations might react to a new wave of low-budget films. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Sasha Santiago is a fixture in the NonDē community, and in many ways, was enacting NonDē elements in his work long before NonDē was coined. He’s a filmmaker with 20 years of work under his belt, much of which he’s written and shot within one month on tight budgets, with a series of short films he shot during the pandemic being made for what he has called #ZeroBudgetShoots.In Episode #021 of NonDē Uprising, Sasha Santiago fires on all cylinders trying to solve the broken cinema ecosystem. He contemplates how advancements in tech might benefit NonDē filmmakers, champions community-building efforts, and explains how guerrilla filmmakers have the upper hand. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

It’s one thing to make a movie; it’s another to sell it. Alex LeMay’s Substack, Pitch Craft, helps creators pitch projects for funding. In addition to offering his own expertise on pitching to Hollywood studios, Alex is currently funding his own project openly sharing statistics and information to help fellow filmmakers see his process (how NonDe!).In Episode #019 of NonDē Uprising, Alex reimagines what the film industry will look like by the end of this year. He predicts how the tech takeover of Hollywood will launch what he calls “Hollywood 2.0,” why studio executives’ reliance on gatekeeping will fall apart as creators gain control of moviemaking, and why he thinks the best days of Hollywood are still ahead of us. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

jen harrington is an exemplar of the NonDē movement. She wrote and directed the horror movies Shook and Housekeeping, and has sold her scripts Hell’s Belles to Amazon Studios and The End of Liz As We Know It to Sony Pictures. She’s also had an impressive documentary career, editing Gaga: Five Foot Two, Banksy Does New York, Source Family, and Bogalusa Charm, for which she wrote as well. In her Substack, Inspired, Jen delves into the art of screenwriting.In Episode #017 of NonDē Uprising, Jen dips into the nerve-wracking world of microbudget filmmaking. She gives pointers on how to think about your (micro)budget when you’re writing your script without hindering your creativity, when to fold in absurdity into your process, and why she hopes horror loses its grip as the microbudget genre of choice. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Fawnia Soo Hoo is a freelance fashion and entertainment journalist whose bylines have appeared in Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, Elle, W Magazine, GQ, CNN, and more. She writes Whatever Nevermind on Substack, which explores Gen X pop culture through the lens of modern fashion, beauty, and entertainment.In Episode #015 of NonDē Uprising, Fawnia offers insight into the ultimate business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back style statement: the mullet. She dives into the surprisingly political history of the mullet, what kind of characters tend to sport the style, and why people love to hate the hairdo. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

jillian vogel has worn many hats throughout her career. She’s a development executive now but she’s also been a producer (she’s one of the producers behind the rom-com Fire Island), a studio executive at Imagine Entertainment director of development at Jax Media, which helped create Russian Doll and Emily in Paris. Jillian also writes Chicken Scratch, her Substack where she offers a “peek inside her notebook” – her treasured Moleskine.In Episode #013 of NonDē Uprising, Jillian recalls Quibi. Remember Quibi? Jillian does. She breaks down how company execs lost the plot on what viewers actually wanted, why she’s obsessed with Quibi’s “fail big” philosophy, and why artists have to think like business people — and vice versa. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Having worked as an entertainment journalist and film critic, Charlotte Simmons now writes for her publication, The Treatment, while also writing screenplays, designing games, and being extremely modest about her creative output. Charlotte is without a doubt one of the sharpest, most introspective film critics on Substack. In her review of Saltburn, she essentially introduces a new method of film criticism, which she brilliantly puts on display in her review of One Battle After Another.In Episode #011 of NonDē Uprising, Charlotte Simmons demonstrates her infamous “new film criticism” by applying it to comic book movies. With a profoundly philosophical lens, she analyzes the cultural significance of comic book movies, explores their interconnectedness to genre, and offers points of contemplation that may offer audiences a way to enhance their cinematic experiences. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Courtney Daniels has written and directed three feature films: What Other Couples Do, Bedroom Story, and It’s Not You, It’s LA. She’s also published a book about microbudget filmmaking called Yes You Can – How to Make a Movie for Almost No Money, as well as a short novel, A Blind Date in NYC. And if that weren’t enough, she also hosts the podcast Gen X at Midlife.In Episode #009 of NonDē Uprising, Courtney Daniels talks candidly about her journey in developing a proactive, healthy work ethic. She explains the interconnectedness of action and pride, how she’s managed to overcome doubt to reclaim a productive attitude, and what’s keeping her motivated in 2026. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Marion Ranchet currently runs Streaming Made Easy and co-hosts The Media Odyssey Podcast. With 20 years of experience in the industry, she advises streamers, distribution platforms, and technology vendors on how to launch and grow in Europe.In Episode #007 of NonDē Uprising, Marion Ranchet offers lessons to Americans from the European cinema ecosystem. She discusses the importance of localization, France’s four-month theatrical window, and why Cineville works despite the failure of Moviepass. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Dan Mirvish is a prolific filmmaker, equally prolific author, and the co-founder of Slamdance Film Festival. His book The Cheerful Subversive Guide’s to Independent Filmmaking was a #1 Amazon bestseller. His most recent film 18 1/2 is currently available to stream, while his upcoming film Atomic Fondue just launched on Kickstarter. In Episode #005 of NonDē Uprising, Dan Mirvish talks about the extensive pre-production process for his upcoming film Atomic Fondue. He talks about crowdfunding, ways to increase a film’s production value, and the eternal uphill battle of NonDē filmmaking. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe

Ben Sinclair is iconically known as the star and co-creator of the critically acclaimed show High Maintenance. His long list of additional acting credits includes the film Save Yourselves! and episodes of Dave and The Resort, which he also produced and directed, as well as an episode of Poker Face, which he also directed. In Episode #003 of NonDē Uprising, Ben Sinclair explains our culture’s need for experiential art and entertainment. He recounts the NonDē origin story of High Maintenance as a Vimeo web series, the destructive forces currently threatening art, and the emerging trends that are finally fighting back. Get full access to The Big Break at nondeuprising.substack.com/subscribe