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Indie Film Craft 5 | How a Celebrity-Free Microbudget Feature Premiered at SXSW (ft. GG Hawkins)

By The Screenwriting Life

7:27 PM EDT on September 12, 2025

What does it take to make a celebrity-free, microbudget feature and premiere at one of the most competitive festivals in the world?Filmmaker and No Film School podcast host GG Hawkins joins Jeff to share how she turned a family house in Panama, a tiny team, and a three-month timeline into I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND, a breakout SXSW premiere with no celebrity attachments.They break down every stage of the journey: Writing a script around what you already have Casting for chemistry Financing in waves while production is underway Festival strategy and PR on a shoestring Why specificity and “weirdness” can be your biggest assetsWhether you’re a filmmaker planning your first feature, or just curious how indie films actually get made, this episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to crack SXSW.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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