Spinning Suspense Into Gold: Inside the Independent Film Journey of Brian Long & Sarah T. Schwab

What does it really take to turn an idea into an independent movie?

For filmmakers Sarah T. Schwab and Brian Long, the answer involves years of persistence, fundraising, creative risk, trusted collaborators, a willingness to hear “no” and, occasionally, getting very close to a tarantula.

On this episode of HarmonyTALK, host Lisa Champeau sits down with the co-founders of Cardinal Flix, the independent production company behind Life After You, A Stage of Twilight and Crybaby Bridge, for a candid look at what happens long before a movie reaches the screen.

Schwab and Long talk about launching Cardinal Flix during the pandemic, raising money for independent films, attracting accomplished actors, surviving high-pressure shoots and discovering that sometimes the only way forward is to stop waiting for someone else to open the door.

They also take us inside Arachnophilia, Schwab’s new psychological thriller inspired in part by her own lifelong fear of spiders. The film is preparing to shoot in Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania, where Cardinal Flix sees the potential for something much bigger than a single production.

For Schwab and Long, independent filmmaking is equal parts storytelling, entrepreneurship and leap of faith. Their journey offers a revealing look at what it takes to spin an idea into a movie, and why they believe NEPA could become an important part of what comes next.