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film essay

A Letter to Jay

Photographer Stephen Wilkes writes to his mentor, Jay Maisel, on the eve of the release of his documentary about him, Jay Myself.

July 30, 2019

Why Does Everything Look So Fucking Ugly?

Writer-director Amanda Kramer, whose new movie Ladyworld hits theaters Friday, isn't afraid to ask awkward questions.

July 29, 2019

Why Shooting My Latest Film in Afghanistan was a Gift

The Australian writer-director of Jirga on how his background as a paramedic informed his approach to taking risks in life and filmmaking.

July 23, 2019

The Importance of Bad Santa in the Wake of a Friend’s Death

Filmmaker Jack Dunphy on his late best friend John Cibula, and the shifting role Terry Zwigoff’s dark holiday comedy played in their relationship.

July 18, 2019

Rolling Thunder Revue and Memories of the Road

Watching Scorsese's new Bob Dylan documentary takes filmmaker Shannon Plumb back to the time she left her life behind to go look for America.

July 16, 2019

How I Made Summer Night — Even Though the Money Fell Through a Week Into Shooting

Actor Joseph Cross on how he fulfilled a childhood ambition by directing his first movie, thanks to a crew who went above and beyond.

July 12, 2019

Making the Film I Needed at 16

Jasmin Mozaffari on the roots of her debut feature, Firecrackers, and her proudly disruptive mission to topple the patriarchy through cinema.

July 11, 2019

Film, Family, and Other F-words That Don’t Always Get Along

Miss Arizona writer-director Autumn McAlpin on the very challenging realities of trying to balance art with life obligations.

July 10, 2019

Notes From a Childfree TV and Film Lover

To Kid or Not to Kid director Maxine Trump looks for positive depictions of women who chose not to have children, and struggles to find any ...

July 2, 2019

Bring on the Next Wave of Female Auteurs

As she develops new feature projects, writer-director Vashti Anderson wonders, are female filmmakers being given the chance to take risks too?

June 28, 2019

What Making a Documentary About a Cat Circus Taught Me About the Impermanence of Art

Jacob Feiring shares the wisdom he learned about filmmaking and life from making his new documentary, Acrocats!.

June 26, 2019

Mamma Mia: Let Me Go Again – a Tribute to the Franchise

Comedian and Quickie Fest founder Anna Roisman on the all-time greatest cinematic franchise, even though it may not technically be a franchise.

June 25, 2019