Making And Selling Indie Films. A Filmmaker's Story Of How It Was Done

I've read my share of books on making movies over the years. There have been some that were excellent that I felt provided aspiring independent filmmakers a realistic view on making movies. There have been others that were Hollywood driven with information that considered a low budget movie to be in the $500,000 to $5,000,000 range. I never felt the information shared related to me or my situation as an aspiring filmmaker.

After reading books about having at least a $500,000 budget I gravitated to other books on making movies that were from the guerrilla filmmaking school of thought. A few of these books even touted that you could make a movie for a $1,000 or less.


Get the big picture on writing, directing, producing and selling movies in Sid Kali's book The First Movie is the Toughest


I'm sure that movies have been made for a $1,000 or less. My question to myself as I read was, "Have any of these movies found meaningful commercial distribution through outlets like Blockbuster, Best Buy, or other retailers?" None if any of these "$1,000 or less" movies have been distributed through major outlets as far as I know.

My goal as an aspiring filmmaker was to have my movies seen by the most people possible. I wanted my movies to end up in Blockbuster and sold through other retailers. Total guerilla filmmaking wasn't the way I wanted to go. I also didn't have the opportunity of having the choice to shoot Hollywood's idea of a low budget independent movie for $500,000.

Rarely does Hollywood finance an unknown filmmaker in order for them to make their movie. For every one filmmaker that happens for there are thousands or more that never experience that. That's why it's good to take control of your own filmmaking destiny when starting off.

I kept thinking there had to be a way to shoot a smaller budget movie that was distributed domestically and internationally. This pursuit led me to make Consignment and In With Thieves. Both films are being released domestically and internationally.

The First Movie is the Toughest. A Filmmaker's Story Of How It Was Done. The book was born from those tough experiences. My film school of hard knocks taught me that it's possible to make a quality smaller budget movie that can find meaningful commercial distribution.


You can't wait for the perfect time to shoot your movie, because there will never be a perfect time. If you want to make movies go out there and take a shot. I'm not the person with all the answers, sure fire can't miss advice, or can guarantee you red carpet success because you took the time to read my book. But I will tell you the truth which will increase your chances for success.

My book The First Movie is the Toughest is packed with practical advice and information that really works. My approach is to share useful filmmaking information with behind the scenes examples you can only experience getting your hands dirty making movies.

Problems are an absolute guarantee when you make a movie. I'll share what I did to solve problems to get a film done when you have a limited amount of time and money to do it. There are many moving pieces in making a movie, friction develops, and the entire production can break down quickly if you're not prepared for what to expect. I'm here to share my real life experiences making movies.

Hopefully you'll find my book informative as well as an entertaining read about one filmmaker's experiences chasing a dream. Making movies is about choices. Make the choices that feel right for you. Trust in your talent and drive. Good luck with your movie!


Slice of Americana Films was started by filmmaker Sid Kali to make movies that are authentic, intense, and hard-hitting. Learning from the process of making and selling films Sid Kali wrote a book titled The First Movie is the Toughest. It's packed with no nonsense advice, help, and entertaining stories about making movies outside of Hollywood on limited budgets.