Interview with Director, Actress, Writer Kathy Kolla

indieactivity: Give an autobiography of yourself and tell us about how you got into filmmaking and screenwriting
Kathy: I’m a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, where I have my own production company, Cola Kat. Creativity has always been a big part of my life, and mixing the written word – screenwriting – with the visual aspect of filmmaking, has always seemed like the perfect combination of the arts.

indieactivity: How does an indie filmmaker distribute his/her film?
Kathy: Be diligent. Never leave any stone unturned. This new era of online distribution has opened countless new avenues for self-distribution, and there are also all the traditional formats of distribution, like television and theatrical exhibition, which are as viable as ever. And remember, distributors need new content, that’s what their business is, so approach every outlet and don’t give up.

Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday to all the women making amazing films. I’m shooting a film with a powerful message! I can’t wait to share it with you all! #femaleempowerment #femalefilmmaker #makingmovies #beingcreative #colakatproductions pic.twitter.com/akQcVsyk7z

— Kathy Kolla (@KathyKolla) May 5, 2018

indieactivity: When does an indie filmmaker need to start planning for distribution?
Kathy: If you have a name-actor attached to your project, or any other name-talent that could get a distributor interested in advance, you can plan and contact distributors from the start. Many distribution channels and companies are looking for a finished product, though, so if you are self-financing and producing the project on your own, you may want to plan for distribution once you start pre-production or production. As they say, “it depends.”

indieactivity: How do I get my film in theatres with such a budget?
Kathy: To get your film into theaters on a low budget, just try and make the best quality movie you can. You can also contact independent theaters outside of the big corporate chains, theaters that are allowed to work independently of distributors, about doing shorter run exhibitions. Look for the small art house theaters in your town or city and convince them that your movie will sell tickets and fill their seats.

indieactivity: What projects are you working on now?
Kathy: I just finished directing a film I wrote called “Plastic Daydream.” It stars Shari Belafonte and Kash Hovey. We’re in post-production now. It’s a film about beauty and aging and how far one will go to stay young. It’s an important subject matter that I hope will start conversations about how we view women and beauty. It’ll be premiering at film festivals later this year.

indieactivity: How can filmmakers finance their projects?
Kathy: There are many ways. You can pay for it yourself. You can find an independent investor. You can crowdfund. You could even figure out a product-placement deal with a company that wants their products shown on screen. Just remember to be persistent.

indieactivity: What films have you made?
Kathy: My first film was the comedic short, “Another Day, Another Dime” that did well on the film festival circuit, won some awards, and subsequently got distributed on the TV network ShortsHD, which is a fantastic channel for short films and a big supporter of indie film on an international level. In fact, “Another Day, Another Dime” is going to be screening this November at the LA Live Film Festival in Los Angeles, which has a great program planned at a fantastic venue.

As far as features, I was fortunate enough to make the music documentary “Who Is Billy Bones?” about career persistence, focusing on the early punk rock scene in Los Angeles through the eyes of rock pioneer Billy Bones. It has some amazing interviews with musicians like Mike Dirnt (Green Day) and Kevin Preston (Prima Donna). That film was also acquired for TV and has been airing in the U.S. on the cable network KCETLink. And I’ve got several new projects in the works.

indieactivity: How do you find the process of filmmaking as an indie filmmaker?
Kathy: The process of being an indie filmmaker is one where you’re given the gift of complete control. That’s an asset indie filmmakers should always remember. You may not have the resources of big studio, but you will also never have to compromise your artistic vision. Of course, you’ll always have other people you’re working with – movies are a team effort – but an indie filmmaker has exponentially more creative freedom.

indieactivity: Tell us about what you think indie filmmaker need in today’s world of filmmaking?
Kathy: An indie filmmaker in today’s world needs to educate themselves on marketing, specifically social media marketing. Probably more importantly, though, they also need to network face-to-face, finding a group of like-minded people they can work with. I highly recommend that indie filmmakers get themselves out there and meet new people in the industry.

indieactivity: Briefly write about your career?
Kathy: I started my career as an actor on TV shows like Arrested Development and American Dreams, as well as acting in commercials. Being on set for so many years taught me about the creative process behind all the jobs that go into bringing a project to life, and it made me want to get behind the camera as a director. I genuinely love filmmaking and there’s nothing else I’d rather do.