We are super excited to present our latest indie film spotlight for the crime drama Solid Rock Trust, from director, writer, producer, and editor Rick Ives (IMDb). Last month we took a look at the movie’s trailer and we are so happy to take a deeper dive into the indie.

Who?
This film is written and directed by me, Rick Ives. My directorial debut comes on the heels of working alongside top editorial staff, bringing household stories to life such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3(2023), Ms. Marvel (2022), and Loki (2021). I’ve also been editing low budget features for about 6 years, but it’s my experience on large productions is really what paved the way to the creation of Solid Rock Trust. The stars are Koko Marshall (A Perfect Host, The One You’re With) and Alexander Hearth, along with a deep supporting cast of voice actors. Koko really steals the show as a hacker with a library of languages and accents she uses to misdirect everyone she’s interacting with. The film is worth a watch just for the performance alone. Seeing her switch in and out of accents, characters, and emotions right before your eyes is a magic trick.

What?
Armed with only a laptop, a collection of cell phones and her own wits, hacker Maddie orchestrates a bank heist from an abandoned building. Guiding a team of strangers, she uses her repertoire of accents and personas to conceal her true identity. Inevitably, as things begin to spin out of her control, Maddie must fight to overcome an avalanche of double crossings and obstacles that escalate in complexity as time runs out! Set in an old condemned warehouse, audiences remain on Maddie’s end of the phone call, leaving them asking who they can trust, if not themselves? Part of the game I wanted to play with the audience was to meet every expectation someone will have for a bank heist film and show it to them in a way they’ve never seen before. We have everything in here, but in a way that feels fresh and plays with the tropes.

Where?
I’m in love with abandoned buildings and urban photography, so this film was set right in the middle of one. I also wanted something visually interesting enough to hold our attention for the length of the film but still represented the type of background our main character came from as well as how she felt inside. We searched all over the Atlanta area for properties that were film friendly and matched the tone we wanted, but ultimately found a location only 2 miles away from home. Many people have commented that it must have been a custom built set for the film, but the abandoned auto shop is completely authentic. The desk and computer monitor props were the only things that were not already there.

When?
This film was shot in 2021 and is rolling out now to various platforms. The time period it’s set in is another story. I wanted to keep it purposefully ambiguous, although based on the technology, it would be set some time between 2005 and 2023. I was tired of seeing so many hackers in movies with top of the line, futuristic technology and software. What would it be like to watch someone work who had to patch something together with second hand materials and low tech items that would be harder to trace?

Why?
This film was made as proof that a low budget independent feature can look and feel just as intense and professional as a studio release if the filmmakers have an exciting character driven script, and are smart about what to show and how to film it. We have an amazing lead performance that shows a talented, smart, confident woman who is also deeply flawed and pushed to her limits. Sit back and watch a plot unfold as it begs you to try and keep up with a twist and turn every 10-15 minutes from start to finish.

How?
Solid Rock Trust is available wherever Tubi plays for free as well as Amazon, Youtube Movies, and Google Play for rental. As of June 2023 it will be available worldwide on youtube with more platforms becoming available all the time.

Watch Online:

Last February we interviewed producer/actor Jeff Kirkendall about his movie Return to Splatter Farm, an independent horror movie that he made with his long time collaborator Mark Polonia at Polonia Brothers Entertainment. Known as PBE for short, the production company has impressively produced & released dozens of movies, including last year’s viral hit Amityville in Space. We asked Jeff to recommend five movies from Polonia Brothers Entertainment that every indie film fan should check out.

Here are his recommendations (from oldest to newest, with watch links & more details):

Hallucinations (1986)
Director: Todd Michael Smith, Mark Polonia, John Polonia
Starring: Todd Michael Smith, Mark Polonia, John Polonia
Description: When three brothers are home alone one day they encounter a series of violent hallucinations and nightmares with seemingly no escape. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

Feeders (1996)
Directors: Jon McBride & John Polonia
Starring: Todd Carpenter, Jon McBride, John Polonia, Melissa Torpy
Description: A town that’s been taken on as a feeding ground and outpost of death by human-eating aliens gets discovered by two buddies on a road trip. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

HalloweeNight (2009)
Director: Mark Polonia
Starring: Todd Carpenter, Cindy Wheeler, Danielle Donahue
Description: A bullied student exacts his revenge on those who wronged him during a college party on Halloween Night. (Source: Amazon)
Available to Rent on Amazon

An image from the independent film Jurassic Prey.

Jurassic Prey (2015)
Director: Mark Polonia
Starring: Steve Diasparra, Danielle Donahue, Ken Van Sant, Jeff Kirkendall
Description: After a botched bank robbery, a group of thieves and the ensuing police must band together to fight an unearthed T-Rex at a remote lake cabin. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

House Squatch (2022)
Director: Anthony Polonia, Mark Polonia
Starring: Ken Van Sant, Jeff Kirkendall, Tim Hatch, Titus Himmelberger, Yolie Canales
Description: The small town of Shadyville finds itself plagued by a hairy creature and pressures its local sheriff to deal with this sasquatch. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

Are you a fan of Polonia Brothers Entertainment? What are your favorite PBE movies?

The MCU has been very popular for a number of reasons, but one of the things that really worked in Phase One was a handful of characters that appeared in multiple movies in smaller roles at first and helped to bring the bigger world together. Marvel owes a lot to Phil Coulson and Nick Fury. With James Gunn and Peter Safran leading the new (and hopefully improved) DCU, what characters should they bring in to tie the various movies together? We have a few ideas.

JIMMY OLSEN

Who would be better than Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen? He is a beloved character that has been around for more than 80 years. He could give the audience a very human perspective to this larger than life world of superheroes, over the top villains, and fictional cities. His job as a photojournalist could let him travel city to city photographing superheroes for the Daily Planet- and it gives him a unique chance to network with the various heroes (he is Superman’s best friend if you have not heard). I can also picture a docu series with Jimmy talking about different cities, the superheroes in them, and the already established rogues. The DCEU wasted Olsen’s potential, lets hope the DCU doesn’t repeat this mistake!

PHANTOM STRANGER

Okay, maybe a human is not strong enough to hold the DCU together through various movies, how about an omniscience being who already ties together DC Comic’s supernatural, cosmic, and earthbound heroes together? Heck, he even helped usher DC’s crossover with Marvel in the nineties. The Phantom Stranger is the perfect character to lurk in the background, moving heroes and villains around like chess pieces, and preparing for something big and multiverse shattering. And look at that fedora, is there a more stylist immortal character for James Gunn to choose?

VANDAL SAVAGE

Who says we need a good guy to tie together the various movies of the DCU? Thanos became the connective tissue of the MCU movies after Coulson/Fury and the first Avengers movie. And we keep sitting at thej edge of our seats for the mad titan’s next appearance. While I love Lex Luthor and the Joker, both have been kinda overused in past movies and TV shows. Enter Vandal Savage, a 50 thousand year old villain who has faced off with both the Justice Society and the Justice League. He is a master manipulator who can also hold his own against most of the heroes of the DCU. He can tie different time periods of the DCU together (Jonah Hex, Golden Age Heroes, Swamp Thing, Icon),and just maybe, his plan has been boiling for thousands of years…

What characters would you love to see tie the DCU together? Do you want to see movies tie together right away, or wait a while to crossover?

Wow, October and November flew by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. We’re going to try to get new interviews and movie spotlights up as we head into the new year.

A couple months ago we had the pleasure of connecting with Mara Lesemann, the writer and producer of the independent film Detours. She shares with us details on how the film came together, the awesome cast, and the real road trip that they needed to take to bring the movie together.

Who?
I wrote and produced the road trip comedy Detours, which is my 2nd feature. Robert McCaskill directed, and Christopher Eadicicco was our director of photography. I knew from the beginning that I wanted Tara Westwood (The Grudge, Triggered) to play the daughter who’s moving to Florida and convinces her depressed, widowed dad (Carlo Fiorletta, Available) to drive south from NJ with her. Tara had a major supporting role in my first feature, Surviving Family, and I loved working with her. She traveled with me on several festival road trips for that movie, and after brainstorming with her for days, I asked her to also come on board as a producer. That turned out to be the smartest thing I could have done. Tara and our casting director, Caroline Sinclair, put together an amazing cast for a low-budget indie movie. It includes the amazing Richard Kind; the late great Paul Sorvino; multiple TONY award winner Michael Cerveris; Deirdre O’Connell, who won the 2022 TONY for Best Actress; NY stage and indie film standout Debargo Sanyal; and Vanessa Aspilla (Only Murders in the Building). We worked with indie musicians to create a fantastic soundtrack, including the closing credits song “Down the Road” by country music singer/songwriter Lane Turner.

What?
Detours travels from New York City to Saint Petersburg, Florida with Jennifer Giraldi, a NY-based actress whose marriage has just ended and who has vowed to build a new life and a new career in Florida. It’s been two years since her mom- a successful writer- died suddenly and her dad is struggling with depression. Dan still has his late wife’s ashes in a coffee can in his kitchen because he can’t decide what to do with them. The father and daughter re-discover their shared joys while they examine their very different perspectives on the late mom (played in flashbacks by Kim Director). They both also dip their toes back into the dating pool, with humorous but sometimes contentious results.

Where?
We shot all the indoor scenes in New York City and New Jersey. Then we hit the road with a skeleton crew and shot the actual drive that Jennifer and Dan take in the movie. We went south on Route 95, cut east over to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then continued south to Saint Petersburg, Florida. Our camera team did an amazing job. Most of the movie was shot on an Arri Alexa, but the road trip incorporates some scenes shot with a Go Pro from a moving car.

When?
Detours takes place in the present, except for a few flashbacks to Jennifer’s childhood. We shot the movie in late summer and early fall of 2014, and it premiered at the 2016 Sunscreen Film Festival in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Introducing our movie in the city where the action hits a climax- a scene shot on a boat on Tampa Bay with help from Eckerd College’s student Search & Rescue Team- was great. I’ve worked with FilmHub to get the movie out to a range of streaming services, and that’s been a very good experience.

Why?
I love telling stories about families- the good, the bad, and the lies. My first feature was about alcoholism, mental illness, and suicide, so I wanted to look at the lighter but still very imperfect things that we all go through. Having full control of my projects is a joy, even though that comes with a (very!) tight budget.

How?
Detours is currently streaming on Tubi, The Roku Channel, Plex, and Freevee.

Watch Online for Free:

Learn more about the movie on its official website!

Hello everyone! We are back from our summer break with a look at a fantastic indie drama, Six Years Gone, by writer/director Warren Dudley. Dudley previously directed the indie sports comedy Prankz, and horror flicks Cage and The Cutting Room.

Who?
I am a filmmaker and screenwriter from Brighton in the UK. Six Years Gone is the fourth low budget movie I have written and directed. Another project, The Bromley Boys (with a more sensible budget!), I was very proud to have written the screenplay for. I have produced this movie with my wonderful executive producer David Fearn.

The cast and crew, led by the amazing Veronica Jean Trickettt, were largely found within a few miles of my home town. Six Years Gone has a truly low budget ethos. It’s been amazing to see the film, and Vee in particular, garnering some very kind reviews and continued festival success. The cast and crew worked so hard and I hope seeing all the love makes it feel worth it.

The film is being distributed by Indie Rights.

What?
Six Years Gone follows single mum Carrie Dawson who is living a very comfortable life with her eleven-year-old daughter Lolly… until the worst happens and Lolly does not return from school.

We then join Carrie six years later to find that her life has fallen apart. She has been left to look after her mum and now works as a cleaner at a local social club – her past life a distant memory. However as some clues come to light about the abduction, a desperate search for answers, and eventually her daughter, begins.

We aimed for Six Years Gone to be a gritty and powerful look at tragedy, love, and desperation, that will touch a nerve with all parents. Now it’s up to audiences to decide if we succeeded!

Where?
We made the film in and around Brighton, on the UK’s south coast. The film is set in the same area. We were very fortunate to find four or five amazing (and importantly, free!) locations.

We shot the movie in eleven days – not something I would recommend! This was largely made possible by the fact we used long single takes on many scenes. This means we only had to do one camera, sound and lighting set up on location for what could often end up being 4 minutes of screen time.

Saying all that, my amazing DOP Richard Osborne would, I’m sure, have liked a few more days.

When?
The film was written, produced, cast, crewed, shot and edited during 2021. I started with a blank word doc on January 1st and we’d finished by Christmas.

We then set about submitting the film to festivals, and have done better than we could have imagined. We have had wins in London (where we World Premiered), New York, Paris and many more. It’s been an incredible ride. After the festival run ended we released the film in May 2022.

Why?
I’ve spent the last ten years flitting between football-based comedy and the horror/thriller genres. It’s been a privilege to work on these projects with some brilliant, talented people. However, it’s been gnawing away at me that I have yet to make anything ‘real’. Something gritty and heartfelt that packs an emotional punch.

The idea for Six Years Gone had been floating around my head for a while. As the parent of a now thirteen-year-old daughter, news reports about missing children have always left me with chills, and I felt those feelings could be mined for a script. About two years ago I saw a Belgian film called The Unknown Girl, and it immediately made me think that a similar way of shooting could bring my new idea to life. I loved the ultra-real performances and greyness of the film. I aimed to get close to this with Six Years Gone.

How?
Six Years Gone can be seen on the streaming platforms Tubi TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies and Google Play.

Watch Online for Free:

Purchase Online:

Stay up to date with all of the ways to watch on the official website.

Yesterday I asked indie filmmakers on Twitter to share their movies that are currently available to watch on Tubi TV for free! As I hoped for, we got a really diverse mix of independent films that really showcases that there is something available for everyone. Here are 5 indie flicks that you can watch tonight…

The Inevitable Death of the Crab
Director: Ahcitz Azcona
Starring: Costanza Andrade, Ahcitz Azcona, Ricardo Niño, Jesus Hernandez, and Yuriria Munguia. 
Description: An anonymous death threat to entrepreneur Carlos against his family in Mexico leads to the discovery of a high-level political corruption racket. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

Wheat Soup
Directors: Gerald Saul & Brian Stockton
Starring: Shaf Hussein, Sandi Happy, Gord Wilson, Leonard Cyrman, Mike Benny, and Bob Campbell.

Description: In a post-apocalyptic future, a wheat farmer embarks upon a journey and encounters a variety of unusual characters, while traveling across the land.
 (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

Noah’s Shark
Director: Mark Polonia
Starring: Jeff Kirkendall, Tim Hatch, Jamie Morgan, Samantha Coolidge, and Ryan Dalton.
Description: A televangelist and his team set out to find the fabled Noah’s Ark, but discover it is guarded by an ancient curse and a deadly great white shark. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

The Mix
Director: Chris Mollica & Greg Townsend
Starring: Chris Mollica, Brian Silliman, and Cyrina Fiallo.
Description: Would you kidnap a man for stealing your cookies? Sal, the hapless owner of a home grown cookie company places his hopes for financial and personal success in the hands of the enigmatic Joshua Vandersteem. After the deal goes bad, Sal is forced into desperate action. Relationships are tested, feelings are hurt and ultimately blood is drawn. Can Sal redeem his misdeeds or will this be the way the cookie crumbles? (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

My Best Friend’s Famous
Directors: Kevin Ignatius
Starring: Nick Psinakis, Mindy Sterling, Ryan O’Neal, Anne Akhila, and Darryl Gudmundson.
Description: An insecure New Yorker moves to Los Angeles and grapples with jealousy when his less-talented best friend becomes a star on a hit television show. (Source: Tubi)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

What recent indies have you watched on Tubi TV? What is your favorite platform to watch indies on?

We recently connected with indie film producer Mark Stolaroff, who also happens to be the founder of No Budget Film School. He chatted with us about his latest flick, The Last Days of Capitalism.

Who?
The Last Days of Capitalism was written and directed by Adam Mervis, the screenwriter of 21 Bridges (which was produced by the Russo Brothers and starred Chadwick Boseman), and National Champions (starring J.K. Simmons, Uzo Aduba, Timothy Olyphant, and many others). Unlike those studio films, Last Days was made on a micro-budget ($40k) and produced by long-time indie producer Mark Stolaroff (the founder of No Budget Film School) and Kenny Harrison, who was a classmate of Adam’s at Florida State University. The cast of two is comprised of veteran actor Mike Faiola (Awkward) and newcomer Sarah Harper. It was shot by AFI grad Bethany Michalski and edited by filmmaker David Au. The music was scored and collected by Alexander Burke, co-founder of the band Magnolia Memoir. This was Adam’s feature directorial debut. It was released by Indie Rights Movies. 

What?
Last Days is about a wealthy man who has been holed up high above Las Vegas in a penthouse hotel room for nearly a month, clearly suffering from some unnamed trauma. His night with a mysterious young woman turns into several nights, as he discovers that she is more than a match for him intellectually. She, too, is intrigued and while she initially stays because he is paying her, the two begin a complex relationship that could turn into something more than just lustful desire. But both have secrets, and getting to the bottom of those—without the inevitability of money getting in the way—will be a challenge. Despite the title, Last Days is NOT a political film. 

Where?
Last Days was shot in 10 days in Las Vegas, entirely in a penthouse hotel room high above the city. We had no permits to shoot in the room, and somehow managed to sneak all our equipment up the elevator without anyone asking any questions. I mean, it’s Vegas, and a lot of crazy stuff happens there, so I don’t think anyone cared. The cast and crew drove up from Los Angeles, where everyone is based. We loaded Adam’s brother’s Suburban up with gear and caravanned to Vegas. 

When?
The film is set in the present and was shot in September 2019. It was completed in March 2020 and premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival, right before COVID shut everything down. It ended up playing a number of film festivals—virtually—winning several awards. It was released by Indie Rights Movies in November 2021. It is currently 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Why?
Director Adam Mervis got what he likes to call “The Typical Hollywood Screenwriter Treatment” on 21 Bridges, where the writer (and original creator) of the film has no control over the project. He wanted to make something that was entirely his own, so he adapted a play he’d written for the screen, something that could be made on a small enough budget that he wouldn’t get stopped from making it. 

How?
The Last Days of Capitalism can currently be seen on Amazon Prime, Google Play, and YouTube.  

Watch Online:

Purchase Links:

Official Sites: