“You have to be just delusional enough to believe there’s an audience for your story.”
In this episode of IndieWire’s Future of Filmmaking: What No One Tells You, writer-director Justin Simien (Dear White People) opens up about what pushed him through early setbacks in Hollywood — and why tuning out traditional advice was the key to unlocking his voice. From struggling to find his place as a Black, gay filmmaker to raising money for his indie breakout, Simien shares raw, unfiltered insight into what it really takes to get a film made on your own terms.

What No One Tells You is IndieWire’s candid video series spotlighting boundary-pushing filmmakers as they reveal the real challenges behind building a career in film and TV — from rejection to resilience, and everything in between.