They Said This Movie Did Everything You’re Not Supposed To—Then The President’s Cake Won Cannes

About this episode

GG Hawkins interviews Hasan Hadi and Leah Chen Baker about the making of The President’s Cake and its journey through independent filmmaking.

No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director Hasan Hadi and producer Leah Chen Baker about the development, financing, production, and release journey behind The President’s Cake. The conversation traces the film from NYU and COVID-era writing sessions through the Sundance Labs, the challenge of building an aggressively independent financing plan, shooting on location in Iraq with non-professional actors, and the impact of winning both the Caméra d’Or and the Audience Award at Cannes. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Hasan Hadi, and Leah Chen Baker discuss... How Hasan and Leah’s collaboration began at NYU and grew through shorts, writing check-ins, and shared creative sensibilities Why film school was essential for Hasan as a filmmaker coming from a country with limited cinema infrastructure Developing The President’s Cake before applying to the Sundance Labs How the Sundance Screenwriting, Directing, Producers Lab, and Catalyst Forum helped build confidence around the project Leading with the film’s “risky” elements: a first feature, non-professional actors, no rehearsals, a period setting, and shooting in Iraq Building a financing plan through micro…

People in this episode

Host: GG Hawkins

Guests: Hasan Hadi, Leah Chen Baker

Topics covered

• film production
• independent filmmaking
• Sundance Labs
• collaboration
• financing
• shooting in Iraq
• non-professional actors

Keywords

• The President’s Cake
• Cannes
• Sundance Labs
• independent financing
• non-professional actors
• Iraq
• film school

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NYU, Sundance Labs

Books & works: The President’s Cake

Places: Iraq

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