Directing Your First Feature After Shorts with Michael Lukk Litwak

Show notes

Michael Lukk Litwak

is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and cartoonist that was born and raised in Los Angeles. His first feature was ‘MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE’ a sci-fi Romantic-Comedy starring Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari and is often described as ‘When Harry Met Sally’ meets ‘Futurama.’ ‘MOLLI AND MAX’ had its world premiere at SXSW 2023, played at BFI London, Sitges, and Fantasia before its theatrical distribution in February 2024 and is currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

1. 2:21Molli & Max in the Future
2. 4:31Admission to SXSW - getting in as a director on the 12th try
3. 6:51The strategic side of top festival admissions
4. 12:41What film festivals are worth it?
5. 14:21Getting theatrical distribution for a first feature
6. 15:21Additional benefits of theatrical release: NYT review, Late Night exposure
7. 16:11Shooting with new tech - virtual production, volume stages, LED stages & green screen
8. 18:01Creative solves to making sci-fi on a budget
9. 26:59The Life and Death of Tommy Chaos & Stacey Danger - how Michael’s short that got rejected from every major film festival went viral and landed him representation
10. 29:51Landing a $2.5 million Warner Bros show - only to have it scrapped with the shutdown of Go90
11. 38:21navigating agents & managers as a director
12. 44:21Impact of the strikes
13. 47:07Cartoons
14. 49:41Being featured on Humans of New York
15. 51:21Support & understanding when married to another creative in film
16. 53:25Things are not stepping stones and people won’t rescue you
17. 56:16Getting inspired again after low points
18. 58:21TIME CAPSULE

Connect With Michael

IG: @michaellitwak / @molliandmax
https://www.michaellitwak.com/