This past July, MovieMaker.com took down the heat by naming our 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World of 2017. Cool indeed, but not too cool for school: Our 40 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada also rounded out our monthly content slate.

We’ve gathered those must-save guides and more July highlights—including an in-depth interview with Alejandro Jodorowsky, a first-hand account of production by a blind indie moviemaker, tips on how to survive married moviemaking and more—for your browsing and reading pleasure. Dive in!

The Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada 2017: Film Programs to Shape You Into the Next Moviemaking All-Star (By Carlos Aguilar)

Call it “40 Worth the Tuition Fee”: our picks for the best degree programs for film, plus a few alternative avenues for learning.

The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World, 2017 (By MM Staff)

Update your dream destination list today: We’re announcing the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World, from Lisbon to Cartagena. Check ’em out.

Endless Poetry: Alejandro Jodorowsky on the Freedom of Losing Money, and Making Movies at 88 (By Carlos Aguilar)

“I swear to you that I feel I’m only getting started,” says Alejandro Jodorowsky. “I feel very good. It’s not that I have enthusiasm; it’s that I have talent!”

Going In Blind: How the First Legally Blind Person to Write, Produce, Edit, Direct and Star in a Feature Built His Career (By gough)

“Being blind actually helps with directing. Because I can’t see things like facial expressions, I can focus on the delivery of lines,” says this blind independent. Read on for his eye-opening lessons on moviemaking at any cost.

The Irresistible Lure of the Heist: From Baby Driver to Logan Lucky, Why Do We Return to This Classic Genre? (By Daryl Lee)

Heist heist baby. Why the heist genre is a director’s secret weapon.

How They Did It: This Small Indie Documentary Team Tackled NASCAR in New Series Road to Race Day (By Cynthia Hill and David Mayer)

“Tackling the races proved to be one of the biggest challenges in shooting this series. The race tracks were enormous. Our crew was not.”

If We Can, So Can You: How We Co-Direct Feature Films as a Married Couple and Stay Married (By Rebecca and Josh Tickell)

“Husband and wife partnerships aren’t anything new,” write the Tickells. “The cliche is that men do the heavy lifting and women manage the home or the money.”

Lot of Luck: How a Studio Security Guard Turned Moviemaker Tracked Down Set Pieces on His Lot to Make The Midnighters (By Julian Fort)

While patrolling the Paramount lot, Julian Fort asked a stranger if she knew a location manager. Turns out she was one, and helped him book the bank vault set for his heist feature.

First Draft: Take Stock In These 99 Stock Characters You Can Write Into Your Screenplay (By Ken Miyamoto)

Your use of stock characters doesn’t have to be stock. Find one of these 99 types that can be molded to suit your script needs, then bend them to your creative will.

Need For Speed: Don’t Write Off Using Differing Shutter Speeds In Your Project (Video) (By Caleb Hammond)

Have you been forced to use different shutter speeds on a shoot? This video breaks down when and how you can switch up your speeds and stray from traditional frame rates. MM

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