Marco Perego Warns Indie Filmmakers: Don’t Chase the Money

Producer Marco Perego had a stark warning for independent filmmakers at this year’s Locarno Film Festival: if you’re getting into indie cinema to strike it rich, you’re in the wrong business.

Speaking at Locarno Pro 2026, Perego pulled no punches during his keynote address to the festival’s industry program. He urged aspiring producers to enter independent filmmaking with passion and purpose rather than dollar signs in their eyes. The message comes as the global film industry grapples with serious obstacles in funding, producing, and distributing smaller films.

Perego, who attended the event with his wife, actress Zoe Saldaña, made a simple argument: independent film production demands genuine personal investment. Creative merit, he insisted, should always trump the prospect of financial reward.

Perego’s reality check was unvarnished. Don’t pursue independent cinema expecting financial success, he told the crowd.

The producer spelled out the harsh realities facing anyone considering the indie route. Independent films operate on shoestring budgets and face steeper obstacles securing funding, landing distributors, and building audiences compared to studio-backed productions.

While some indie films do generate buzz and awards recognition, most require years of grueling work and significant personal financial risk before finding their audience. For Perego, that sacrifice is precisely what gives independent filmmaking its value.

Perego’s appearance drew added interest with Saldaña in attendance. The acclaimed actress has navigated both massive studio franchises and more intimate independent projects throughout her career.

Her presence underscored a key contrast in modern filmmaking: the gap between high-budget commercial ventures and the scrappier world of independent cinema. Yet Perego’s focus remained laser-sharp on the creative mindset needed to survive and thrive in the indie sector.

Perego’s comments arrive during a particularly turbulent period for independent filmmakers. Streaming platforms, shifting cinema habits, and ballooning production costs have fundamentally altered how indie films get financed and distributed.

Producers now face brutal trade-offs between artistic vision, tight budgets, and realistic audience expectations. Still, Perego’s core argument holds: uncertainty about money shouldn’t undermine the creative drive behind independent cinema.

His message to newcomers is straightforward: independent film offers a chance to tell bold, unconventional stories and amplify new voices. But it rarely provides an easy path to financial security.

Locarno Pro serves as a crucial gathering space for filmmakers, producers, investors, distributors, and other industry players to discuss where cinema is headed and what challenges lie ahead.

Perego’s keynote fit squarely into those larger conversations. His cautionary tale reminds the industry that independent filmmaking remains driven by passion, where artistic conviction often outweighs financial calculations.

As the industry hunts for sustainable models to finance and release smaller films, Perego’s words will likely strike a chord with producers who view independent cinema as something more than a business venture.

His bottom line: Make indie films because you believe in them—not because you think they’ll make you wealthy.