Ebs Burnough

This is still an indie film podcast, don’t misunderstand, but if I had to do one conversation with somebody who made a studio film, it would be with my guest Ebs Burnough. I’d argue no other person understands the indie film market like he does, especially now with the release of KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION (2025). The film examines how Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel “On the Road” resonates in contemporary America. 

Ebs has a career that hardly seems repeatable — working for the White House to chairing the Sundance Institute — but those kind of unique stories make for the best documentary filmmakers. And we have a great one here today. 

In this episode, Ebs and I discuss:

• How to make a documentary stand out;
• His incredible story of chairing the Sundance Institute, working at the White House under President Obama, and now filmmaking, and what that means for independent directors looking to follow his path;
• What did he take away from his first doc, THE CAPOTE TAPES (2019), to his new film;
• How the process was different as a studio film and if it’s exactly the film he wanted to make;
• The difficulty for directors in accepting feedback and how he views that challenge;
• The decisions surrounding music in the film and why he decided to go with a more contemporary soundtrack;
• How we get more people in theaters for documentaries;
• Whether the festival system is still working for films and his thoughts on the distribution system;
• What’s next for him and if he ever imagines working on narrative projects.

Ebs’ Indie Film Highlight: W. Kamau Bell

Memorable Quotes:

“Wouldn't it be interesting to talk to people who couldn't have gone on the road like Jack did in 1957, but can today?” 

“ Take some risks. Nothing's guaranteed, but if you don't try, you can't fail. But if you can't fail, you can't succeed.”

“I knew that I wanted to bring ‘On the Road’ into the 21st century.” 

“Sometimes your vision is super clear to you and you show it to 10 other people and they’re, I don’t get your vision.”

“What festivals do brilliantly is curate exceptional content.”

Links:

Follow Ebs On Instagram

US Theatrical Dates For KEROUAC'S ROAD