Mad Doc Pictures

Mad Doc Pictures Indie Film Production Company 🇿🇦
Founder: Kiresh Bedhesi
Building our first $1M feature film
Sharing the real filmmaking process
Follow the journey

BTS from “All Bark”. A 48h musical ! Watch it screening Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront - Saturday, 19 Sept at 20:00 - Sunda...
12/09/2026

BTS from “All Bark”.

A 48h musical !

Watch it screening Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront
- Saturday, 19 Sept at 20:00
- Sunday, 20 Sept at 15:00

Send us your campaign via info@maddocpictures.com In partnership with CAPACITI UVU Africa Western Cape Gover...
11/09/2026

Send us your campaign via [email protected] In partnership with CAPACITI UVU Africa Western Cape Government

26/05/2026

Harrison Crump
Almost South African 🇿🇦🇺🇸

Coming Soon…

Thank you directors_guildofsouthafrica for the nomination. Grateful to be listed amongst the greats in the game! Current...
20/03/2026

Thank you directors_guildofsouthafrica for the nomination. Grateful to be listed amongst the greats in the game!

Currently in development on our coming-of-age sci-fi for the young, ambitious dreamers out there, and a personal docuseries about the first Indians to arrive in South Africa. Stories of darkness and light coming your way 🌝

Swipe to see what research has done to me 🥲

We wrote our entire film before validating market need. An ex-Netflix executive just showed us why that’s backwards.We j...
02/03/2026

We wrote our entire film before validating market need.

An ex-Netflix executive just showed us why that’s backwards.

We jumped on a Google Meet hoping for distribution guidance.

What we got was a complete reframe of how we’ve been thinking about making films.

Where we went wrong:
We wrote our script, developed our story, got production-ready.
Then started thinking about who might want to distribute it.

That’s backwards.

If you want to build a filmmaking business, market research comes first. Find out what distributors are buying, where underserved markets are, then develop your stories around that.

We did it in reverse.

Now we’re sitting here with a story that only fits international markets - which will take years to develop.

The real lesson:
To build a film business, you need commissioned work from local markets first, then international.

Passion projects don’t keep the lights on. Commissioned work does.

We’re first-time feature filmmakers learning as we go. Yes, it’s uncomfortable admitting we built a passion project when we should have validated what local distributors commission.

But that’s learning in public.

What we’re doing now: reaching out to distributors and sales agents before production. Asking what they’re buying locally, what commissioned work they need, where underserved markets are.

Then we’ll know: Does our film work as is? Do we adapt it for local markets? Or do we develop commissioned work that builds our business and then funds our passion project?

It’s terrifying. It’s also right.

Because passion projects don’t build film businesses. Commissioned work does.

SAVE this if you’re making an indie film.
—
First-time filmmakers making our first indie feature. Learning what it takes to build a film business. Documenting the real process - mistakes and all.

Follow the journey

18/02/2026

"I don't have contacts in the industry."

We get it. Preston Jonas Jr. heard it too. But here's what he actually did about it.

In this clip, Preston breaks down the difference between having connections and building them. Spoiler alert: they're not the same thing. And if you're waiting for the industry to hand you an opportunity, you're already behind.

You don't need to know everyone. You just need to know how to show up where the work is happening, and have the guts to make yourself useful.

Preston's story proves it's possible to go from zero contacts to building a network that actually sticks. This is the advice you need to hear if you're still waiting for your shot.

👇Comment "MILLION" below and we'll send you a link to watch the full interview on YouTube.

I’ve written two award-winning shorts. Now I’ve finished writing my first feature and it was a much bigger beast than th...
07/02/2026

I’ve written two award-winning shorts. Now I’ve finished writing my first feature and it was a much bigger beast than the shorts and I’m relieved it’s done 😅.

What’s wild is I can tell how much my writing has evolved.

I’ve learned to protect the process. To stay inside scenes longer. To trust the mess before I go in and clean it up.

These three habits pulled me out of my own way and let the work actually get better.

If you’re early in your writing journey, or you’ve been stuck on the same script for months, try one of these. See what shifts.

Swipe through for the full breakdown.

(script writing, screenwriting, filmmaking, indie film, screenwriter, film writer, short film, feature film, writing process, screenplay, filmmakers, indie filmmaking, writers life, creative writing, film production, storytelling, writing tips, scene writing​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​)

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