TENDER (DWF LA 2026) The long and clever con

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TENDER

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Filmmaker Adam Hoelzel delivers a twisted directorial debut at DWF LA 2026 Closing Night film. In TENDER, after coming up with a non-starter scheme to leave his wife and start fresh with his mistress, both Mick and Billie find a way out of their mess after stumbling upon a gold brick in the walls of their house. Billie quietly begins to search the house for more. When they hit the jackpot, it comes with some complicated terms.

Each bar has a UV mark, so selling it outright is not an option. Finding legal loopholes and roping in those around is a carefully choreographed dance between two people who now supposedly hate each other. Paranoia and crossed wires force Mick and Billie to adapt. But an additional player reframes their complex plans.

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Jesse Garcia plays Mick with an overconfident air, perfect for the plan the audience knows is insane. Jess Weixler, who plays Billie and also serves as the film’s narrator, is magnificent. She steals every moment on screen with her take-no-shit attitude. I fell in love with Weixler in Chained For Life. Her chameleon abilities are a director’s dream.

Phillip J. McLaughlin‘s editing absolutely delights in establishing the passage of time and the initial plot point in the film’s opening. But, like the entirety of Tender, get ready for a long con. Heolzel sells us the illusion hook, line, and sinker. Tender is a complex cat-and-mouse game. If you can follow the truth, you’re quicker than I am. Well played to everyone involved. I’ve been had.

WRITER/DIR: Adam Hoelzel
PRODS: Sofia Rovaletti, Sonja O’Hara, Farrell Ingle, Theo Bucksey, Michael K. Dwyer, Corey Moosa, Roy Hsu, Grayson Hay
CAST: Jess Weixler, Jesse Garcia, David Koechner, Shakira Barrera, Sonja O’Hara, Robert Longstreet,
Mark St. Cyr, Stephen Ellis

After inheriting a modest house in a dying town, Billie and Mick believe they’ve finally found stability, until crushing debt, old resentments, and a shocking discovery buried within their walls threaten to tear them apart. As the couple is forced into a dangerous alliance to protect their future, Tender becomes a darkly intimate portrait of marriage under pressure, where love, money, and survival blur into something unrecognizable.

Tender DWF LA site

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Lady Puritan (DWF LA 2026) A striking generational reckoning

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Lady Puritan

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Filmmakers Gustine Füdickar and Justin Streichman‘s DWF LA 2026 short film Lady Puritan will blow your mind. The story follows Meredith, a woman experiencing intense nightmares and excruciating physical pain. Upon the recommendation of a spiritual guide, Meredith undergoes a reckoning of past, present, and future.

Streichman’s editing is a wonder. A hallucinatory journey that makes sense even when it shouldn’t. The close-up work of flora is creepily unnerving. It immediately draws the eye to the smallest bits of decay. The unsettling nature of the film, no pun intended, ramps up tenfold from there.

Visually stunning, Füdickar and Streichman tease audiences with what must be a nod to Andrew Wyeth‘s 1948 painting, Christina’s World. If you know anything about art, the choice is simply brilliant. Throughout the film, particularly in the opening and closing credits, there are microscopic slides of what appear to be butterfly wings, adding an entirely new level of metaphor and a metamorphosis angle. Regardless of their specifics, the impact is astounding.

Füdickar’s physical work is exquisite, between fear, wrath, manic energy, and acceptance. You cannot walk away unchanged by this performance. All the building blocks are there for a feature. Lady Puritan is truly haunting. It manages to land squarely between terror and sensuality. It is a visual personification of feminine rage and generational trauma. For any audience member embracing their witchy era, this short will have you shaking with excitement.

Lady Puritan Dances with Films Site

WRITERS/DIRS: Gustine Füdickar & Justin Streichman
PROD: Justin Streichman
CAST: Gustine Füdickar, Dorothy Dubrule, Stacy Dawson Stearns

As dream life bleeds into waking reality, a woman haunted by her Puritan ancestor must confront the terror buried deep within her bloodline. Through ritual and violent trial of the body, she fractures the veil between worlds and is thrown into a fight for her life. Lady Puritan is a surreal psychological meditation on ancestral trauma and the intimate horror of what we are born carrying. Set against the shadow of American Puritanism, the film explores the tension between repression and embodied desire.

WARNING: THIS FILM CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES THAT MAY CAUSE DISCOMFORT OR TRIGGER SEIZURES FOR PEOPLE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVITY.

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The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg (DWF LA 2026) David Vs Goliath drama

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The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg

The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg

Filmmaker Doug Bremner’s DWF LA 2026 drama “The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg” follows a devoted scientist, a desperate mother, and the do-gooder lawyers who join forces to fight for the families of children who committed suicide while taking an acne medication. But Big Pharma won’t let their billion-dollar product go down that easily. They use every dirty tactic in the book to stop them.

Dr. Jack Forteo agrees to run a study to examine the potentially deadly effects of a popular drug. Thinking they can use their power, influence, and money to demoralize the doctor, Pharmaceutical company Renzon sues Forteo and his university, calling into question his work ethic, wreaking havoc on his personal and professional life.

Bremner packs a one-two punch by giving Jack the childhood trauma of losing his sick mother, then adding the consequences of being a passionate workaholic.

The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg court scene

Hannah Fierman (SiREN) plays Amanda Bellaconda with a genuine kindness and impassioned determination. Shaan Sharma brings assured charm as counsel Ryan Singh.

David de Vries kills it as the boisterous lawyer Red Leghorn. He steals every scene he’s in. Andy Evans is great as Dr Jack Forteo. His hesitant demeanor is a wonderful foil for the immense pressure of the plot’s villain. Evans’ physical performance is fantastic.

From a technical standpoint, if I’m being nitpicky, the editing could use a pickup, specifically in the deposition scenes. Also, I suggest a reloop of Jack’s “joie de vivre” with the correct pronunciation. There’s no way a well-traveled speaker and professor would make that mistake.

The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg - [www.imdb.com]

I have secondhand experience with Accutane side effects. One of my best college friends began to take the medication, and in a few weeks, his entire personality shifted. His aggressive outbursts and negative behavior made us estranged for almost a year. The ensuing class action lawsuits were on my radar for years. “The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg” feels directly inspired by them.

The film tackles the quid pro quo of drug trials and the power of big pharma. A classic profits-over-people story, but Bremner mixes it with an unexpected emotional journey as a narrative anchor. Overall, the film plays like a Hallmark movie, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone needs a good David Vs Goliath story now and again.

The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg Trailer:

WRITER/DIR: Doug Bremner 
PRODS: Doug Bremner, Julia Hobgood, Catherine Kagan, Joshua Looby, Viola Vaccarino
CAST: Andy Evans, David de Vries, Hannah Fierman, Shaan Sharma, Caroline Avery Granger, Nisey Woods

When a psychiatrist discovers that a medication for the treatment of acne is causing teenagers to kill themselves, the pharmaceutical company sets out on a campaign to destroy the source of the threat to their billion-dollar-a-year drug.

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THE REVERB (DWF LA 2026) Y/A mystery pilot reels you in.

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THE REVERB

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In the DWF LA 2026 series pilot, The Reverb, young college student Cassie unexpectedly reunites with her estranged best friend and famous indie band member when Aaron shows up on her doorstep late one night. Waking up to discover Aaron has been connected to the death of the band’s lead singer, Cassie must decide whether to trust her friend.

Filmmaking sisters Jordan and Janie Ruttert have set the stage for mystery with a young cast and drips of information. The Reverb pilot definitely left me wanting more. It is a solid teaser for a more fleshed-out story. It’s giving Pretty Little Liars vibes.

Mari Blake gives Cassie authentic ferocity that plays more like a documentary than a performance. You can see each beat transform her words and actions. She is simply spectacular. The Reverb could definitely benefit from a bigger budget, but Mari Blake is the Ruttert sisters’ golden ticket.

The Reverb

NORTH AMERICAN Premiere | USA, 2026, 30 min.
SERIES BLK 9 > SAT JUN 27 @ 4PM

The Reverb Trailer:

WRITER: Jordan Ruttert
DIRS: Jordan Ruttert & Janie Ruttert
PRODS: Jordan Ruttert, Janie Ruttert, Stephanie Ruttert, Doron Ruttert
CAST: Mari Blake, Matthew Assheton, Sofie Zamchick, Fia Thomson, Niya Je, Joseph Stewart, Mujeeb Rufai, Caroline Rutschilling, Dani Dorn, Noah Frankenfield

THE REVERB is a Y/A murder mystery that centers around the turbulent friendship, or rather ex-friendship, between Cassie, a young college student, and Aaron Blake, lead guitarist for the renowned indie rock band Entourage. Trouble follows Cassie home when Aaron mysteriously appears at her front door seeking refuge for the night. When she learns that Aaron is rumored to be linked to the murder of his bandmate and lead singer of Entourage, Skye Thomas, Cassie must decide whether to believe Aaron, despite their many years apart, or fight to uncover the truth.

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COIN (DWF LA 2026) More than a crypto scam comedy.

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COIN

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Filmmaker John Brownell tells a story of risk, reward, real estate, and revenge in DWF LA 2026 feature COIN. In an effort to save their local park, two slackers, Billy and Ricky, set up a fake fundraising campaign under a local mayor and developer running for governor of California. When donations appear overnight, they think they’re rich and decide to reinvest the money into Billy’s newly formed cryptocurrency fund.

Ricky and Billy’s friend Audrey must break the news that their scheme is entirely illegal. When a political henchman comes looking for the funds, all hell breaks loose.

The authenticity of how these two approach crypto is applause-worthy. You will find yourself both nodding and shaking your head as they navigate a world that is based mostly on vibes.

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Madison West is our voice of reason as Audrey. She is a grounding presence. The camera loves her. Danny Breslin gives Billy an overconfidence that perfectly suits his character’s ambitions. Tyler Picchi is Ricky. Picchi nicely balances fearlessness and optimism. West, Breslin, and Picchi have a solid chemistry together.

The entire script is much more than an indictment of crypto and corruption. It plays into the massive ignorance of the average voter, but specifically, to an overconfident generation raised on the internet. Brownell leans into the technology gap but cleverly illustrates the impact of influencers and the internet as a true learning tool, without it getting preachy for those who couldn’t care less about crypto.

Brownell skillfully tackles the dark side of politics and the very real power imbalance we are currently experiencing in this wonky timeline. COIN is undeniably entertaining. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Brownell.

Coin Teaser Trailer:

WRITER/DIR: John Brownell

PRODS: John Brownell, Blake Johnson

CAST: Tyler Picchi, Danny Breslin, Madison West, Roy Abramsohn, Sharlene Radlein

Two friends misappropriate campaign funds to launch a cryptocurrency in a half-baked plan to save a local park, setting a political hitman after them.

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HEKLA (DWF LA 2026) An actor’s life for me!

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HEKLA

Hekla – Hekla – Elizabeth Stam

Filmmaker Michael Glover Smith co-writes the DWF LA 2026 feature HEKLA with star Elizabeth Stam. It follows a day in the life (and the mind) of a Chicago actress.

Wendy Robie‘s narration elevates the already mesmerizing structure. The black-and-white cinematography creates a stark visual juxtaposition against the color of Hekla’s theatrical storytelling moments. The costumes and direct eye contact with the camera create a stunning snapshot into Hekla’s talent and confident psyche.

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Stam’s physical chaos, like carrying an open ceramic mug on the L, matches perfectly with a life in the arts. The parallels between the meta script and the screenplay are fantastic. The audience gets a peek into Hekla’s freshly broken-off relationship as she delivers monologues and songs during her various auditions. It speaks directly to the creative process and motivation during a performance. Stam and Smith delve into the irony of desiring a career as a successful actor. Once anonymity fades, everything changes.

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Elizabeth is fantastic. In whatever character she is playing, you cannot take your eyes off her. She is a true chameleon. HEKLA is undeniably compelling in both visual style and storytelling. Anyone who has dipped their toe in the industry will connect with the film instantly. Smith and Stam deliver all the anxiety, whimsy, and reality of living your dreams.

WRITERS: Michael Glover Smith & Elizabeth Stam
DIR: Michael Glover Smith
PRODS: Aaron Wertheimer, Michael Glover Smith, Elizabeth Stam
CAST: Elizabeth Stam, Wendy Robie, Mary Tilden, Brookelyn Hebert

HEKLA is a comedy-drama about the emotional cost of pursuing a creative life. Hekla, a determined Chicago actress, races through auditions, breakups, and self-doubt, risking her heart and career to claim her voice and step fully into the artist and woman she’s meant to be. Set over one day in Chicago, the film explores how ambition, identity, and vulnerability collide when you’re chasing something as personal, and uncertain, as an acting career. Beneath the humor and dramatic momentum lies a story about the importance of showing up for yourself, even if the world isn’t clapping for you yet.

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YALE (DWF LA 2026) Based on an astounding true story

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YALE


Jay Silverman‘s Dances With Film LA feature, YALE, opens this festival edition. Mackenzie’s unresolved childhood trauma manifests as alcoholism and a successful but unfulfilling writing career. After an altercation with a fan leads her to another arrest, her already strained relationship with her ailing son becomes way more complicated. Ryan needs a kidney transplant, forcing Mack to track down her estranged father. What begins as a transactional relationship develops into a meeting of the minds, a hashing out of past wounds, family secrets, and a connection neither expects.

Based on the wild true story of writer Van Billet‘s maternal grandfather, the screenplay explores cyclical trauma with authentic heart and laughs. Mack quickly realizes how disconnected she is from Ryan. Yale’s jokes are simultaneously funny and eyeroll-inducing. But the depth lies within the sadness and unfathomable reality of Yale Parker.

The similarities between Mac and Yale are narrative heaven. In their cynical back-and-forth, they both treat truth like an inconvenience and deeply care about Ryan. Together, they navigate the crappy hand they’ve been dealt by chasing down a kidney.

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Rachel Harris plays Mac’s literary agent and only friend, Susan. Any time we see her, it immediately elevates the project. Benjamin Mackey gives Ryan a wonderful spunk, easily holding his own alongside the adults.

Kevin Dunn makes Yale a fully fleshed-out and terribly charming guy. He manages to be lovable through a laundry list of bad behaviors. Caitlin McGee is undeniably grounded, bouncing off Dunn like an absolute pro. She has a Kate Walsh look and energy. She genuinely owns every beat. Dunn and McGee have fabulous chemistry. They are incredible scene partners.

Billet’s script delivers a nuanced take on generational trauma, desperation, and eventually a father-daughter road movie. There is so much meat on the bone, Yale could easily translate into an entire series. DWF LA 2026 audiences are in for quite a ride.

WRITER: Van Billet
DIR: Jay Silverman
PRODS: Jay Silverman, Bethany Cerrona, Ian Christian Blanche, Kevin Dunn, Joe Gamache
CAST: Caitlin McGee, Kevin Dunn, Rachael Harris, Benjamin Mackey, Dominic Leeder

Based on a true story about a troubled woman who must confront her deadbeat father who abandoned her as a child as the last ditch effort to find a donor kidney for her dying son.

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TEMPEST (DWF LA 2026) A Gripping Journey Through Grief and Parallel Realities

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TEMPEST

TEMPEST Key Art

The first fifteen minutes of Gregory J. Green‘s DWFLA 2026 film TEMPEST have no dialogue. The plot rolls out on a stormy night against Brendon Cassidy’s beautifully whimsical score. Five years after the death of her son, successful maritime artist Miranda exists mired in grief, in a waning marriage where communication is barely viable. After accidentally triggering a dimensional shift and experiencing a taste of another life, Miranda cannot stop herself from exploring what she believes might be the answer to all her wishes.

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Visually captivating, DP Kody Newton immediately differentiates between dimensions by using different lens colors. Sad Miranda’s world is constantly overcast, while her other self exists in a warm light. Slowly, the audience discovers the physical and emotional differences. Scott Campbell‘s stellar production design plays an intrinsic role.

Tempest Miranda (Erica Piccininni) cries in anguish

Performances are fabulous. Each actor plays a dual role, and they are distinct, vibrant, and nuanced. Our Miranda, Erica Piccininni, is a star. She brings such grace and vulnerability to both women. You can see the wheels turning, and you want to be a part of every beat.

The writing is clever. Writer Garry Williams juxtaposes scenes in both dimensions. Fans of the television series Sliders and the film Sliding Doors will adore this. If you are not either crying or contemplating life halfway through TEMPEST, check your pulse. Through themes of grief, marriage, and healing, TEMPEST is an extraordinary journey through the ever-present “what-ifs,” and a stunning reminder to be grateful and kind to ourselves.

TEMPEST Trailer:

WRITER: Garry Williams

DIR: Gregory J. Green

PROD: David Weisenberg

CAST: Erica Piccininni, Josh Bywater, Jacob Buster, Allison Pistorious

Miranda may be a successful artist, but her life and marriage are in ruins. One hopeless night, lightning flashes, dimensions shift, and Miranda is overjoyed to find herself in a parallel world where none of her heartbreaks exist. But this new life crumbles when the alternate Miranda, whose own world has been usurped, starts desperately trying to return.

WORLD Premiere | USA, 2026, 95 min.FRI JUN 19 @ 930PM

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What Is To Come (Tribeca 2026) Late-in-life self-discovery.

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What Is To Come

Director Ruthy Pribar‘s sophomore film, What Is To Come, follows a sheltered 60-year-old woman who unexpectedly loses her husband and travels to Eilat, first to disappear, ut then to reclaim her identity.

what is to come tribeca 2026

The film begins with great darkness, as Yehudit’s husband Michael has decided they will commit suicide together. When Yehudit survives and hides the fact, she must contend with the emotional and financial fallout.

The reality of Yehudit’s existence becomes crystal clear almost immediately. She has lived a life of isolation and control. She had no idea Michael had borrowed so much money from others, so as debtors come looking for repayment, Yehudit runs. When the funds finally run out, the hotel manager’s kindness rekindles faith in herself.

Renting a small apartment in a not-so-great part of town, Yehudit comes face to face with a small refugee family who claim the apartment is theirs. They agree to share the space. Yehudit befriends the pregnant mother and her young child, while her relationship with her boss develops. But Yehudit’s past cannot stay hidden forever.

Ronit Yudkevitch is extraordinary as our leading lady. The range of emotions, the physical performance, all nuanced with elegance and female strength. It is a masterclass.

The sound editing is crisp and meaningful. The camera often follows Yehudit’s back, making the audience quite literally a companion on her journey. This is a story of self-discovery, a late-in-life coming of age. So many women find themselves financially hostage. Pribar creates an authentic portrait of a woman fumbling towards a new beginning. What Is To Come is a quietly revelatory story.

International Narrative Competition

Feature Narrative | Israel, United Kingdom | 82 MINUTES | Hebrew, English | English subtitles

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Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors (Tribeca 2026) Comedy of Humanity and Errors

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Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors

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Stacey Sargeant‘s Tribeca 2026 short film Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors is an absolutely genius illustration of intrusive thoughts. This is a quintessential New York story in every single way.

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It takes guts to thrive, hell even exist, in the city. We’ve all pushed past people to get off a train, moved cars because of a smell, and cried on the train at any given hour of the day. While Stand Clear ‘ the Closing Doors is a universal snapshot of public transportation, it is also one of humanity and connection found every minute in the melting pot of culture and stories in the greatest city in the world.

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Thoughtfully shot by Timothy Naylor, if you are a local, you feel like you’re placed right next to Sargeant. She has managed to produce a living, breathing sense memory on film. Simultaneously funny, infuriating, and deeply moving, I cannot wait to see more from her.


Starring STACEY SARGEANT, GRACE REX, and CLAUDIA LOGAN
Directed by STACEY SARGEANT
Produced by STACEY SARGEANT and BECKY MORRISON
Executive Producers JEREMY KATZ, STACEY SARGEANT, and VERONA SARGEANT
Creative Producers ESTHER DE ROTHSCHILD and ADEPERO ODUYE
Cinematography TIMOTHY NAYLOR
Edited by JONATHAN ROGERS

SYNOPSIS

When a woman makes a simple request of a fellow NYC subway passenger, an everyday moment turns into a bizarre battle for space, peace, and dignity.

Comedy, Drama, New York, Women | 7 minutes | Not Rated | 2026 | English | USA

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In Memoriam (Tribeca 2026): A Dark Comedy on Legacy

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Tribeca 2026 posterIn Memoriam

large_In_Memoriam-Clean-16x9-01Rob Burnett brings a wicked take on mortality and legacy in Tribeca 2026’s dark comedy In Memoriam. When a known TV actor, Langston Stanfield, gets a terminal cancer diagnosis out of the blue, his entire goal for his remaining six months to live is to make it into the Oscars Death Montage.

Unfortunately, Langston has a crap record with personal relationships, throwing the path to remembered greatness into chaos. Five wives, an estranged daughter, and a wake of poor choices, In Memoriam is about reconciliation and personal redemption. On his journey, Langston must face the consequences of pride, beg for favors, and attend therapy sessions.

Burnett curated a crazy impressive cast around star Marc Maron. Each with standout moments that counter Maron’s ability to steal a frame, names like Judy Greer, Sharon Stone, Justin Long, Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Alan Ruck.

Lily Gladstone plays the take-no-shit and evenhanded Dr. Whitely. The grace and grounding she brings to the screen as Samantha is simply captivating. Her character forces Langston to connect with his daughter, Maura.

Talia Ryder gives audiences the pure, girlish innocence of being on the cusp of true adulthood. Maron and Ryder share a beautiful chemistry, the true heart of the film. Burnett’s use of the Meisner method is genius.

Michael McKean is Langston’s lifelong manager and friend Walter. Endlessly supportive, the dynamic between these two men was so incredibly refreshing to witness, particularly in a Hollywood setting. McKean always brings effortless joy with him.

Maron is his charming, sardonic, neurotic self. Owning each beat from self-absorbed to self-actualized, Maron’s emotional roller-coaster reels in the audience with heart and humor.

In Memorium is sure to delight even the most curmudgeonly critic. You cannot help but laugh, cry, and ponder your own legacy as the credits roll.

Remaining Tribeca 2026 screening of In Memorium:

Sun June 14 – 5:30 PM
 Village East by Angelika

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‘Switch’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Sexy shenanigans are only the beginning

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SWITCH

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In the Tribeca 2026 television series Switch, two eager and very different women begin a relationship. Maxine is pragmatic and slightly guarded. Lena is full-speed-ahead passionate. Together, they perfectly balance each other. To ramp up the already existing spice, they deep dive into their sexual fantasies. Agreeing that labels are so passe, and since neither desires to remain monogamous for life, the search for a man to have a threesome with is officially on.
 
Sexy shenanigans ensue as each potential partner has his flaws. But Naxine and Lena will be damned if they don’t keep trying.
 
Coral Peña is charming, sarcastic, and quirky as Maxine. Pauline Chalamet is intense but sweet playing Lena. Their chemistry is genuinely fun. They share an authentic comic timing, the kind that comes when you’re actual friends or lovers. Writers and creators Isabelle Platt and Sofya Levitsky-Weitz deliver an equally sexy, funny, and appropriately cringeworthy series. I want more, no matter how awkward.
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Director: Isabelle Platt, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Jean Liu, & Jaki Bradley

Writer: Isabelle Platt & Sofya Levitsky-Weitz

Producers: Jean Liu, Benedetta Comito, & Coco Glickman

Cast: Pauline Chalamet, Coral Peña, Adam Shaukat, Benjamin Holtz, & Nikki Snipper

Remaining Screenings of Switch:

Sun June 14 – 2:15 PM
 AMC 19th St. East 6

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‘Cotton Fever’ (Tribeca 2026) Best Narrative Feature & Cinematography winner proves heartbreakingly real

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Tribeca 2026 posterCotton Fever

large_Cotton_Fever-Clean-16x9-01-v2Daniel Blake Schwartz‘s very personal Tribeca 2026 drama Cotton Fever explores the trappings of addiction. The film follows the lives of interconnected drug users in Massachusetts.

Dealer James and his pregnant girlfriend Dina hope to move into a proper apartment. Homeless and addicted couple Sam and Manny chase the next high with petty crime. Akil’s motivation is his brother’s near misses with overdosing. Each one has the hope of a better tomorrow, despite the odds stacked against them.

Ari Mora and Chabely Ponce are spectacular together, playing Manny and Sam. Their mix of survival and enamored love is a fascinating study.

Colton Osorio gives teen dealer Harley the precise innocence and streetwise fearlessness that proves captivating. Ronald Emile‘s Akil bleeds love-soaked desperation in his brotherly efforts. Don’t sleep on him.

Sosie Bacon‘s Dina is genuine and aspirational. Her kindness and self-actualization are incredibly refreshing.

Kyle Gallner, one of my favorite actors on the planet, knocks it out of the park again. It feels like there is no role he cannot own. As James, Gallner commands each frame, bouncing between fear, rage, the hustle, and the deceiving calm of a high. But it is the sacrificial lamb under the surface that gets you. Once again, it is award-worthy stuff.

There is an immersive feel to the opening scene, almost a sensory overload. Gallner’s performance, Tom Acton Fitzgerald‘s camerawork, and the augmented sound editing from Dylan Castora put the audience on edge. Each time James attempts to get clean, this overwhelming cycle begins again, chasing him from help.

Each one of our ensemble comes from poverty, abuse, violence, and generational trauma. Our players cross paths on the streets and in detox centers during their lowest lows. Cotton Fever is a frighteningly authentic peek inside the realities of too many people. It is raw humanity. These are the stories Tribeca audiences live for.

Remaining Screenings of Cotton Fever:

Sun June 14 – 5:15 PM
 AMC 19th St. East 6

Written & Directed by 

Daniel Blake Schwartz

Cast

Kyle Gallner
Sosie Bacon
Chabely Ponce
Ronald Emile
Ari Mora
Colton Osorio
Sam Quartin
Melvin Douglas
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‘How To Feed A Dictator’ (Tribeca 2026) A recipe for disaster. Food porn meets an authoritarian playbook.

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How To Feed A Dictator

How to Feed a DictatorDirector Andrew Neel uses Witold Szablowski‘s book as the basis of his Tribeca 2026 doc How To Feed A Dictator. Call it food porn meets a global authoritarian playbook. This is a brilliant film, if you can stomach it.

Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, and Kim Jong-il chefs share how they came to work for five of the world’s most infamous dictators. They discuss favorite recipes and stories from their time together. In sit-down interviews, the chefs either feign total ignorance or lie straight to the camera. Most of them are complete sycophants, all these years later. It is undeniably chilling.

To counter the smugness of the chefs, Neel features survivors recalling the sick realities left in the wake of destruction and starvation of the people. While Neel explores the similarities between these men’s mentalities, nothing is particularly shocking to anyone who respects history. Toxic patriarchal fear-mongering from scared little boys. Read More →

‘Whale 52’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Grab the tissues for this powerful story of connection and identity.

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WHALE 52 – Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale

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Director Daniel Neiden gives audiences an extraordinarily moving short about acceptance, love, loss, and identity in Whale 52 – Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale.
 
The universe pairs a young selectively mute student with a musically inclined aquarium volunteer. In an effort to aid communication, Kaufman buys Enam an empty notebook. They exchange more than just a story about the loneliest whale on planet Earth.

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‘Time Warp’ (Tribeca 2026) Rocky Horror babies, rejoice! Queer joy is everyone’s joy in small-town theatre doc.

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Tribeca 2026 posterTime Warp

time warpDirector Allison Sloan Berg‘s Tribeca 2026 doc Time Warp, and I see you shiver with Antici… pation. September 2022 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a small theatre dares to put on a Shadow Cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Theatre director, producer, choreographer, house manager, and star of the show, Kenny Starling, brings us into the industrious, loving, and hardworking theatre company that delivers excitement and love to an otherwise quiet, conservative, and seemingly forgotten town.

full_Time_Warp-Clean-16x9-03Theatre has always been a safe space, long before that became a political buzzword. Time Warp appears relatively straightforward in its initial presentation. Berg features cast members’ backgrounds, rehearsals, and most surprisingly, a city council meeting that does not go the way we think it will.

It’s not an accident that Richard O’Brien‘s characters in Rocky Horror are aliens. The cast addresses the elephants in the room: mental health and coping mechanisms for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. Statistics do not lie. Wyoming has the highest national rate of suicide among all its citizens, regardless of identity. Queer individuals are not safe. Violence and discrimination run rampant. Trans women are being murdered at an alarming rate. The film tackles these issues head on. 

full_Time_Warp-Clean-16x9-02Huge ups to music supervisor Doug Bernheim for the soundtrack, which features the OG Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry, Siouxsie, Betty Davis, and Jobriath. Frank Keraudren’s editing, particularly the five-day-out rehearsal montage, opening night, and the credits, is delicious. Loved seeing huge Broadway stars line up as Executive Producers! Berg boasts Josh Gad, Billy Porter, and John Cameron Mitchell.

Witnessing the positive reactions from audience members will bring you to tears. Leave your assumptions at the door, but don’t forget to bring your joy. Time is fleeting. Take a page out of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s book. Don’t Dream It, Be It. Time Warp, again and again.

Director: Allison Berg
Writers: Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren
Cast: Kenn Starling, Kaley Sikora, Gabriel Garcia, Dejanae Westbrook, Tim Robinson, Devin Manfull, Valerie McCoy, Tasha Seppie, Hana Tanaka, Em O’Lexey
Producers: Allison Berg, Susan Margolin, Jen Chaiken
Executive Producers: Josh Gad, Billy Porter, John Cameron Mitchell, Ida Darvish, DJ Gugenheim, Kevin Jennings, Kathy Rivkin Daum, Jen Rainin, Lisa Kleiner Chanoff, Gabrielle Fialkoff, Sally Klingenstein Martell. Josh Braun, Dan Braun, Ben Braun

 

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‘General Admission’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Confounding confessions and comedy make great bedfellows in this hilarious short.

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Tribeca 2026 posterGeneral Admission
large_General_Admission-Clean-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026

Director Kaily Morgan Smith gets it. Tribeca 2026 short General Admission is a damn hit. In just under ten minutes, we meet a disaster of a woman attending her first anonymous meeting. Launching into her “Hi, my name is,” audiences already know they are in for a smirk-inducing ride.
 
Nina Dobrev is a comic genius here. Huge props to writer Sarah Adina. Surrounded by a slew of familiar television faces, Dobrev delivers a monologue that teeters between ridiculous and genuine. She nails each beat with 1000% commitment, and it is fantastic.
 
The brilliant ensemble keeps up the comedy with unforgettable one-liners. Anthony Kraus’ casting is perfection. Gorgeously shot by Patrick Jones, and aided by a punchy score by Chris Tilton, I would watch an entire series of Kelly in this group, week after week. I’m begging for a General Admission series. I’m already addicted.
GeneralAdmission_(Film Still)_1 (1)Remaining Tribeca screenings of General Admissions:
 
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‘Ponderosa’ (Tribeca 2026) Mind boggling brain barnacle is here to haunt you forever. For-ev-er.

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Tribeca 2026 posterPonderosa

Ponderosa-16x9-01 Tribeca 2026Filmmaker Rob Rice‘s incredibly uncomfortable Tribeca 2026 film Ponderosa follows Zeke, a young man targeted by a wealthy patron as his mother’s restaurant chain falters. George thinks he’s mentoring Zeke, but the reality is a collection of bizarre, forced encounters.
 
As George involves Zeke in cartoonishly masculine scenarios, the audience feels more and more unwell. Each interaction is slightly exaggerated, making you feel increasingly off-kilter. Deadpan delivery may tip you off, but good luck. Ponderosa is a film that begs patience from its audience. It is a gross societal mirror. The script is deeply and intentionally awkward, highlighting the extreme differences in communication styles between generations.
 
Alexis Bledel plays Sandra with a morose indifference that she pretends to curb with dark humor. Bill Camp‘s George is anxiety-inducing. His discomfort is palpable. His fear of rejection pushes his efforts to woo Zeke into overdrive. Jack Dylan Grazer gives Zeke an alarming aloofness with Camp, but a genuine care for his mother’s emotional state. Grazer’s often clipped and quirky responses to George make for a fascinating study in human connection, and the combination of vapidity and nonchalance you want to strangle. It’s a genuinely great performance.
 
Visually striking, it compels you to explore each new frame. Barton Cortright offers juxtaposed imagery that both baffles and hypnotizes. Creative transitions stick in your brain. I cannot stop thinking about this film. I walked away feeling simultaneously dumber and entranced. I honestly feel like I got probed, but with my permission. And that’s weird. Do not move during Ponderosa’s credits. One more f*cked up hit is coming.
 

Ponderosa Cast & Crew:

Director & Writer: Rob Rice

Executive Producers: Jeremy Gardner, Declan Morgan, Kristal Gruevski, Steve Holmgren, Bill CampJack Dylan Grazer, Jason Matsumoto, Eugene Sun Park

Producers: Megan Pickrell, Matthew Porterfield, Amy E. Powell, Rob Rice

Cast: Jack Dylan Grazer, Bill Camp, Alexis Bledel

 
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‘HOLO’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Immersive therapy dying for development.

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Tribeca 2026 posterHOLO
Holo - 2026 Tribeca Festival - Tribeca - [tribecafilm.com]

In an effort to help Claire process her unresolved trauma, a tech company called Looking Glass creates a motion capture hologram version of her late husband Jared. The session is an advanced form of immersion therapy. But the complexity of their relationship puts everyone involved in danger.
 
Zelda Williams in HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_20Shane West, heartthrob to a generation of women like me thanks to A Walk To Remember, still exudes an effortless charm that leaps off the screen. As Jared, he taps into a terrifying rage. Morgan Kohan gives Claire every bit of herself. It’s the arc we die for. Bravo to Zelda Williams for playing Jared’s human counterpart (more of her, please), and to director Alexander DeSouza and Ashley Brandon for the seamless editing. Magali Lafeur nails the production design.
 
Morgan Kohan in HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_5DeSouza creates an ominous atmosphere. Screenwriter Alexander Hernandez-Maxwell pulls on our darkest desires and intrusive thoughts. Fans of Severence, Westworld, and the 2024 doc, Eternal You, will find HOLO both deeply intriguing and emotionally depraved, which is the highest of compliments. While the short stands proudly on its own, audiences will no doubt clamor for more. HOLO is ripe for development, and I love that DeSouza knows it.
 

Remaining Tribeca Screenings of HOLO:

Shane West In HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_32

Directed by 
Alexander DeSouza
Producer
Michael Ren
Andrew Brace
Alexander DeSouza
Executive Producer
Miranda Guzman
Alex Hernandez-Maxwell
Renzo Sunga
Danny Laboy Valdez
Shane West
Writer
Alex Hernandez-Maxwell
Production Designer
Magali Lafleur
Jasmine Asiedu-Anguah
Cast
Shane West
Morgan Kohan
Zelda Williams
Tony Nappo
Beth Hornby
Editor
Alexander DeSouza
Ashley Brandon
Cinematographer
Julian Lomaga
Music
Alexander Taylor
Sound
James M. Findlay
Rosángela Hernández Gómez
Costume Designer
Caroline Allander
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‘Carolina Caroline’ (2026) Thrilling and sexy crime romance is a dreamer’s paradise.

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magnolia logoCarolina Caroline

Carolina Caroline (2025) - [www.imdb.com]

Adam Carter Rehmeier, the filmmaking genius behind Dinner in America, brings a Bonnie-and-Clyde love story to the big screen that is destined to sweep you off your feet. Smalltown girl meets con man and sparks fly in Carolina Caroline.

carolina-caroline-203Samara Weaving plays Caroline with both a curious innocence and a ferocious need. A woman with deep-seated mommy issues and supposed free will looking to feel seen. Kyle Gallner, AKA My Music Boyfriend (IYKYK), AKA Scream King, is our charming bad influence, Oliver. A whip-smart, observant, effortless hustler, his journey is just as complex as Weaving’s. Gallner always makes it look easy. The two share a goo-goo-eyed chemistry that makes the knees weak. You are buying every dangerous and sensual beat.

carolina carolineAs their crimes progress from petty to armed, Caroline’s conscience creeps in, and a close call digs a deeper hole for her and Oliver. Rehmeier keeps the audience on their toes from the get-go, using Oliver’s teaching techniques to lure you into his game, but suspect a potential long con. But Rehmeier and writer Tom Dean are smarter than that with a script that knocks it out of the park.

carolina Caroline 3Of course, the score god Chris Bear did the music. Bear, Rehmeier, and editor Justin Krohn understand the emotional impact of a strategically placed song. The red, white, and blue costumes (which match the opening credits) are iconic. Rehmeier’s ability to create a visual identity in his films is truly chef’s kiss.

Anyone who wishes their daydreams were their reality. Anyone longing to break the rules. Anyone desperately trying to break a trauma cycle. Anyone willing to forgive in an emotional freefall, Carolina Caroline will steal your heart.

Carolina Caroline Trailer:

Carolina Caroline is in theaters June 5.

https://carolinacarolinemovie.com/

Starring Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner, Kyra Sedgwick, and Jon Gries. Acclaimed director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s romantic crime thriller stars Samara Weaving (READY OR NOT, BORDERLINE) as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the orbit of a charismatic con man (Kyle Gallner), and together they weave a path of crime and passion across the American Southeast. Also starring Kyra Sedgwick, the film features a wide-ranging country music soundtrack, with tracks from artists such as Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, and over a dozen others.

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