Sparrow Street Films | Set Talks with Nick Fiorella, Billy Jack, and Justin Cole

In this episode of Set Talks, host Nick Fiorella sits down with Colorado filmmakers Billy Jack and Justin Cole, two of the founders of Sparrow Street Films. Fresh off producing their first two feature films — Sparrow Street and The Silicant — Billy and Justin share what they’ve learned building an independent production company in Colorado’s growing film community.The conversation dives deep into feature-film development, indie production challenges, and the realities of making back-to-back movies on a regional film slate. Billy and Justin also break down their recent experience at the American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles, offering valuable insights into today’s distribution models, how sales agents evaluate projects, and what filmmakers should think about early in the writing process if they want their film to actually sell.We also explore the future of the Colorado film scene, including momentum from the recent FAMCO event hosted by CFVA and the impact of Sundance coming to Boulder in 2027. The episode wraps with a look at Sparrow Street Films’ upcoming projects and how local filmmakers, actors, and crew cansupport or get involved.If you’re a filmmaker, writer-director, producer, or anyone interested in Colorado’s rapidly expanding film landscape,this is a must-listen episode. Check out the Sparrow Street Films website here:https://sparrowstreetfilms.com/ Follow Sparrow Street Films on Instagram @Sparrow_Street_Films Follow Sparrow Street Movie on Instagram @sparrow_street_movie Sundance Collaboration website:https://collab.sundance.org/ Shake The Tree Productions website:https://www.shakethetreeproductions.com/ Connect with the Local Colorado Film community!  Become a Member at CFVA - https://www.cfva.com/memberships Become a member of WIFMCO - https://www.wifmco.org/members #SetTalks #ColoradoFilm #ColoradoFilmmakers #IndieFilm#IndieFilmmaking #FilmDistribution #AmericanFilmMarket #AFM2025 #ColoradoVideoProduction #SparrowStreetFilms #FeatureFilmProduction #WriterDirectorLife #FilmProducers #CFVA #DenverFilmCommunity #BoulderFilmScene#Sundance2027 #FilmPodcast #BehindTheScenes #FilmMarketing #ScreenwritingTips#FilmNetworking #MicroBudgetFilm #IndependentCinema #FilmDevelopment0:00 Introduction03:17 Sparrow Street Films Origin06:18 Sparrow Street Film08:15Environmental Horror Films11:14 Filmmaking Lessons Learned17:10 Managing the vibe on set23:54 Tips for First-Time Directors29:26 The American Film Market40:48 How are films distributed?51:26 Is having a name actor attached important?53:11 Presales for your film54:49 Advice for Pitching your film59:18 Why are events like AFM important? 1:01:01 Sparrow Street Films Future Projects1:03:25 The importance of networking1:04:31 The Colorado Film Scene1:09:31 Follow Sparrow Street Film