How to Use the Box Office Comeback to Your Advantage as an Indie Filmmaker
People are going back to theaters. That matters for everyone in film, including independent filmmakers.
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Hiike Independent
Hiike Blog
Aug 07, 2026
From Sundance to Distribution
What Hanging by A Wire can teach independent filmmakers about the waiting game.
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Hiike Independent
Why Genre Film Festivals Are Having a Moment
For a long time, genre film festivals were seen as the alternative circuit. That perception is changing fast.
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Hiike Independent
Feel like a Filmmaker: Karson Knudsen & Javin Tilley
Feature film In Our Image is the perfect example of why you should be posting online.
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Hiike Independent
Feel like a Filmmaker: Leonardo Cecchi
Starting with one title in the industry doesn’t mean you have to stick to just that.
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Hiike Independent
Feel like a Filmmaker: Zach Marks
An Oscar shortlisted producer and documentarian on finding the stories worth telling.
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Hiike Independent
5 indie film festivals for LGBTQ+ filmmakers
One of the most established and passionate circuits in independent film.
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Hiike Independent
The filmmaker's guide to building an online presence before your film is done
The filmmakers building real momentum are the ones who treat their online presence as part of production.
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Hiike Independent
5 indie film festivals for environmental filmmakers
Festivals built specifically to amplify stories about the planet, human rights, conservation, and social justice.
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Hiike Independent
5 indie film festivals for horror filmmakers
Horror is one of the most active genres on the independent film circuit.
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Hiike Independent
5 indie film festivals for docmentary filmmakers
There’s an entire circuit built for non-fiction work, no need to start with Sundance or SXSW to get your film seen.
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Hiike Independent
5 short film festivals worth submitting to
Showcasing events where shorts aren’t filler between features but the entire focal point.
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Hiike Independent
The film festival marketing checklist that gets programmers to watch your film
Remember, programmers watch everything. The marketing materials are what get a film moved from watched to recommended
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Hiike Independent
How to select the film festival that’s right for you
A checklist to narrow that list down from the overwhelming thousands of festivals available to just a select few.
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Hiike Independent
Why the traditional circuit pipeline has changed
All things change with time, even the film festival funnel. It’s our job to adapt.
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Hiike Independent
How to Build Momentum from Your Festival Run
Getting into a film festival is one thing. Building from it is another.
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Hiike Independent
The Best Film Festivals for Women Directors in the US
If you’re a woman trying to figure out the festival circuit, you’ve probably already learned the hard way that not all festivals are not worth your time or effort. Some talk about inclusion, this list is for the ones that actually mean it.
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Hiike Independent
How to Market Your Indie Film (for First-Time Filmmakers)
Most first-time filmmakers think about marketing this way: finish the film, figure out a bare bones promotional strategy, and hope. That’s the mistake costing you more than you realize.
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Hiike Independent
Are Film Festivals Worth It in 2026? What the Latest Data Means for Filmmakers
With distribution models shifting and fewer clear paths for independent films, a lot of filmmakers have been rethinking their film festival strategy. A new white paper from Eventive - looking at over 15 million tickets across 6,000 unique festival editions - gives a rare, grounded look at what’s actually happening.
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Hiike Independent
How to Submit a Film to Festivals Without Wasting Money
Submitting your film to festivals can feel expensive, confusing, and honestly a little chaotic - but it doesn’t have to be. This article walks through how to submit your film to festivals without wasting money, breaking down a smarter, more strategic approach. Happy Submitting!
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Hiike Independent
The Smart Way To Get Into Film Festivals with Brynne Norquist & Tyler Knohl (Hiike Independent)!
Have You Seen My Film? A Kinema Podcast
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Hiike Independent
Ken Meyer, A Conversation on Independence, Culture, & The Craft of Getting Films Made
Ken Meyer does not introduce himself with titles, yet his path is hard to miss. His career spans studio and indie worlds: he served as executive producer on Anora and has spent nearly two decades working on Steven Soderbergh’s independent titles: producing, executive producing, o
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Tyler Knohl
Big News, Filmmakers! Submissions Are Officially OPEN on Hiike 🚀
For the very first time, you can submit directly through Hiike to 3 amazing festivals: Artificial Intelligence Media Festival, Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, and Easthampton Film Festival
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Hiike Independent
What's Really Going On With Film Festivals Right Now? A breakdown of Keri Putnam's Harvard Independent Film Study and Eventive's Whitepaper
This has been a hot topic for a while now, and oftentimes if feels like the independent film world can’t quite keep up!
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Brynne Norquist
“I Got My First Check from Severance and Spent It on Festival Submissions" — A Conversation With Hudson Flynn
Last week I sat down with Hudson Flynn , who you might recognize from Season 1 of Severence . Yup, he was one of the activists against Lumon.
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Brynne Norquist
This 16 Year Old Will Run Hollywood Before We Know It
So, on Thursday, I was in Hawaii for a pitch competition (the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards— Hiike placed THIRD at Nationals!), but that didn’t stop me from talking to Caleb Reese Paul .
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Brynne Norquist
On The Cusp Of A Revolution? Seth Hallen on AI in Hollywood.
Article Written by Brynne Norquist
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Hiike Independent
How These Two Filmmakers Are Rewriting the Rules of Independent Film (And Winning)
Article Written By Brynne Norquist; Podcast Conversation with Cole Swanson, Braxton Prince, Tyler Knohl, and Brynne Norquist
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Hiike Independent
From Star Wars to Set Scheduling: How Herman Phillips Is Reimagining Production Software with Cinapse
When Herman Phillips was five years old, he was already hooked on entertainment tech. Inspired by Empire of Dreams—the Ken Burns documentary chronicling the making of Star Wars—he dove headfirst into stop-motion and VFX, which all eventually led him to start his own production co
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Brynne Norquist
SUNDANCE IS LEAVING UTAH? But They're Not The Only Major Festival To Do So This Year...
BREAKING: This morning, the Sundance Institute announced something many in the film world suspected was coming: the Sundance Film Festival is officially relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.
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Brynne Norquist
Inside the Mind of a Programmer: Festival Wisdom from Abby Wright
We sat down with Abby Wright—founder of Femme Filth Fest , Programming Fellow at Woods Hole Film Festival , screener for NFFTY and American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival , and the newest programmer and host for an upcoming screening series with a major genre festival (detail
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Brynne Norquist
Breaking the Cycle: SXSW Documentary Short Special Jury Award Winner Welcome Home Freckles By Huiju Park
Some films stay with you long after the credits roll, and Welcome Home Freckles is one of them. I first learned about the film at SXSW, where I hosted a networking breakfast for Hiike. That’s where I had the privilege of meeting the team behind Welcome Home Freckles . They had al
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Brynne Norquist
Coming soon
Hiike Hub is almost live — smart festival insights, filmmaker spotlights, and the future of film-tech, delivered weekly.
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Hiike Independent
