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#Likes4Lucas

The redemption story of a fictional YouTube star, #Likes4Lucas is now 70% funded, 100% shot and officially in post-production.  To be released as a short film and as the pilot for an eight-part episodic series, #L4L is a "Trojan-Horse Traumedy.” Its secret mission: to help at-risk teens deal with digital addiction.

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Six Best Things To Do at Tribeca Festival

In honor of the Tribeca Festival’s 25th Anniversary—June 3-14, 2026—here’s my field-tested shortlist for finding your footing: Based on Ten Years of Attendance as Accredited Press

Review: On a String

Writer/director/actor Isabel Hagen’s plucky, hilarious debut On a String follows a Juilliard-trained violist coming of age in New York City.  Hagen—herself a Juilliard-trained violist and stand-up comedian—plays a fictionalized Isabel, infused with personal truth.  Balancing observational humor and genuine poignancy, this delightful first feature hits all the right notes.

Interview: Carter Logan on Father Mother Sister Brother

Is it possible to control a work of art that is by nature—and intent—an enigma?  According to longtime Jarmusch Producer Carter Logan, the familial interactions they explore onscreen are direct analogues to his creative process with Jarmusch. 

Review: It Was Just an Accident

A deeply upsetting, unexpectedly comic crime drama, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident is both a cinematic achievement and an act of political defiance.  Completed under immense personal risk, this enthralling Iranian film delivers politically-charged trauma via clandestine filmmaking.  The result is one of the most daring and unforgettable films his entire oeuvre … with questions that linger long after.

Review: Marty Supreme

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme is a madcap sports-crime thriller:  Uncut Gems plus Catch Me If You Can sandwiched between Balls of Fury (if only that escapade were actually good). Factor in Timothée Chalamet's funniest performance to date, the pulsing 80's score and breathtaking game points…  We’ve got a winner.

 

The Art of Sundance: Beginner’s Festival Guide

Sundance is expensive.  If you can allot the time and money to go, you’ll want to make the most of your experience.  So here’s how to make it even more worth your while.

My own worst critic, your greatest ally.

As a filmmaker and critic, I’m tough on myself, but fair to my audience.  Basically, I’m an optimist—without rose-colored glasses.  I know that excellence takes many forms, that a filmmaker’s journey informs the story onscreen.  I sympathize with artistic struggles and know the pain of production.  I believe in potential; I search for kernels of truth, for those cracks in the chaos where intention shines through.  All storytelling is a mix of affirmation, education and therapy.

Dylan Kai Dempsey