Beyond Kickstarter: Using WeFunder to Build Investor-Driven Indie Films

The Art of Film Funding

The Art of Film Funding
Beyond Kickstarter: Using WeFunder to Build Investor-Driven Indie Films
Feb 11, 2026
The Art of Film Funding

Mark Elias is a Los Angeles-based writer, actor, and independent filmmaker focused on grounded, commercial indie films with bold concepts and strong character work. He is the producer of We Could Be Heroes, a comedy-crime heist rooted in gaming culture. Mark is currently raising the film through WeFunder, allowing the public to invest and follow the project’s real-time journey from campaign to production. His work blends entrepreneurial execution with story-driven filmmaking, with a mission to build audience-first entertainment that can break out commercially.

Episode Artwork Beyond Kickstarter: Using WeFunder to Build Investor-Driven Indie Films 43:07 Episode Artwork Format Is Power: How Scripts Get Taken Seriously in Hollywood 36:11 Episode Artwork Film Funding Mastery: How THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN™ Raised Thousands and Built a Global Crowdfunding Model 40:11 Episode Artwork Helen Hall shares how to use MIPCOM for funding your documentary 41:18 Episode Artwork Christine LaMonte — Craft, Collaboration & Creative Excellence 55:19 Episode Artwork Post-Cinema: Scott Billups on AI and the Future of Filmmaking 49:44 Episode Artwork ALL THE WALLS CAME: Ondi Timoner on Creating Transformative Films - Hosted by Heather Lenz 54:43 Episode Artwork From Script to Screen to Strategy: Spade Robinson on the New Era of Filmmaking 57:35 Episode Artwork What Everyone Gets Wrong About Crowdfunding — with Bri Castellini 59:54 Episode Artwork From Twilight Zone to Today: Paul Chitlik on the Art of Screenwriting 45:56 Episode Artwork Award winning filmmaker Jeremy Workman discusses his successful indie release of SECRET MALL APARTMENT - Hosted by Heather Lenz 54:02 Episode Artwork Award winning filmmakers Elliot Kirschner & Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse discuss their documentary The Last Class featuring Robert Reich teaching about income inequality - Hosted by Heather Lenz 1:04:14 Episode Artwork You are the Magic: Film Funding with help from the Quantum Field 37:53 Episode Artwork Mark Mori on The Baristas vs The Billionaires: Funding and Fighting for Change 45:31 Episode Artwork Brace for Oblivion: Filmmaking on the Frontlines with Xackery Irving 59:43 Episode Artwork Counterculture Utopia? Documentary Filmmaker Jonathan Berman discusses rereleasing Commune 42:36 Episode Artwork Award winning filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito discusses her biographical documentaries - Hosted by Heather Lenz 33:10 Episode Artwork Emily Best on Crowdfunding That Works: How Seed&Spark Helps Filmmakers Succeed 39:04 Episode Artwork The Future is Fan-Funded: A Conversation with Legion M’s Jeff Annison 52:12 Episode Artwork Filmmaker Philip Shane shares strategies to create award winning documentaries - Hosted by Heather Lenz 1:04:36 Episode Artwork How to Raise Money for Your Doc with Jilann Spitzmiller 49:01 Episode Artwork Creating your future: How Filmmakers access genius through the quantum field 28:47 Episode Artwork Preserve Your Legacy: How Chance McClain Turns Family Stories into Hollywood-Style Films 41:40 Episode Artwork Filmmaking Duo Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum reveal a forgotten female innovator in their new documentary, Obsessed with Light - Hosted by Heather Lenz 49:30 Episode Artwork FilmHedge Provides Film Debt Financing for $3 to $50 million 32:15