Bring Your film to Life.

We are the independent film school.

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you have talent. Don't question it.

Ela Thier

Founding Director

You’re a writer, director and/or actor, whether you’ve done any of those things or have been secretly dreaming about it. Your desire to create is all the proof I need to know that you have talent, and that what you have to offer matters.

Our world would be a better place if your creativity, passions and stories ended up on the screen.

But I know how it goes. Years of procrastination and nothing done? Been there. Worked your butt off and saw no results? I’m raising my hand. It looked like you were getting your big break and then it fell through? My heart has been broken too.  Many times. Gave up? Thinking of giving up? Check and check and check.

My name is Ela Thier, I’ve been through all of the above, and I’m a working screenwriter and filmmaker here to tell you this:

  • You don’t have to give up on your dreams as an artist,
  • and you don’t have to go it alone.

Tenets of IFS

  • Every human is creative with vast talents. We know how to unleash it.
  • Artists are leaders who shape history. Creativity is not extra-curricular fluff.
  • Artists thrive in community and wilt in isolation. We prefer collaboration over competition.

*IFS is the acronym for the Independent Film School.

Ela Thier The Independent Film School Artists send capitalism a rejection letter
The Independent Film School Students Image

OUR Programs

Get skilled.
Get connected.
Get to work.

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⚠️ Proceed with caution. We make failure impossible.

“Thanks to Ela’s courses and The Independent Film School, I don’t just believe I can make films – I’ve done it.”

— Bunnie Rivera

our flagship courses

· over 20 self-paced courses ·
Ivy-league quality education, at artist-friendly prices

Write page-turning scripts that readers can’t stop thinking about.

Eliminate writing blocks, find your voice, and learn to make audiences laugh and cry. 

✦ Become Prolific

✦ Emotional Impact

✦ Foundations of Screenwriting

✦ Write Page-Turners

Elevate every shot in every film, regardless of budget. 

Achieve believable, authentic, and engaging performances – every time. 

✦ Directing Actors: The Toolbook

✦ Directing Actors: Scene Study

✦ Directing the Camera: Fundamentals

✦ Directing the Camera: Composition

✦ The Moving Camera

Become the producer you’ve been waiting for. 

Raise money and resources and make your work irresistible to collaborators and audiences alike.

✦ Get your film made: right now!

✦ Raise Money & Resources

✦ Crush That Pitch

✦ Physical Production A to Z

✦ Festivals, Publicity, Distribution

✦ Film Production Resource Center

✦ [coming soon] The 7-figure feature

Become a more powerful filmmaker by learning to edit.

Take a front seat to my cutting room and watch me edit in real time.

✦ Film Editing Made Simple

✦ Join Me in The Cutting Room

Receive the goal-setting tools that I’ve used for over 20 years to build a thriving career as a filmmaker.

✦ The 3 Pillars of Success in Creative Fields

✦ Goal Setting for Artists

✦ [Coming Soon] Networking for the Shy

NO OVERWHELM
• NO BOREDOM • GUARANTEED •

Community announcement as you complete each course.

Certificate of completion when you complete an entire suite of courses.

“It’s been a game changer… I’ve pushed myself more than I have in a very long time… Beyond happy that I joined.”
— Monique Efta

FREE TRAINING: GET YOUR FILM MADE

Ela Thier’s confessional pep talk for artists on the verge of giving up. This book is a cry, a laugh, and a flashlight.

FAQ'S

Indeed, the total value of the All Access Pass is well over $8K, yet we’re charging just $97/month. Two reasons:

Firstly, I want these programs and courses to be widely accessible.

Secondly, I’m so confident in what you’ll get out of the experience that I know you’ll want to stick around for years. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The first payment includes a 7-day refund window. Subsequent payments are not refundable, though you can cancel your pass at any point to stop future charges. Easily.

If you cancel your pass, you’ll lose access to the perks and features that come with it: the courses, monthly challenges, Slack space, IFS Studio, monthly live sessions.

If you rejoin us in the future, progress made on any of the courses will reappear in your dashboard.

** If you purchased lifetime access to any of our courses in the past, you won’t lose access to those.

Amen. I’ve enrolled in so many that I’ve never used. Who’s got time? And most of them are boring and dry.

IFS courses are engaging, bite-sized, well organized, and built for action.

Additionally, each month, the 6-day challenges will give you the option to jump in for just 10 minutes a day and make progress, or dive deeper by working through entire courses – at your own pace.

We’ll help you put one foot in front of the other and stay at it.

We offer accountability and support you won’t find ANYWHERE else at this price point. Not by a long shot.

You have access to all courses as long as you have an All Access Pass.

You can binge through them marathon-style and knock out each course in a couple of weekends, or take your time and work through them on your schedule. View them as the lifetime learning opportunity that they are.

As you dive in, you’ll find a rhythm that works best for you. We’ll help.

We provide multiple layers of support and accountability:

  • Private Slack Workspace – for connecting, sharing, and accountability. If you haven’t used Slack, it’s like a Facebook group, but way more effective – and without the distractions of social media.

  • IFS Studio & Live Sessions – The IFS Studio (our live co-working space) and monthly live sessions, are additional ways to connect, get motivated, and build relationships – the ultimate ingredient in making progress.

If you’re looking to dive deeper, the IFS Fellowship Program offers feedback on work and direct guidance, if you want to invest more and work with our coaches. Program applications open 2x / year.

I’m not aware of any space that offers this level of support at this price point. Whether you prefer peer support, structured accountability, or personalized coaching, we’re here for it.

The IFS Studio is a live, co-working space (on zoom). During facilitated sessions, you can join a small breakout room on the hour to connect with fellow creatives. The space improves focus, while removing isolation.

Outside facilitated sessions, it’s a 24/7 peer-run communal work space. Students have used it to form writing groups, and in many other ways.

Use the IFS Studio to build a daily writing practice, tackle challenges, work through a course – or fold laundry…? Anything you need to get done 🙂

Courses = go at your own pace, on your own schedule

Brand new 6-Day Challenge = Begins First Thursday of each month. Dive in and move through with the group, or take the month to savor it. 

Live Group Session = Second Thursday of each month. On Zoom.

Live sessions are usually led by Ela Thier, and meet for an hour at 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT.

Then you’re exactly who this program is for. No prior experience is assumed. Our community is the perfect place to dip your toes in and figure out how much further you want to go. Come on in, the water’s warm! 🤿

My courses and challenges are designed for all levels; I’ve often seen the more experienced writers and filmmakers get even more out of them.

You’ll continue to build skills and move forward in unexpected ways. As a lifelong student myself, with several features under my belt and more in the pipeline, I guarantee that you’ll enjoy the ride.

“It’s not a film school, it’s a movement.”

– Eileen Cruz, IFS Community Manager

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