How to make a successful indie movie: Apnas, with co-directors Ashley Chin and Darren RL Gordon

Set on the gritty streets of Manchester, APNAS follows a British Asian Mancunian pulled into a dangerous criminal world by his notorious uncle - and a brutal rivalry with his cousin pushes everything to breaking point

I sit down with Ashley Chin and Darren RL Gordon, the co-directors of Apnas - a movie that launched with HUGE hype, with millions of people talking about it before it was even released in cinemas last month.

We talked about their careers, and I asked: how is it possible to make and market a successful independent film from scratch?

This is a proper behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to get a film made - from a simple idea and a conversation, to building a team, self-funding the project, and pushing it all the way to a UK-wide cinema release.

But this goes beyond filmmaking.

We get into why Apnas had to be made, what it means to tell stories that aren’t being told, and the importance of representation, identity and community.

We talk about:

how Apnas came together from the ground up the challenges of funding and making an indie film working with first-time actors and building authenticity the pressure of bringing a story like this to life and what it really takes to turn an idea into something real

This is a conversation about creativity, persistence, and making something happen when there isn’t a clear path.

If you enjoy this conversation, please subscribe wherever you watched or listened.

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Interviews that might just change your life. And if not…? You’ll probably enjoy them anyway.

While we're all trying to be better versions of ourselves, this podcast asks: 'what's truly possible?'

Project Possible, hosted by me, Rich Leigh, explores this with incredible guests from the world of business, sport, entertainment and academia.

Between the second and third series, I made the decision to go full-time on this show.

I sold my successful 10 year old PR agency after my youngest brother Jordan took his own life.

I realised that I needed to run towards passion and purpose, and my dream of sharing positivity and possibility as a career - this podcast is my effort to do just that. Subscribe wherever you watch or listen.

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