In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins welcomes back filmmaker Janek Ambros to dive deep into the wild origin and evolution of his second feature film, Mondo Hollywoodland. The conversation spans everything from a life-changing phone call with Francis Ford Coppola to the chaotic, experimental production process of an iPhone-shot psychedelic satire. Ambros shares how a rogue spirit, a skeleton crew, and the mantra "just make something" powered his creative journey. He also discusses the challenges of distribution, finding a cult audience, and why the edit room is his happy place.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Janek Ambros discuss...
How Francis Ford Coppola inspired the DIY ethos behind Mondo Hollywoodland
Why the film is more of a spiritual successor than a direct sequel to the 1967 cult doc Mondo Hollywood
The experimental, no-crew production process using an iPhone and real locations
Casting friends and local oddballs to match the film’s bizarre, countercultural tone
How the film’s editing and narrator shape its chaotic narrative
Navigating COVID-era distribution and marketing challenges
Ambros’s dual approach to career-building: make art, but also think commercially
Why learning to produce is essential for emerging filmmakers
Memorable Quotes:
"You should just make a movie with your iPhone with your friends if you don’t have money."
"We didn’t have a cinematographer. We have a camera op. That’s really it."
"It was just totally the freest form of filmmaking."
"Editing is definitely my favorite part of filmmaking. Everything else is a necessary evil just to edit."
Guests:
Janek Ambros
Resources:
More from NFS x Janek
Screening Tickets – June 8, 6 p.m. at Lumineer Music Hall, Beverly Hills
Mondo Hollywoodland on Letterboxd
Assembly Line Entertainment on Instagram: @assemblylineent,
Mondo Hollywoodland on Instagram: @mondohollywoodland
Janek on Twitter: @janekambros88
Assembly Line Entertainment on Twitter: @assemblylineent
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