Funded Filmmaker Showcase: Malcolm Johnson

Malcolm Johnson received three months of Adobe Creative Cloud to finish post-production of his short film. More details on his project coming soon once we release it!

Interested in receiving funding for your work? Submit to our funding opportunities for the chance to win funding up to $10,000 for your short film as well as other prizes like Malcolm did.

We asked Malcolm a few questions about his background and current presence in the independent film world.

Why do you write, direct, or produce?

I write to quiet the voices in my head. The characters constantly arguing, talking over each other.

I direct to control how those same characters are represented to the public.

I produce because after years of working in Corporate America, I only want to work with creators that I enjoy spending 12+ hour days with.

Who are some of your favorite auteurs, and which of them inspire you the most? How?

My Top 5 are: Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Kathryn Bigelow, Antoine Fuqua, and Theodore Witcher.

The auteur who has inspired me the most is Gregory Smith. He was an instructor at the community college I attended back home (in Detroit). I took a film editing class only so that I could receive full-time student status in order to qualify for my GI Bill after returning home from the military.

On the first day of class he told us, “I am going to ruin film watching for you forever” (or something to that extent) and he was true to his word. After that course, I dissected every aspect of every film I ever watched. It was only after that class that I decided I wanted to be a filmmaker.

Even to this day, I send him any script I write, before I even think about pre-production because I know I will always get an honest and thorough critique of my writing. But more than that, I know it is coming from a sincere place. He has only ever wanted to see me succeed and I will always cherish that friendship. He is after all, the catalyst of my career in film.

What’s your toughest challenge when raising funding for a film project?

The toughest challenge of fundraising for a film is the constant rejection. It comes in all forms. From the straight up “no,” to the person that “LIKES” your status on social media, but continues scrolling without clicking on your fundraising link.

It is a difficult task—convincing others to believe in your vision so much that they want to part with their money; knowing (but not really knowing) deep down that this next film will be the one that makes or breaks you.

Feeling like you weren’t meant for this because you can’t just pull out your checkbook (debit or credit card) and just go right into pre-production.

What are you working on right now?

My team and I are currently putting the finishing, post-production touches on our short film “The Monster In My Closet” starring Harmoni Hampton, Kiani Stone, Jacqueline L Walsh, & Tommy Kennedy. Produced by Charles W. Bush.

I am also in rewrites on what I hope to be my first feature length film, The Lynching of Justitia Nigreos, a Horror/Thriller.

After which I will begin rewrites on the feature-length script for The Monster In My Closet as well as rewrites on the novel from which the film was adapted, The Rape Diaries.

What do you like about The Film Fund?

Aside from the fact that I was one of the award recipients, I appreciate the opportunity it provides for filmmakers such as myself, whose films may not otherwise see the light of day.

What’s your advice for filmmakers who are just starting their
careers?

My advice to filmmakers just starting out is simple: don’t wait for permission to be great. You don’t need an agent or a manager to be a filmmaker. You only need a script, a camera, a crew, and someone willing to stand in front of the camera and read the lines you wrote. The rest is window dressing.

Just like Malcolm, you can receive funding from our one-sentence pitch competition for the chance to win up to $10,000 in funding and other prizes.