film essay

David Usui on the mayor and the gull, telling small-town stories and his new documentary, Been Here Stay Here.

Filmmaker Mark Rappaport on the genesis of his witty, cinephilic photomontages, which are collected together in Book of Dreams.

Screenwriter Jeremy Slater on his late father, videogames and his new movie, Mortal Kombat II, which hits theaters tomorrow.

Editor turned writer-director Josh Ethier on his joint love of horror movies and bleak, confrontational European cinema.

Benjamin Wagner on directly addressing his mental health struggles and leaning into vulnerability in his new documentary Friends & Neighbors.

G. Anthony Svatek, whose debut feature Humboldt USA plays First Look this weekend, on how collaging has made him a better filmmaker.

Lynne Sachs, who this week will be presented the Pesistence of Vision Award, on making her new film Every Contact Leaves a Trace.

Josh Heaps on the personal journey behind his no-budget giallo homage City Wide Fever, which is out now through Factory 25.

As Redux Redux hits digital, Kevin McManus on the many filmmaking adventures he and his brother Matthew had with their beloved Saturn Ion.

Drew Denny, director of the new documentary Second Nature, on a transformative decade spent telling a story that truly matters.

Actress and writer Freya Adams, best known for her lead role in Jennifer Phang’s Advantageous, shares a poem on how life and acting intersect.

Director Caroline Golum on filming a solar eclipse for her low-budget historical epic, Revelations of Divine Love, which is in theaters now.