Who Is Selina Ringel? The Filmmaker Breaking Down L.A.’s New Free Film Permits

“Los Angeles just approved free filming permits, so if you’re an independent filmmaker, you need to listen to this.” That’s how filmmaker Selina Ringel opened her newest TikTok, posted the day after the L.A. City Council voted to make small shoots cheaper. It’s the kind of news she covers on @selina.ringel: what’s changing in the film business, and what it means for people making movies without a studio behind them.

What did L.A. just approve for filmmakers?

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council passed two motions from Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who chairs the council’s ad hoc committee on film, entertainment and the creative industry, as part of his “Keep Hollywood Home” push, according to the Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter:

• Free micro-shoot permits. Productions with 10 or fewer people on set and minimal community impact can get a city filming permit without a fee. Student films, documentaries and ultra-low-budget projects are the target.
• $1-a-day city property. City-owned parking lots, yards, civic properties and staging areas would rent for $1 a day for base camp and crew parking, regardless of project size.

According to the council’s pre-meeting agenda summary, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the micro-shoot category also comes with rules: handheld or lightweight equipment, no more than half a sidewalk, and no generators, drones, special effects, parking removal or traffic control. Nazarian said the measures “aim to support independent shoots and attract aspiring storytellers to our city.”

Why is L.A. making filming cheaper?

Because production keeps leaving. FilmLA counted on-location shoot days from July through September 2026 down 4.8% from a year earlier and nearly 29% below the five-year average, the Times reported. Nazarian warned that California “is on the brink of losing its position” as the country’s top destination for production spending.

The savings are real for small crews. FilmLA says the city has charged $450 a day for base camp parking at city-owned parks and $100 to $300 a day for crew parking.

What does Selina Ringel think about it?

She called it “a step in the right direction.” In her video, Ringel said the free permits “could be amazing for documentaries, for micro-budget films, student films, short films,” and that the bigger idea matters as much as the dollars: thinking about “how do we make things more accessible, not just for studios but for independent filmmakers, for small-time productions.”

She was also clear about the fine print. “This doesn’t mean that every film permit is free or that every staging area is gonna be $1,” she said. “There’s gonna be some restrictions.” Then she asked her followers the question the council will be hearing next: is it enough, and what else should L.A. do?

When do the free permits start?

Not yet. City departments now have to report back to the council on how they will put the micro-shoot permit and the $1 rate into practice, and no start date has been announced. Until then, permits still run through FilmLA, the city’s film office.

Who is Selina Ringel?

Selina Ringel is a Mexican-American filmmaker, writer, producer and actress. Her father is from Mexico City and she grew up in Guadalajara, according to La Revista Mujer, and her stories center on Mexican-American characters drawn from her own life. Her TikTok bio sums up her mission: “I help creatives stop waiting & start making.”

She makes films with her husband, director and producer Dan Levy Dagerman:

• You, Me & Her, a rom-com about a long-married couple flirting with a threesome, which she wrote, produced and starred in. It opened in U.S. theaters on Valentine’s Day 2025 through Attend, a new platform for booking theaters directly, and has won 15 awards.
• Single Mother by Choice, a fiction feature built around her real pregnancy, filmed once a month through a pregnancy that ran into the start of COVID-19, Spectrum News reported. It screened at the HOLA México Film Festival.

Next, she told Excélsior, is a feature about smartphone addiction, tentatively titled Sin señal, which she will write, produce and star in with her husband directing.

What is Be The Train?

It’s her book and her company. Be The Train: The Mindset & Tools You Need to Make Your First Feature Film came out in 2025, followed by a Spanish edition, Tú Eres El Tren. She wrote it while raising two young kids, getting up between 4 and 6 a.m. to write. The idea in one line: “You are the opportunity, you need to be the train, you cannot wait for the train anymore.”

With Dagerman she runs Be The Train, which offers the Be The Train podcast, a Feature Filmmaker Lab accelerator and coaching on marketing and distribution for independent films. Her TikTok mixes industry news with clips from those conversations.

What other film news is Selina Ringel covering?

Her recent videos follow the money in independent film:

• A24’s documentary hit. She broke down how, by her account, A24 turned a nearly three-hour documentary into a $15 million opening weekend, crediting secrecy, event-style marketing and word of mouth, and asked whether indie filmmakers spend “too much time making their movies and not nearly enough time figuring out how to sell them.”
• The agencies’ 50% push. She reported on a push by UTA, WME and CAA for streamers and studios to put at least 50% of their original-content spending into independent productions. Her caveat: it isn’t law, and it’s no guarantee your film gets picked up.

Where to find Selina Ringel

• TikTok: @selina.ringel
• Instagram: @selinaringel
• Be The Train: bethetrain.com and YouTube
• Podcast: Be The Train podcast

Sources

• Los Angeles Times, “As filming lags, L.A. City Council offers $1 a day parking fees and free permits for micro-shoots” (October 28, 2026)
• The Hollywood Reporter, “L.A. City Council Passes New Motions Aimed at Film-Friendly Overhaul”
• Selina Ringel’s TikTok on the permits (October 28, 2026) and other videos on @selina.ringel
• La Revista Mujer (March 29, 2026); Excélsior (June 3, 2026); Spectrum News 1 (September 23, 2022); bethetrain.com

Image credits: all three photos are from Wikimedia Commons: film crew on Spring Street and the New York set on Seventh Street by Downtowngal (CC BY-SA 3.0), Los Angeles City Hall by Tim Ahem (CC BY 3.0). The film-set photos are illustrative and are not Selina Ringel’s productions. Videos are embedded through TikTok’s official player.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Selina Ringel?

Selina Ringel is a Mexican-American filmmaker, actress and author. She wrote, produced and starred in the rom-com You, Me & Her (2025) and Single Mother by Choice, wrote the book Be The Train, and co-founded the filmmaker education company Be The Train.

What did the L.A. City Council approve for filmmakers?

On October 27, 2026, the council passed two motions from Councilmember Adrin Nazarian: free city filming permits for “micro-shoots” with 10 or fewer people, and a $1-a-day rate for city-owned parking lots, yards, civic properties and staging areas.

Who qualifies for a free micro-shoot permit in Los Angeles?

Shoots with 10 or fewer production personnel and minimal community impact, such as student, documentary and ultra-low-budget crews. Agenda summaries also list handheld or lightweight gear, no more than half a sidewalk, and no generators, drones, special effects, parking removal or traffic control.

When do the free film permits take effect?

No start date has been announced. City departments still have to report back to the council on how they will implement the measures.

How much did L.A. charge for film parking before?

According to FilmLA, the city has charged $450 a day for base camp parking at city-owned parks and $100 to $300 a day for crew parking.

What is Be The Train?

Be The Train is Selina Ringel’s book, Be The Train: The Mindset & Tools You Need to Make Your First Feature Film (Spanish edition: Tú Eres El Tren), and the company she runs with her husband, director Dan Levy Dagerman, which offers a podcast and a Feature Filmmaker Lab.