The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking

In this fully updated second edition, award-winning film director and Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish gives you soup-to-nuts, cradle-to-grave advice on every aspect of the filmmaking lifestyle and craft. He drops advice on playing the Hollywood game, and shows you how to finance, cast, shoot and show your indie feature, documentary, episodic series, short film, student film, web video or big-budget blockbuster.

Once labeled a cheerful subversive by The New York Times, Mirvish shares lessons he’s learned personally from film luminaries Robert Altman, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Steven Soderbergh, Rian Johnson, Whit Stillman, Harold Ramis, Lynn Shelton, John Carpenter, Ava DuVernay, the Russo Brothers, Bong Joon-ho, Sean Baker and more. This revised edition includes brand new chapters on

filming during a global pandemic

finding investors and crowdfunding backers

whether and where to go to film school

how to get a big Hollywood agent

self-distributing your film, even to airlines

casting an Oscar ®-winner as your lead actor

and turning your garage into a 1980s New York subway

Visit the extensive companion website at www.DanMirvish.com for in-depth supplemental videos, behind-the-scenes footage from Dan’s films and bonus materials.