S3 E22 | $50K Feature → Theatrical Release: Savannah Osler’s Indie Film Playbook | Truly Independent
This week on Truly Independent (Season 3: The Script), Garrett Batty and Darren Smith sit down with filmmaker Savannah Osler to break down the real path from idea → screenplay → finished feature → distribution.
Savannah shares how she went from writing her first story at 14 to making her first feature Twice the Dream for about $50,000, then leveling up to bigger projects—ultimately making her third feature, Buster Brooks, at the $1M mark. Along the way, she explains what actually moved her career forward: cutting the budget to match reality, refusing to change her story for “marketability,” and making bold phone calls to open doors (including getting her film into theaters).
They dig into:
• How she raised money (including the “angel investor” moment)
• What she learned making a feature on microbudget
• How she approached theatrical + distribution (and why you sometimes have to be your own marketing team)
• The chaos of producing during major industry disruptions
• Why finishing the film is often the hardest part
• Buster Brooks premiering at ZIF on February 27 + what distribution looks like now
This season is supported by the Help Them See Foundation, a nonprofit helping bring films that inspire faith, hope, and connection to audiences worldwide.
🎬 Learn more: help them seefoundation.org
#TrulyIndependent #IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #FilmDistribution #IndieFilm #Screenwriting #FilmProducing #BusterBrooks #ZIF
Savannah shares how she went from writing her first story at 14 to making her first feature Twice the Dream for about $50,000, then leveling up to bigger projects—ultimately making her third feature, Buster Brooks, at the $1M mark. Along the way, she explains what actually moved her career forward: cutting the budget to match reality, refusing to change her story for “marketability,” and making bold phone calls to open doors (including getting her film into theaters).
They dig into:
• How she raised money (including the “angel investor” moment)
• What she learned making a feature on microbudget
• How she approached theatrical + distribution (and why you sometimes have to be your own marketing team)
• The chaos of producing during major industry disruptions
• Why finishing the film is often the hardest part
• Buster Brooks premiering at ZIF on February 27 + what distribution looks like now
This season is supported by the Help Them See Foundation, a nonprofit helping bring films that inspire faith, hope, and connection to audiences worldwide.
🎬 Learn more: help them seefoundation.org
#TrulyIndependent #IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #FilmDistribution #IndieFilm #Screenwriting #FilmProducing #BusterBrooks #ZIF
