This story is part of a series of interviews with Atlanta creatives about what it’s like to be working in Atlanta’s independent film scene.
Rocco Shapiro has always been interested in playing pretend for a living.
Raised in Lawrenceville, GA, Shapiro said he was so invested in becoming a filmmaker at an early age that he pitched his parents on taking out a second mortgage on their house so that they could help send him to film school.
Miraculously, they said yes and took a chance on a dream.
“I thought that would be the quickest way for me to get into an industry and get into meeting people who were like-minded,” he said. “Granted, I probably could have just made something and went to a normal school. But I went to SCAD.”
While at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Shapiro ended up meeting those like-minded people and began working on films – directing, producing, and whatever he could get his hands on.
“I had to find out things that I liked on set,” he said. “I don’t like doing wardrobe. I don’t necessarily love lighting stuff. But I was like, okay, editing, producing and directing – that’s my thing.”
After graduating from SCAD, Shapiro dove straight into the commercial world. He worked at No Usual, a filming and equipment rental company, and then started the film production company Wax & Wane with Cristian Bernal, Tré Loren, and Sean Valdivieso. He produced shorts from Atlanta filmmakers, like Madison Hatfield’s “I Could Dom,” and also directed some of his own, like “FAFO (F*ck Around and Find Out).” Finally, Shapiro started Reel Friends – a film event, production, and distribution company – in January of 2025.
As he stopped focusing so much on commercial work and started leaning into the narrative scene, Shapiro made it a point to learn all that he could about filmmaking. He connected with local filmmakers like Aaron Strand (“Withdrawal”) and asked questions about what the artistic process was like on small, micro-budget projects. He also started looking into distribution and financing – two aspects of the industry he felt were lacking in Georgia – and learned as much as he could.
In addition to producing and distributing local films, Reel Friends also hosts screenings and events that allow Atlantans to connect over their shared love of film.
“I created Reel Friends as that avenue for that creativity – one for community, to do events and to learn marketing and to learn from distributors how to release a film, by helping them release their films on a local level,” Shapiro said. “Two, then producing and developing feature projects today, which I currently do with my producing partner Akshay Bhatia.”
The Way of Financing
For most independent filmmakers, financing is the most daunting part of the process. Georgia has a solid tax credit, but to qualify the production must spend at least $500,000 in the state (a 2024 bill that ultimately died in the Georgia General Assembly attempted to double that minimum to $1 million). That’s far more than what many micro-budget films cost. There are fellowship, grants, and residency programs to help, but those can’t totally alleviate the tremendous financial burden of making a movie. And Georgia consistently ranks lowest in the country when it comes to arts funding.
Legislation focused on helping artists would help, Shapiro said. But in lieu of that, for Shapiro the conversation around financing comes down to education. Filmmakers need to learn how to talk to financiers, and financiers need to learn about the benefits of taking a chance on filmmakers.
“It really is just teaching people about how to finance films, and how to talk to financiers and convince financiers,” Shapiro said. “The thing that is probably the least like anything you would think about making a movie, which is trying to persuade somebody to buy into it, and invest.”
That persuasion might involve getting a little creative. That could mean working with a brand, or leveraging your pre-existing relationships. It also means appealing to Georgia’s wealthier class and making the merits of film investment look enticing.
“There’s no easy way around it, it is the hardest aspect of it,” Shapiro said of financing. “Because we can make a movie. We’re definitely not short on ideas, or short of creatives, or short of distributors or marketing teams that are willing to take on good and exciting projects.”
Atlanta is the place to be
There may be utility to making movies in Los Angeles or New York, but for Shapiro, Atlanta is the place to be. Georgia’s film community is only strengthened by its diversity, resources, and affordability, he said.
“Community is really strong, because things are much more affordable here,” Shapiro said. “There’s not a rat race. We’re not having to fight over each other for jobs and work, not nearly as much. So you can foster relationships a bit easier.
When thinking about how to keep growing Atlanta’s film community and the strength of its financing avenues, Shapiro looks to people like filmmaker Robert Rodriguez for inspiration. Rodriguez, who has made films like “From Dusk till Dawn” and “Spy Kids,” is based in Austin, TX, along with his production company Troublemaker Studios.
“I really love that. I really love that you’re able to take what you’ve learned from Hollywood and bring it back. I think there’s for sure a utility in that, that is not lost on me,” Shapiro said. “Though, I feel like I always thought Atlanta was the place I wanted to make stuff. I feel like it’s definitely the place where you can make things until you can no longer make things anymore, then you have to go somewhere else. But as long as you come back home, it’s like the hero’s journey – leave home, learn from the new mentor, beat the evil villain, and come back with all your lessons learned.”
