film essay

Māori producer and co-director Ainsley Gardiner on the lineage and history of her new film with Briar Grace-Smith, Cousins, now on Netflix.

Mariam Ghani, whose striking new documentary What We Left Unfinished is out now, on what pushed her to change the kind of work she made.

To mark the release of her fourth film, the road movie Pooling to Paradise, writer Caytha Jentis reflects on her own journey.

Night Drive writer and co-director Meghan Leon on her love affair with TV and movie characters who have no idea what the fuck they’re doing.

Andre Gaines grapples with what drove him to direct his documentary about the iconic comedian and activist, which is now airing on Showtime.

Steve Elkins on some of the remarkable people who didn’t make the final cut of his expansive new documentary, and the themes that underpin the film.

Writer-director Linas Phillips, who’s currently crowdfunding his next film, Take Two, on drawing for real life for his movies.

Wyatt Rockefeller on how creature builders, puppeteers and VFX artists brought Steve the robot to life in his debut feature, Settlers.

River writer-director Emily Skye on what happened when her dream film project suddenly fell apart in pre-production five years ago.

Documentary filmmaker Derek Doneen, whose new series Heist hits Netflix today, on the off-camera moments that linger long in the memory.

Filmmaker Michelle Memran on how she used making art with watercolor pencils as a form of therapy, from her cancer diagnosis through the pandemic.

For writer-director Jonathan Cuartas, family is at the very heart of his new film, My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To.