Sexy, Subversive, and Stuck | Jim Vendiola on Trust, Taste, and Creative Haunting

How do you make the work when the world feels like it’s on fire—and still believe it matters?

In this episode, Mishu and filmmaker Jim Vendiola talk about ambivalence, integrity, and making art that haunts you. They dig into taste, tempo, and attention spans, the value of saying no, and what it means to trust your ideas enough to wait. They also get into the quiet thrill of writing voice memos at 2AM, how neurodivergence impacts the creative process, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for your collaborators is to not make the thing—yet.

Jim Vendiola is an award-winning Filipino-American filmmaker whose work explores longing, eros, and emotional liminality. A Newcity Film 50 hall-of-famer (2016–2024), he’s the co-creator of the upcoming neo-noir limited series Argus (in development with WarnerMedia OneFifty), and his recent short Pretty Pickle made thirty-five festival stops and was called “sexy, subversive, and truly stunning.” Jim also won the inaugural NewNarratives Program from NewFilmmakers LA and WarnerMedia OneFifty, and is currently adapting Samantha Kolesnik’s queer body horror novella WAIF for the screen.

We talk about:
 → Navigating ambition and burnout in 2025
 → The myth of consistent productivity
 → Knowing when not to make something
 → AI, advertising, and artistic compromise
 → What makes an idea worth haunting

Follow Jim on Instagram at @jimvendiola, check out his work at jimvendiola.com, or watch his films on Vimeo and Bluesky.

Listen to more episodes at mischiefpod.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @mischiefpod. Produced by @ohhmaybemedia.