Matthew Cervi On Producing Movies You’d Pay to See

Anthony Epp sits down with producer Matt Cervi for an in-depth conversation about the realities of independent filmmaking in Canada, from financing challenges to the thrill of bringing ambitious genre stories to life. Matt reflects on studying at USC School of Cinematic Arts, working with companies behind The Walking Dead and The Terminator, and later building Mad Samurai Productions around his passion for smart genre filmmaking.The episode explores the difference between producing and executive producing, the risks of independent film financing, and why relationships are often the most important currency in the film industry. Matt also shares stories from producing films like The Colony and executive producing Remnant, while discussing why privately financed projects can move much faster than traditional Canadian funding models.Along the way, Anthony and Matt talk about the untapped potential for Canadian genre cinema, the unpredictability of movie success, and the importance of collaboration, resilience, and creative passion in surviving the chaos of independent filmmaking.Listen now for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to get independent films made — and why filmmakers keep coming back despite the risks.Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here:www.remnantmovie.comFollow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter The Film Founder here:https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/aboutFollow Anthony Epp's newsletter The Filmmaker's Notebook here:www.anthonyepp.comFollow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here:@ken_kabatoff@epptri