Orlando’s Creative Energy Took Over the West Church Corridor
October 19, 2026
Nicholas Linadi | Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
In Conversation with Filmmaker & RUSHfest Co-Founder Nicholas Linadi
Nicholas Linadi is a Full Sail alumni, and an Orlando based filmmaker from Indonesia. He is one of the co-founders of RUSHfest, an annual film exhibition and networking event located in Winter Park. Orlando Life sat down with him on October 17th to talk about his place in the Orlando creative space and this year’s RUSHfest coming up on October 25th.
ORLANDO LIFE: Hey, thank you for joining me today, I’m excited to talk to you.
NICHOLAS: Thanks for having me.
ORLANDO LIFE: Could you start off by telling me about yourself and how you’re involved in the creative community in Orlando?
NICHOLAS: So, I came here from Indonesia. I chose Orlando because there’s Full Sail here, and when I was back in Indonesia I looked at different film schools in New York and LA, but Full Sail just ended up catching my attention. I moved here, attended Full Sail, and right when I was about to graduate in 2023, I started getting serious and branching out, doing my own thing, and creating passion projects. It helped a lot with building a home base here in Orlando.
ORLANDO LIFE: You said you chose Orlando because of Full Sail; how was your experience there?
NICHOLAS: Most of it for me, was dealing with the culture shock. When I came here in 2021, I saw how different the culture and life is here. It was also different living by myself because I’m a really big family person. But Full Sail was fun–you get to be in a room with like-minded people who also share the same interests and passion for filmmaking.
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
ORLANDO LIFE: How did you develop a passion for film?
NICHOLAS: I think I’ve always known that I had an attraction for film. Growing up, my mom loved documenting her life and my sisters’ life with her camcorder. I think that always seeing her with her camera passed it down to me. I love storytelling and capturing things that feel real and evoke emotions. Funny enough, I think one thing that I remember most was my mom saying, “whenever life gets too hard, or if you ever feel down or lonely, go watch a movie or show”.
ORLANDO LIFE: How do you feel that Orlando’s film community compares to Indonesia’s?
NICHOLAS: Back when I was living in Indonesia, the film world was still very underdeveloped. Anytime there would be an original Indonesian TV show or movie, it would be…kinda bad in a sense, you know? The cinematography was off, it wasn’t really fine tuned, and there was so much room for improvement. When I was back there, everything I learned was online from YouTube. Moving to Orlando was a really big shift because I got to see people who have spent time and mastered their craft. Moving from Indonesia where their film knowledge isn’t that advanced, then coming here was a big eye opener for me.
ORLANDO LIFE: Do you have a favorite project you’ve ever worked on or directed?
NICHOLAS: Favorite is hard. I feel like they all resemble a moment in my life and my career. “Mia” is my first, and I’ll never forget that project. Watching it back, there’s so much that I would have done differently, but it’s one of those projects that you can be happy with as time passes. Yes, I would change things, but at the same time it’s good the way it is–that’s the way it was meant to be. My other film, “Bacon Cheeseburger and a Chocolate Milkshake”, was a big jump production-wise. We went from “Mia”, which was just a group of friends and a small cast, to BAACM, with a bigger crew and so many extras. It was nerve-wracking and intimidating, but also exciting because it felt like I was leveling up. I can’t say I have a favorite.
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
BTS on Bacon Cheeseburger and a Chocolate Milkshake
ORLANDO LIFE: What would you say inspires you the most about being a filmmaker in Orlando?
NICHOLAS: Orlando–in comparison to LA, Atlanta, New York–is more intimate. We’re all equally as passionate, but I’ve heard multiple people say on different sets, that as much as they love working for bigger stuff in New York or LA, the space in Orlando is so much healthier and almost like a family. We’re always looking out for each other and lifting each other up. I want to work in LA, but I would feel like I’m kind of missing that sense of family here in the Orlando community.
ORLANDO LIFE: What advice would you give to somebody who wants to get involved in Orlando’s creative community?
NICHOLAS: Honestly, I think that it’s really easy to step into the Orlando community because everyone’s just so open and welcoming. Social media is definitely one of the biggest tools you can use as a creative. In every single passion project of mine, I’ve always had someone reach out through social media saying “Hey, I’m trying to get into the creative space but I don’t have any experience, I’d love to help out however I can”, and it’s always perfect timing. Once you get on set, you meet all these talented, like-minded people that are already in the creative space and actively getting work, and since the Orlando space is so small, I feel that when we open the doors for young creatives to jump in and grow in Orlando, it helps us too.
ORLANDO LIFE: I like how you put that. So just, shoot your shot, essentially?
NICHOLAS: That’s all you have to do, yeah.
ORLANDO LIFE: I’m going to segue into RUSHfest now; tell me a little bit about it.
NICHOLAS: Basically, I was handed this opportunity by Aloma Cinema Grill, the host of RUSHfest. They reached out and said “Hey, we know you’re an active filmmaker in the Orlando space, and we would love to connect with you and provide a space for you to have local people come out and celebrate their work”. I feel like as a filmmaker or creative, you’re constantly in work mode, where you finish one project and immediately jump to the next one. You don’t always get to watch it with an audience and give yourself a pat on the back. RUSHfest started because we wanted to dedicate one night a year to celebrating our accomplishments and the projects we’ve done.
ORLANDO LIFE: I love that, and I think it’s great too that all these Orlando creatives get to see each other’s work and really appreciate it. How big is the team for RUSHfest?
NICHOLAS: The official team is me and the other co-founder of RUSHfest, Mandy White, but last year we had some students from Valencia College reach out and volunteer at the event.
ORLANDO LIFE: If someone wants to get involved with RUSHfest as a filmmaker, what’s the best way for them to do it?
NICHOLAS: If a filmmaker wants to submit to RUSHfest, there is an option to purchase a filmmaker submission from the ticket link. The submission purchase allows you to submit your work and attend the festival with a free plus one. When we go through the selection process, if your film gets selected it will be played in front of around 200 people.
ORLANDO LIFE: What’s your favorite thing about hosting RUSHfest?
NICHOLAS: My favorite thing is just seeing everyone from the different parts of the Orlando space coming together. Last year, I was able to see a bunch of people I worked on different projects with all in the same space, and it was kind of weird. I was like, “oh god, my worlds are combining!”
ORLANDO LIFE: What can people anticipate from this year’s RUSHfest? What are you looking forward to?
NICHOLAS: I think definitely the theming, because we have a whole art department now. It’s masquerade themed in the spirit of Halloween, so it’s going to be super cool.
ORLANDO LIFE: Awesome, thank you so much for speaking with us today!
RUSHfest takes place on October 25th from 6pm-10pm at Aloma Cinema Grill in Winter Park. Come in your finest masquerade attire, enjoy the films, and network with some of Orlando’s best local filmmakers!
Nicholas Linadi
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
