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Writer-director Amy Wang joins the No Film School podcast to discuss her debut feature, Slanted, and the long road from film school to theatrical release. In conversation with GG Hawkins, Wang reflects on leaving Australia for AFI, building a creative community in Los Angeles, learning to write as a practical path to survival in the industry, and what happened after Slanted premiered at SXSW 2025, won the Grand Jury Prize, and eventually landed distribution ahead of its 2026 theatrical release.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Amy Wang discuss...
How Fight Club inspired Wang to pursue filmmaking as a teenager in Sydney
Why she left Australia for AFI and what it was like arriving in Los Angeles as an international student
The real value of film school, especially for community-building and dedicated creative time
Why learning to write became the key to sustaining a filmmaking career after graduation
How a Black List script helped open doors in Hollywood
The emotional and personal origins of Slanted
Why body horror and comedy became the right form for exploring race, identity, and belonging
How Slanted went from a logline to a financed feature
What production and post looked like on a tight timeline before SXSW
What it felt like to premiere at SXSW, hear audience reactions, and unexpectedly win the Grand Jury Prize
The reality of selling an indie film in today’s market, even after major festival recognition
What Wang learned from working with Bleecker Street on the theatrical release
Details about her next feature, Crescendo, set in the world of competitive piano
Memorable Quotes:
“If you don't come from money, if you don't have a famous uncle and you don't want to work at Starbucks for the next three to four years after you graduate, you need to learn how to write.” (12:48)
“You can't let the highs be too high and you can't let the lows be too low.” (16:31)
“It doesn't matter what I do, it doesn't matter who I am, how I speak, my personality is like, what my thoughts or how intelligent I am, people will always see my face first.” (19:08)
“As long as you keep going, as long as you keep learning and changing and growing, I think you don't need to be the best throughout your life to be able to have a career in this industry.” (40:56)
Guests:
Amy Wang
Resources:
Slanted official film page
Applying for Your O-1 Visa to Work in Film and TV
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