Cinema Revolution

In this special episode, Kale addresses recent headlines about proposed 100% tariffs on foreign films and explains why this policy is unlikely to materialize. Instead, he urges listeners to pay attention to more consequential threats to the arts - particularly the Trump administration's cancellation of National Endowment for the Arts grants and attempts to defund NPR and PBS. Kale explores how these funding cuts could devastate film festivals, independent theaters, and community arts programs that rely on grants to operate. See the Film Festival Alliance unofficial guide for NEA grantees here: https://ffa.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMzI0OTY0JnA9MSZ1PTU1MDY0OTUxMCZsaT0zNzkxNDMxOQ/index.html Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗⁠⁠⁠ cinestruct.com⁠⁠⁠ | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

In this special episode, Kale shares a workshop he conducted with Cinema Revolution producer, Veronica Gonzalez Howell, at the 2025 Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. They present practical strategies for independent filmmakers to secure funding while navigating the festival circuit.The workshop covers three main approaches: leveraging your personal brand to attract aligned sponsors, utilizing festival platforms for audience support, and creating advertising opportunities with businesses targeting the film community.Through real examples like filmmaker Tedra Wilson's South by Southwest success and interactive discussions with attendees, they demonstrate how filmmakers can transform festivals into financial backing for their projects.Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗⁠⁠ cinestruct.com⁠⁠ | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Big streaming is killing your brain. Kale and Alex dig into the toxic relationship between modern viewers and content platforms like Netflix. Alex breaks down his radical solution - cancel your Netflix subscription and start curating your own watchlist of films you actually want to see. No more wasting your life on mid-tier content when you could be watching genuine cinema.Kale and Alex also discuss the brutal truth about Gen Z viewing habits revealed in a recent Hollywood Reporter survey: the kids aren't watching movies anymore, they're mainlining YouTube and TikTok for that constant dopamine hit. But instead of hand-wringing about the death of cinema, we see the revolution hiding in plain sight.This episode gets to the heart of what's killing film culture and how independent filmmakers can fight back by creating niche, targeted content that connects emotionally rather than chasing the four-quadrant Hollywood formula that clearly isn't working.____________________________________________________________Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗 cinestruct.com | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Kale and Alex sit down with Ethan de Aguiar, a New Bedford-based filmmaker who's turning his hometown into a filmmaking powerhouse. Ethan shares his journey from skateboarding with a camera to founding the New Bedford Film Festival, now entering its second year. Tired of the formulaic wedding video grind and refusing to be the "starving artist," Ethan explains how he became an “ARTrepreneur" - merging creative passion with business savvy to build a sustainable filmmaking career.While Hollywood drowns in competition, New Bedford demonstrates how tight-knit communities can foster authentic creativity and sustainable careers. Ethan's grassroots movement includes building up a film office, attracting productions from out of town, and turning his city's rich history and architecture into a filmmaker's playground. If you're ready to see how independent filmmakers can thrive by prioritizing community, storytelling, and artistic integrity over industry expectations, this episode shows exactly how it's done. The revolution isn't just in LA or New York—it's happening in cities nationwide, and it starts with filmmakers who refuse to wait for permission.ABOUT OUR GUEST:A self-proclaimed “ARTrepreneur” & New Bedford native, ETHAN DE AGUIAR is an experienced filmmaker, with a laser focus on the art of storytelling. He brings the essence of the subject matter to life with cinematic visuals that create a unique experience for audiences.🔗 youtube.com/@ethan.de.aguiar | IG: @ethan.de.aguiar | 🔗 newbedfordfilmfestival.com Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗 cinestruct.com | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

In this special episode, Kale is joined by Cinema Revolution producer, Veronica. They dive into a recent Hollywood Reporter article about a Deloitte study showing that younger audiences are abandoning traditional movies and TV shows in favor of creator content.The duo explores the uncomfortable questions Hollywood executives don't want to face: Why are Gen Z viewers gravitating toward YouTube and TikTok content? Is the problem about price, or something much deeper? And has Hollywood already missed its chance to adapt?Kale argues that the industry's obsession with blockbusters and superhero franchises has left them unable to connect with audiences seeking more authentic, interactive experiences. Meanwhile, independent filmmakers might hold the key to cinema's future by telling niche stories Hollywood would never touch.Tune in for insights about content consumption trends that every filmmaker needs to understand.Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗⁠ cinestruct.com⁠ | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Kale and Alex bring in Dylan Speeg and Josiah Iantorno, two animation professionals fighting in the trenches and they are here to expose how the animation industry REALLY works and who's calling the shots. These aren't your corporate PR-trained talking heads. Dylan's surviving in the Midwest by taking the scraps the big production houses won't touch, while Josiah has witnessed firsthand how even Disney and Cartoon Network are outsourcing animation work overseas to cut costs. Was The Lion King remake a pure cash grab dressed up as technological innovation? Hollywood execs-- who couldn't draw a stick figure—are demanding photorealistic CGI that nobody asked for, while refusing to fund original projects with actual soul. Meanwhile, AI threatens to displace artists who've spent decades perfecting their craft, and the Animation Guild is fighting an uphill battle against studios hemorrhaging jobs.Dylan and Josiah share how to make a path. Whether it's selling comics at waste management conventions or creating powerful animated sequences for documentaries, these artists are breaking out of the system's chokehold. If you're tired of billion-dollar CGI blockbusters that look impressive but feel empty, this conversation is your wake-up call. The revolution will be animated—by actual humans who give a damn.ABOUT OUR GUESTS:DYLAN SPEEG is a professional portrait painter and illustrator. His major influences are lurid pulp novel covers and Robert Williams, R. Crumb and other comic book artists. He has spray paint stenciled illustrations for The CityBeat “Best Of Cincinnati” issue and received the Best Illustrated Series Award from the Cleveland Press Club. He is also a musician in the band Heavy Hinges and performs standup comedy on occasion.🔗 cargocollective.com/dylanspeeg | 🔗 dylanspeegspaintings.bigcartel.com/productsJOSIAH IANTORNO is a Local LA artist, madly in love with all things where visual and narrative art-forms collide!🔗 youtube.com/@supercinemabrospodcast ____________________________________________________________Join our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗 cinestruct.com | IG/Threads: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergman | YT: @CinemaSaloonAlso available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

In this special episode, Kale takes center stage to share a passionate commentary on what he calls "the miscreants of cinema" - those who disrupt the sacred space of film viewing with their disrespectful behavior.Kale examines how our collective relationship with cinema is changing, particularly in independent film spaces. He explores a troubling trend: filmmakers and audiences attending festivals only to see films they're personally connected to, rather than embracing the discovery and community that festivals are designed to foster.This isn't just a rant. Joined by his wife Veronica for a thoughtful discussion afterward, they consider different perspectives on the viewing experience. Could there be value in more fluid festival formats? Are younger generations simply experiencing cinema differently?Whether you're a filmmaker frustrated by dwindling audience attention or someone who occasionally checks your phone during screenings, this thought-provoking commentary will make you reflect on your relationship with the communal experience of watching films.LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CINEMA REVOLUTION!Watch exclusively on YouTube: @CinemaSaloonPresented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗⁠ Cinestruct.com⁠Socials: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergmanYT: @CinemaSaloonJoin our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!

Kale and Alex welcome innovative filmmakers Tedra Wilson (TT The Artist) and John Carstarphen to explore how independent creators are using AI as a powerful tool of resistance against the Hollywood machine.AI tools are giving filmmakers the power to create mind-blowing visuals, proof-of-concepts, and even entire films without begging for studio handouts. But this isn't some techno-utopian fantasy. We dig into the ugly truth about who really controls these platforms. As John warns, "These companies don't want you to have it." From OpenAI to Adobe, the big players are already trying to shut down what stories you can tell with their tools.The industry doesn't just want your creative vision watered down—they want to own the very tools you use to fight back. While online trolls are busy attacking independent filmmakers for using AI, Hollywood studios are quietly implementing the same technology at massive scale.If you're tired of waiting for permission to tell your story, this episode is your wake-up call. The revolution won't just be filmed—it'll be AI-assisted, independently distributed, and completely uncompromised.MORE ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUESTS!Tedra Wilson, most notable as TT The Artist, is a multifaceted, dynamic film director, whose work is an intersection of music, art, fashion, design and film. Her bold and colorful visual storytelling is influenced by black cinema, sci fi, fantasy, dreams, and surrealism. As a director, TT The Artist illuminates narratives that expand the representation of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ stories on screen. Watch her film Dark City Beneath The Beat on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, or Tubi & DENIM at SXSW 2025!IG: @tttheartist |.🔗 tttheartist.comJohn Carstarphen is the director or DP of hundreds of short films, including documentaries and independent features.🔗 carstarfilm.comLIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CÍNEMA REVOLUTION!Watch exclusively on YouTube: @CinemaSaloonPresented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗 Cinestruct.comSocials: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergmanYT: @CinemaSaloonJoin our revolution! Share your thoughts and let's work together to create a brighter future for filmmakers, audiences, and humanity by extension. Viva revolution!

Kale and Alex bring together a powerhouse panel of working LA filmmakers to get real about the perfect storm that's devastated the industry over the past five years.Join director/actor Victoria Elder, writer/director Megan Rosati, actor/comedian Evan Watkins, and filmmaker Alessandro Pulisci as they unpack how COVID shutdowns, streaming wars, Hollywood strikes, and even the recent LA fires have reshaped their careers and the entire entertainment landscape.From the diversity initiatives that briefly flourished post-2020 to the corporate retreat that has followed, our guests share their unfiltered experiences: declining work opportunities, nonunion productions replacing union gigs, AI threats, and the disappearance of the industry's middle class.But this isn't just doom and gloom. These filmmakers are fighting back with their own films, festivals, and innovative distribution approaches. They offer hard-earned advice on making it as an independent filmmaker in 2025.If you're struggling to survive in the entertainment industry's new reality or wondering if there's still space for authentic voices in Hollywood, this raw, honest conversation is essential listening. Cinema Revolution continues to cut through the BS and deliver the unvarnished truth about filmmaking today.Victoria Elder is a director and actor, and the Festival Director of Melrose Hill Short Film FestivalWHERE TO FIND: Victoria🔗 melrosehillfilmfestival.comIG: @liltoria and @melrosehillfilmfestivalAlessandro Pulisci is a writer, director and editor. Alessandro’s passion for filmmaking arose from a need to connect with outcasts like himself. After his thesis film BETTER THE DEVIL was placed in festivals around the world, he moved to LA and got to work for companies like Snowfort Pictures, Crypt TV, and Dim Mak Records. He's currently supporting his new short film HI I JUST MOVED HERE in festivals and writing features to direct.WHERE TO FIND: Alessandro🎞️🔗 hiijustmovedhere.com🔗 uglyowlfilms.comIG/Threads: @heypulisciMegan Rosati is a writer, director, and actor based in Los Angeles. She's written an episode of Two Sentence Horror Stories, and her segment PLAN C in the pro-choice anthology GIVE ME AN A can be found streaming on Amazon and Apple TV+.WHERE TO FIND: Megan🔗 meganrosati.comIG: @meganrosatiEvan Watkins is an actor, writer and video editor. Evan has performed on Adam Ruins Everything, NBCs American Auto, and wrote and starred in the new short film "The Vanity.” Evan has also worked for companies like Funny or Die, CollegeHumor and performed live sketch comedy at iO west, UCB Los Angeles.WHERE TO FIND: EvanBluesky: evanjwatkins.bsky.socialAmerican Galactic Band🎙️: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-galactic-podcast/id1755063952IG: @americangalacticband🎞️🔗 thevanityiswatching.comSocials: @thevanityfilmLIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE TO CINEMA REVOLUTION!Presented by Kale Howell of Cinestruct🔗 Cinestruct.comSocials: @cinestruct_mediaCo-Hosted By Alexander BergmanIG: @alexbergmanYT: @CinemaSaloon

We're taking our sh*t back. Kale and Alex get raw about what's happening to independent filmmakers right now. No sugar-coating the truth: we're getting squeezed out of our own art form by the big corporate machine.Ever paid 75 bucks to submit your film to a festival just to never hear back? Yeah, we dive into that whole racket.The movie industry isn't just changing—it's being deliberately consolidated. The people with all the money want to keep all the money. But we're done begging for scraps and waiting for permission from gatekeepers who don't give a damn about art.This is more than just talk. This is about figuring out how we take back control, how we create our own ecosystem where filmmakers can actually, you know, make films and survive doing it.We need a revolution because the movie industry is slowly dying. So if you're ready to fight back against an industry that's ripping filmmakers off, subscribe now. Cinema Revolution is just getting started, and we're coming for everything.Watch on YouTube: @CinemaSaloonProduced by Cinestruct LLCHosted by Mikhail "Kale" Howell and Alexander Bergman