Meet Hudson Phillips

Please tell us about your current line of work and how you got started in it. Please include any awards or upcoming projects.

I am a screenwriter and indie film producer. I always say "writer by choice, producer by necessity." I'd been writing screenplays for a long time and no one was making them so I starting making them myself!

I'd always been writing since I was an awkward and shy middle schooler. Writing was a place that I found my voice. And my love of film came after the loss of my father at a young age and movies became both an escape (Batman, Indiana Jones) and to find healing by seeing my issues reflected on screen (Dead Poets Society, Pump up the Volume). It wasn't until I was in my 20s I realized "Oh wait, I can COMBINE these two loves? So I've been writing semi-professionally for about 20 years now.

I sold a script to a major studio pretty early on and then struggled to replicate that success for about a decade or so, so I partnered with a local filmmaker and we began producing our own films.

Our first feature film, the post-apocalyptic drama This World Alone, was released on Hulu, won a bunch of "Best Feature" awards at film festivals, and received a positive review in the New York Times.

Our second feature, the grounded sci-fi romance Guacamole Yesterdays, is just finishing up it's festival run. We won "Best Feature" at Georgia Film Fest, South Georgia Film Fest, and an Audience Award at Phoenix Film Fest. That film should be released widely early next year and we'll also be screening the film in arthouse theaters around the U.S.

Do you have any mentors or sources of inspiration?

I feel like when you're looking for inspiration, you'll find it everywhere. But I also actively seek out mentorship. Too many indie filmmakers try to "go it alone" but you can learn so much from those who have been down those paths before. If I don't know how to do a particular part of the job, I reach out to filmmakers, oftentimes even offering them a little bit of cash to hop on a phone call (their time and knowledge is valuable!) and soak up as much as I can. I'm always surprised how many of them say yes! This has proved invaluable, opened so many doors, and helped me avoid so many potential road blocks.

What parts of your work do you enjoy most? Why?

I think what makes screenwriting so unique is the collaboration. I love when I can have an idea, commit it to paper, and see it come to life with every little decision that everyone on set makes from the director to the actors to props, music, everyone coming together to make something out of nothing is so magical to me.

What are your favorite things to do when you have free time?

I love reading - both fiction and non-fiction. And I just started taking up running. I've never been able to stick with a healthy outlet before but I found that when my brain gets too busy running is the best way to turn it off.

Are there any dream projects you'd like to pursue?

Oh man, the big dream is to write a Marvel movie. I know a lot of people feel like that's "selling out" but I grew up on comics and those films really check both those boxes I mentioned earlier - an escape and a confrontation of emotions at the same time.

How can we learn more about you?

You can learn about our newest film at GuacamoleYesterdays.com and follow along with our Substack at mirrorboxfilms.substack.com and on social media @hudsonphillips, @guacamoleyesterdays, and @mirrorboxfilms