In this episode I speak with Mark Wachholz, a Berlin-based screenwriter and AI filmmaker. Mark shares his journey from being rejected by traditional film schools to spending over two decades writing novels, games, and scripts waiting for the moment when the kinds of films he wanted to make would finally be possible. For him, AI was the doorway that arrived 20 years later.

We talk about his award-winning short film The Cinema That Never Was, why he sees AI not as a tool but as a creative collaborator, and what remains uniquely human when “anything becomes possible.” 

Key Themes We Explore

Taste and curation in a world where “anything is possible”Letting go of perfection as AI tools rapidly evolveWhy creative restraint matters more than capabilityScaling from solo AI filmmaker to larger collaborative projectsThe emotional tension between control and surrender in creative workKey Takeaways

Possibility is expanding faster than our decision-making frameworksCreativity is less about ownership and more about resonanceTaste becomes the differentiator when tools become accessibleAI reveals how much discipline storytelling requiresYou can connect with Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwachholz/

Episode ID: 1000750260555

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Release Date: 18/02/2026, 04:00:00