
Making Movies that Make Movements
We teach change makers how to use the internet to profitably share their message with the world.

Who We Are

Our Mission
How It Works

Who the Movie Maker Academy Is For:
Filmmakers
If you know how to make movies but are feeling stuck by the business politics of distribution, you’re in the right place.
Author/Speakers
If you’ve written a book and are looking to scale your message, film is a powerful medium to elevate your status and build your personal brand.
Business owners that need a narrative
If you have a business or a brand, what distinguishes you from the others on your space?
The Founders
Three guys from very different backgrounds started helping each-other succeed and created a fun culture of mutual support and masterminding that is now helping hundreds of filmmakers.

Nick Polizzi
Nick’s films have been screened in major film festivals worldwide. His innovative content and promotional strategy have given rise to one of the most active alternative health communities ever built.
Nick covers topics like shamanism and natural medicine in his recent projects. His goal is to revive these medicines and help save the rain forests.
He’s currently filming a docu-series and is traveling the world interviewing experts.

Pedram Shojai
Pedram began his career as a frustrated doctor who was working in the broken “sickcare” system. He decided to make a film talking about true health and how not to need his services. The film (Vitality, 2012) was a hit and has been seen by millions of people. From there he founded bPossible.com which is a leader in health and wellness media. His movie Origins (2014) was shared over 250k times in the first two weeks and has also been seen by millions. His film, Prosperity features the leaders of the Conscious Capital movement and released 26 theatrical markets and will be free online.
Pedram’s latest docu-series “Interconnected” was the highest grossing docu-series soft launch in history. He’s done over a dozen now.

Jeff Hays
Jeff Hays is a filmmaker and a serial entrepreneur.
Jeff Hays Films creates “Movies that make Movements”. Hays was shortlisted for an Academy Award (documentary category) for his 2005 film, On Native Soil. With many films and film series in the works, his film Bought, has set online affiliate records for it’s distributor and Undoctored, the follow-up to Doctored (2012) has now made it’s debut. He is also known for Fahrenhype 9/11 (2004).
Hays has 8 technology patents to his credit, and was recently featured in Forbes for his 7-figure crowdfunding success.
The internet and the digital revolution have democratized the arts and impoverished the artist. These successful filmmakers have found the formula to use the technological revolution to do their art and make a good living.
These appealing and successful filmmakers come from a place of wanting to make the world a better place. And their offering these invaluable lessons is testament to that philosophy.
I’ve been a filmmaker for forty-six years and talk about teaching an old dog new tricks, this course is chock full of important lessons. I would highly recommend it to anyone setting out to make a documentary film. And to those like me trying to figure out how to make a living from one’s filmmaking passion. It’s the Bible baby!
James Beckett
Movies We've Personally Produced
Here are some of the titles we've produced individually.
Nick, Pedram & Jeff thank you so much for choosing to share your learning and your experiences by creating the Movie Maker Academy and making it available to those who wish to make documentaries or movies. It goes beyond your sharing as each of you have a goal of building communities and creating movements to help people make informed choices through your films, supporting materials and e-mails. Your combined energies, expertise and sharing of tools and information at our weekly seminars and the Movie Maker Academy web site made for a very informative and comfortable learning environment, one that would benefit anyone who wished to become a movie director and fits the profile of what you wish to achieve and have others achieve as well.
M E Dunbar
Program details
Here are the main sections of the course:
Concept
Research
Funding
Pre-Production
Production
Post-Production
Promotion
Distribution
Now that you’ve created a buzz with your picture, how do you want to distribute it? Are you going to hold onto all the rights and distribute it yourself? Are you going to screen it in theaters, on television? Are Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu appealing to you, and why? We go into every mode of distribution that is available so that you can custom tailor an approach that makes the most sense to your project.
Another little secret: We give away our “secret sauce” in this section and teach you how to host your own free online screenings of your movie. This might seem simple, but doing it right takes some specific strategies and systems that we only share in this course.
Monetization
How to start a movement with your film
How to create a Docu-Series
Finding Sponsors For Your Film

Making Movies that Make Movements
Program cost - $5000
This wonderful film course is worth its weight in gold. Pedram, Nick and Jeff share their unique take on the business of filmmaking, clarifying what can be a very confusing topic. Even though the course is only 10 weeks, I learned far more about the business side of filmmaking than what I did in an entire year at film school. The system they teach is cutting edge, and gives the power back to the filmmaker… you. If you want to make Hollywood entertainment films, this is NOT for you. This course is for filmmakers with an intelligent message they want to share with the world. It’s about films that make a difference. I highly recommend this course to anyone who has something important to say.
Tania Williams
How To Fund, Produce and Market
A Successful Movie
In it, we share some of our core secrets to creating a powerful documentary that creates a
lasting movement while generating a big profit.

THANK YOU FOR INDUCTING JENNIFER AND ME INTO THE REBEL ALLIANCE!
We’ve learned a lot and are excited about learning more about how we can adapt the free-screening model to marketing and monetizing our completed NARRATIVE FEATURE film which we would like to grow into a movement. She Sings to the Stars is the first of a cycle of 4 films we are producing about restoring the feminine voice (in both women and men) to a world turned upside down.
Thank you kindly! You guys are great!l.
Jonathan Corcoran
Live events

I too can’t believe it’s done, yet in reality it is all just beginning! I am so thrilled with all I have learned from each of you and excited to use it to launch my film this November. The timing for this has been incredible because I was already on the free 10 day screening path for our film and had ideas of how to market, promote and build the community around it, but you all really clarified the focus for me and gave me incredible direction as well as revealing the pitfalls to avoid! I could go on and on, but I will take this moment to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the incredible openness, honesty, humility, and fun you all provided consistently throughout the course. I feel as if I know you and truly do look forward to having with you at “the pool” someday. I am a huge fan and believer in Mastermind groups and sessions and you guys are totally doing it and reaping the benefits from it as well!
Please do keep me posted as you craft your Deep Dive group, I would love to know about that when you put that together.
With gratitude! Let’s go change the world!