film essay
How I Harnessed My Silicon Valley Startup Skills to Make a Successful First Feature
Director Rucha Humnabadkar explains how her dayjob as a UX designer shaped the way she made her debut feature, For Here or To Go?.
The Unfortunate Thing Filmmakers Have in Common with President Trump
Writer-director Ted Geoghegan, who is also a publicist, begs his peers to tweet less about their movies and spend more time actually making them.
Who Cares About Films About Actresses?
A Woman, A Part director Elisabeth Subrin on her quest to solve the riddle of why she chose an actress as the subject of her debut feature.
How I Learned the Importance and Value of Anger in Art
Oscar-nominated documentarian Guy Davidi reveals how his film about acting teacher Amir Orian shifted his views on how art and politics can intersect.
For All the Girls (Or, How Marielle Heller’s Adaptation of The Diary of a Teenage Girl Helped Me Stop Worrying and Love the Book)
Writer and actress Mara Wilson traces her complex relationship over time with Phoebe Gloeckner's book, and then its big-screen version.
Personal Shopper and the Movies That Haunt Us
Stephen Cone on Olivier Assayas' beguiling new film, and the other rare movies that have powerfully lingered with him in the same way.
David J’s (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) Impressionistic Take on Sun Kil Moon’s Sprawling New Record
Plus a recollection of hanging with Mark Kozelek on the day Kurt Cobain died.
Finding My Voice in American Cinema
Minhal Baig searches for inspiration and purpose as a contemporary filmmaker.
Getting Lucky in Hollywood
Best-selling author and narrative expert Lauren Oliver breaks down the unlikely tale of how her novel Before I Fall made it to the big screen.
Why is the President So Afraid of the Arts?
Actress and writer Halley Feiffer tries to get to the bottom of why the new leader of the free world is taking aim at the creative community.
Why I Keep Returning to Barry Lyndon
Michael Tyburski unpacks the enduring appeal of Stanley Kubrick's 1975 epic period piece, the film he considers the greatest of all time.
Orlando von Einsiedel Talks the Muslim Travel Ban and the White Helmets Attending the Academy Awards
The Oscar nominee for The White Helmets on the executive order which may still prevent his subjects from attending the awards this weekend.











