Episode 55

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Published on:

29th Jun 2026

Telefilm, Gatekeepers & The Financial Reality of Indie Film

Anthony Epp sits down with Ken Kabatoff for a candid conversation about the recent changes to Telefilm Canada's development funding, the challenges facing emerging Canadian filmmakers, and the growing need to balance creative ambition with financial sustainability.

They reflect on networking, content creation, building an audience, and why long-term careers are built through persistence rather than overnight success.

Listen now for an honest discussion about filmmaking, funding, creative resilience, and what it really takes to keep making movies.

Vulture: The Unglamorous Financial Realities of 5 Indie Filmmakers

https://web.archive.org/web/20260623153204/https://www.vulture.com/article/indie-filmmakers-money.html

Follow Ken's Indie Horror Feature Remnant here:

www.remnantmovie.com

Follow Ken Kabatoff's newsletter The Film Founder here:

https://kenkabatoff.substack.com/about

Follow Anthony Epp's newsletter The Greenlight Report here:

https://greenlightreport.substack.com/?utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3

Follow Ken & Anthony on Instagram here:

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About the Podcast

Off The Lot: An Indie Film Podcast

indie film success on your own terms

Off The Lot is where serious indie filmmakers level up. Hosted by Ken Kabatoff and Anthony Epp, this podcast delivers real, hard-earned lessons from the frontlines of independent filmmaking. Each episode is a masterclass — featuring directors, producers, and creatives who are in the trenches, making movies happen without a safety net. If you want actionable insights, unfiltered conversations, and the blueprint to build your own career outside the studio system — this is the show.

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About your hosts

Ken Kabatoff

Ken Kabatoff is an accomplished writer and director with over seventeen years of experience in the film industry, delivering high-quality stories to millions of viewers.

Starting in 2016, Ken wrote for the critically acclaimed sci-fi Netflix series, Travelers, where he became co-producer. In 2020, he was nominated for the “Best Drama” Writers Guild of Canada Award for his final episode.

After directing multiple short films that have screened for tens of thousands of people around the world, Ken was awarded the prestigious Directors Guild of Canada BC Emerging Greenlight award to direct a deeply personal short film titled, The Doukhobor. The film is now on the festival circuit, allowing Ken to focus on his feature directorial debut, Remnant.

Anthony Epp

Anthony Epp is a filmmaker, producer, and director with experience in both independent and studio filmmaking in Vancouver. His passion for high-stakes storytelling and hands-on production expertise has made him a driving force in indie cinema.

He began his career with the documentary Unspoken Rules (2009) and later directed 13 Miles, a character-driven sports drama. Currently, he’s developing The Quiet Canadians, an espionage thriller blending real-world intrigue with grounded action.

Anthony has worked as an Assistant Director on award-winning films like Seagrass (2023) and The Island Between Tides (2024) and served as Production Manager on Ruthless Bastards, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. His background in entertainment law gives him a strategic edge in film production.

As co-host of Off The Lot, Anthony shares industry insights, practical advice, and real-world experiences from the world of indie filmmaking.