film essay
Remembering Blake Heron: Beautiful and Angry and Sad and Funny and Wild
TJ Bowen, who co-wrote and co-starred in Heron's last movie, A Thousand Junkies, shares stories of their time together.
A Letter to My 14-Year-Old Self
Lauren Wolkstein, director of the forthcoming The Strange Ones, sends some words of advice and comfort back through time.
My Magical Introduction to the World of “Bronies”
The longtime director of the My Little Pony TV shows and movies writes of his first time at a fan convention celebrating the franchise.
Why a Psychology Background Comes in Handy as a Documentary Filmmaker
Barbara Kopple on how she approached telling the extraordinary story in her latest documentary, A Murder in Mansfield.
Why Women Need to Tell Rape Stories
Director Natalia Leite scrutinizes the rape-revenge genre, and questions why these films are always made by men …
Uncovering My Real Self in My Debut Feature
Victoria Negri on the experience of growing up with a much older father, and how it informed her very personal directorial debut, Gold Star.
The Time I Thought I Had Died and Was in Hell, and How I Came Back
Writer-director Camille Thoman on a pivotal period of her life that informs her debut feature, Never Here.
[to tell other people’s stories]
Zia Anger gives her personal take on the controversy surrounding David France and his film The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.
What I Learned Making a Film about a Clinic for Undocumented Immigrants
Maxim Pozdorovkin breaks down the lessons of his documentary, Clinica de Migrantes.
The Primal Moment
The director of 78/52 on the movie moments seared themselves onto his memory, and why the Psycho shower scene is not one of them.
Puerto Rico After Maria
Director Miguel Arteta on his memories of growing up in Puerto Rico, and the uncertain future the island now faces.
Cell Phones and Fireworks, or the Ineffable Magic of Building Trust with a Documentary Subject
Lana Wilson shares some remarkable stories about the making of her latest documentary, The Departure, which is in theaters this Friday.











