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It's 5:30 AM. I'm on my second Americano, staring at the rejection email from Telefilm that landed yesterday. Three cups of coffee won't wash away the sting, but they might fuel the anger-typing that follows.

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Getting that "Unfortunately..." email hit like a sucker punch to the gut. After six months of application prep, budget revisions, and endlessly tweaking that pitch deck - the suits in Toronto decided "The Quiet Canadians" doesn't deserve their financial blessing.

And you know what? I cried. Yep. Sat in my car in the Safeway parking lot and let the tears flow. Not the dignified single tear rolling down the cheek of a stoic filmmaker. The ugly, snotty kind of crying where you're glad you keep napkins in the glove compartment.

Deep breath.

The Cold, Hard Numbers

Let's be real about what this means: a $750K hole in our budget. That's the difference between paying our crew proper rates versus asking for favours. Between professional stunt coordination versus "let's just figure it out on the day." Between making this film the way it deserves to be made versus... well, you get the point.

The rationale they provided was the typical mix of "limited funds" and "highly competitive round" - the filmmaking equivalent of "it's not you, it's me." Except in this case, it is us. Our project. Our vision. Our team.

The Thing About Rejections

Here's what I know from both filmmaking and those stupid Ironman races I do: the path is never straight. I remember my first marathon when I had to walk the last 5K because my IT band decided to stage a rebellion. I still crossed that finish line. Different pace, same destination.

This Telefilm rejection is just our production's IT band flaring up. We're still making this movie.

I spent three hours last night reworking the budget, identifying what we can cut without sacrificing the story's soul. Then I made a list of 12 potential private investors we haven't approached yet. This morning I sent emails to five of them.

When Life Benches You

This rejection has me thinking about the summer I was 12, dreaming of making the Little League all-star team. The coaches announced the roster, and my name wasn't on it. I went home and cried for days – the kind of bottomless grief only a 12-year-old can feel. My one consolation? Return of the Jedi had just been released on VHS. I must have watched it 15 times that weekend, temporarily distracting me from baseball heartbreak.

Later, I found out I was "next in line" to make the team. Cold comfort when you're 12.

The strange thing is, that rejection was the first time I truly understood that wanting something desperately doesn't guarantee you'll get it. That life isn't fair. And that your response to unfairness matters more than the unfairness itself.

The ancient Stoics had something profound to say about this. They believed external events, like rejection, aren't inherently good or bad. What matters is how we interpret and respond to them. As Epictetus put it: "Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens."

So I'm taking this Telefilm rejection and asking: what's in my power now?

What This Means For Our Timeline

We' have to rethink our strategy and take the time to come up with different solutions and spend more time focused on the money than on the creative right now. Not ideal, but necessary:

1. Close the funding gap through private equity
2. Consolidate our shooting days to reduce the budget needs so that we have a lower "ask" to achieve without compromising the story.
3. Rethink our location strategy (more on this next week)

Is it the production plan we wanted? No. Is it a workable path forward? Absolutely. These constraints have opportunities to inspire better outcomes.

Don't Be a Monk About It

Look, I've been around the block enough times, in filmmaking, marathon racing, triathlons, selling life insurance, etc. to know that the "never let them see you sweat" advice is garbage. The "stay positive" crowd sometimes misses the point.

Sometimes life kicks you in the teeth, and pretending it didn't just makes you dishonest.

You know that scene in Bull Durham where Crash Davis says, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains"? There's wisdom there. Some things are simply beyond our control.

The real question isn't whether we'll get rejected - we will, repeatedly - but how long we'll let ourselves sit in that rejection before moving forward. As Robert California said in The Office: "Life is long, opinions change. Winners, prove me right. Losers, prove me wrong."

I want to be clear: it's OK to feel the sting. To cry in your car. To rage against the unfairness. The Stoics weren't about suppressing emotions—they were about not letting those emotions dictate your next actions.

During my last Ironman, at kilometre 30 of the marathon—when my quads were screaming and every joint felt like it was filled with broken glass—I had a moment of clarity: this pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever.

So I started walking. I saw others getting picked up by support vehicles and just decided to walk. Some people passed me, and I walked past some people. I picked up a few stragglers along the way who were waiting to be picked up as they had thrown in the towel. I said to one person, "walk with me for a kilometre... you can still get picked up at the next aid station." Guess what? She wound up finishing the race.

I wasn't trying to inspire someone else, but I just knew that as long as I was moving forward, I could make it to the finish. So that's what I know about you too.

Same goes for filmmaking. The Telefilm rejection will fade. Our film will not.

This Week's Action Steps:

1. Do a "No-Budget Thought Experiment." Take your dream project and imagine you have to make it with whatever cash is in your wallet right now. What would you keep? What's truly essential to your story? This isn't about compromising your vision - it's about identifying its beating heart.
2. Create a "rejection protocol." Write down, step by step, what you'll do the next time you get a "no." Who will you call first? How will you process the emotions? What's your first constructive action? Having this plan ready means you won't waste energy figuring out how to respond when you're already emotional.
3. Feel bad, then set a timer. Give yourself permission to fully experience disappointment—set aside dedicated time to feel awful about the rejection. Then, when the timer goes off, begin the process of moving forward. As Marcus Aurelius wrote: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."

I'd love to hear about your funding and filmmaking war stories. Hit reply and tell me about a time when the money fell through but you found another way. How did the rejection feel? What emotions did you allow yourself to experience? And how did you eventually move forward? Your experience might be exactly what another filmmaker needs to read this week.

Until next weekend,

Anthony (He/Him)

P.S. For those who've been following our movie's journey, we're locked in on casting right now. That's the kind of "walking forward" that fuels me through these funding speedbumps.

P.P.S. Sometimes I wonder if those Little League coaches from 1986 know I'm still talking about that damn all-star team selection three decades later. Probably not. But I bet they'd be surprised to learn it helped shape a filmmaker who refuses to let rejection have the final word.Missing anything that you want to see? Let me know.

P.P.P.S. Love these emails? Buy me a coffee to say "thanks"!

The Filmmaking Lab Community - An Idea Taking Shape

I'm exploring the idea of creating something special—a genuine community of filmmakers who share both triumphs and setbacks on their creative journeys. Not another networking platform where everyone pretends everything's perfect, but a space where we can be honest about funding struggles, production nightmares, and yes, even crying in the Safeway parking lot when Telefilm says no.

If you've resonated with these newsletters, I'd love to hear if this kind of community would interest you. I'm in the early stages of thinking this through, and your input would be incredibly valuable.

Would you take 2 minutes to fill out this quick form? It'll help me understand who you are and what you might want from such a community: https://forms.gle/vXzfZc5o5tXofY5n9​

No fancy applications or industry credits required—just a passion for filmmaking and a willingness to be real about the journey. I'll be reviewing responses as I consider whether and how to move forward with this idea.

Off the Lot - An Independent Filmmaking Podcast

This week, our podcast interview is with Amber Ripley, who gives lots of great advice as a Producer in the independent film space.

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Listen to Off The Lot Via Spotify:

Indie Film Financing: A Prod... May 16 · Off The Lot | where indi... 53:28   ​

Other Ways to Work With Me

​Consultation Calls: Great for Pitch Deck reviews, script discussions, pep talks.

​Book a free 45-minute discovery call to see if we’re the right fit to make this happen together.

Resources I Like That Could Help You

1. If you aren't following Stephen Follows for independent film data, you absolutely must.
2. 🎬 If you’re looking for a no-fluff, boots-on-the-ground kind of course to actually make your film this year, check out Make It Now Filmmaking by my friend Tyler Reid. It’s launching May 12, and there is a pre-launch sale on right now. I've see a sneak peak and it will be super practical and designed to get you moving right now — no waiting, no wishing.
3. 🎬 6K Filmmaker – A practical guide for indie filmmakers on how to make movies with low-budget, high-quality production techniques. Check it out here.​
4. 📝 Idea to Outline Workshop (by Naomi Beatty) – A step-by-step system to take your film idea and turn it into a structured, compelling outline. Perfect for screenwriters at any stage. Join the workshop here.​

Some Other Great Filmmaking Newsletters

The Adaptive Filmmaker The Film Industry Is Evolving—Are You? With 15 years in Hollywood and Canadian TV productions, I navigate today's rapidly evolving film industry while sharing my journey through uncharted territory. Through my weekly newsletter and Off The Lot podcast, I deliver real-world insights and practical strategies from active projects—helping fellow filmmakers adapt and thrive in an industry that's constantly redefining itself. Subscribe​

Story and Plot Screenwriting by Tom Vaughan A weekly screenwriting lesson from a professional screenwriter of 28 years who has been teaching the subject for almost as long. Subscribe​

Naomi | Write+Co. for screenwriters Screenplay consultant and screenwriting teacher Join the screenwriters who write to me each week saying, "Your columns are so inspiring," "The light came on after reading this," "Great newsletter this week!!! Always seems to be what I need for my writing. It’s like you’re a mind-reader! Thank you!" Subscribe​

Watch and Support My Previous Work

"13 Miles" a Telefilm grant recipient, is now available to watch!

Upcoming Projects

"The Quiet Canadians", a feature movie about skilled Canadian operatives who are trained in the elimination of local and foreign targets, is in development. Click here for more information​

"Xing'er: Origins", a feature film about a family's fight for survival against a deadly sect of assassins, is in development. Click here to find out more.​

See more of our projects in development by checking out our website.​
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