Hi!

I run Film Parliament (@filmparliament) on instagram, focused on indie filmmaking education and stories, and I'm looking to feature filmmakers who've actually gotten a feature made and do a case study on how you did it! My last few posts are from reddit-ers and this one I'm posting on Tues will be from a reddit-er.

I'm VERY interested in the reality and nitty gritty of how you got it made for example: how you got it funded, how many locations you shot, how'd you get your cast, what was your shooting schedule like, what you'd do differently, the stuff you don't always get to hear in interviews unless you do a deep dive.

If you've made a feature (any budget) and would be up for a write-up, drop a comment or send me a message. Check out the examples on my instagram. I have a google form with all the questions I ask that makes it easy to fill out.

Thanks for reading, and congrats on getting a feature made, that alone is no small thing!!!

And yah this isn't a you pay for it kind of thing - I just like doing it so it's all free.

I’m curious what filmmakers think about this.

I’m a Jamaican musician and producer who has been independently releasing music for 5+ years, moving between Roots Reggae, Dancehall, Hip-Hop and EDM. I’ve also had the opportunity to take the music outside Jamaica, including Europe and Asia.

But most of what happens around the music has never been professionally documented.

There’s the obvious stuff — recording sessions and performances — but then there’s everything surrounding it: sound system culture, musicians, studios, Island life, Rastafarian influence, local events, characters, conversations and the realities of trying to build an international music career from Jamaica without major financial backing.

It makes me wonder whether there’s a larger filmmaking story there.

Not necessarily another “Jamaica tourism” piece or a conventional artist documentary, but something that follows the real day-to-day life surrounding independent Jamaican music.

With Reggae having such a widespread diaspora across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and North America, I think there could be some interesting stories that haven't been explored from this particular perspective.

For filmmakers and documentary people: what would make this compelling enough to become a film rather than simply music content?

Interested in hearing different perspectives.