As an actor in my 30s & 40s I did loads of casting director workshops. Ultimately I did get work from them, but only in the co-star & guest star realm where I still exist now, in my 50s. As a writer/director I've cold queried, submitted to one competition after another, joined networking groups, had films screen in festivals, etc. etc.
4 decades and thousands of dollars spent and I'm no closer to attaining my dreams. I do actually have a career in the business and am fortunate to get to work on some really great projects with amazingly talented people, but not in the capacity I want. I often feel I'm merely a cog in a wheel helping to facilitate someone else's dreams.
My biggest takeaway is that I wish I would've come across your site 6 months ago before I spent another $12k on a proof of concept lol.
My biggest fear or concern is that the film I'm trying to get made right now (which requires real financing) is the most important story I have to tell and I may run out of time without ever seeing it come to fruition.