I originally hail from Warwick, Rhode Island where I was raised by two parents and two dogs. Throughout high school I made short films with my friends which got me hooked on the process. I aspire to write for a TV show and to hike the Appalachian Trail. I am currently a freshman attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts for film and television.
Michael graduated from UNC — School of the Arts with his MFA in Screenwriting. Before that, Michael obtained a bachelor’s in Psychology, which he feels helps him better understand the characters in his writing, as well as elements that an audience member may find captivating and emotional. He believes film criticism is essential for helping aspiring and prominent filmmakers improve their craft, and takes inspiration for reviewing from viral YouTube reviewers Chris Stuckman and Jeremy Jahns. Michael recently moved to Los Angeles to get a jump start on his career and hopes to make it into film or TV animation writing. His current favorite films are The Incredibles, Ready or Not, and Do the Right Thing.
I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University where I majored in film. Currently, I work as a customer service assistant at Film Emporium, a film insurance brokerage in Larchmont, NY. Since I was very little, I’ve been passionate about writing and talking about films. While I enjoy seeing film’s online and instantaneously, I still don’t mind seeing films in a theater. My favorite filmmakers to watch are Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Rose is currently a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy. They began taking film more seriously when they were 15 and have been writing about it on and off ever since. In addition to film criticism, Rose spends a lot of time attempting to write worthwhile screenplays, and is in the process of editing their thesis short film.
Jacob is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where he double majored in Media Communications and Film Studies. A dedicated movie buff, Jacob watches blockbusters for their gripping action scenes, foreign films for their unique perspectives, and independent films for their unconventional narratives. Jacob enjoys writing for Gen Z Critics, as it gives him a place to share his thoughts on overlooked films such as I Feel Pretty.
From the age of four I started musical theatre, and did a bit of acting for fun until 5th grade, when I decided to write, shoot, and edit a musical movie (albeit it was not very good due to the fact that I was in 5th grade) but I fell in love with the filmmaking world. I took a film class at my junior high school, attended the Multimedia Arts and Design Academy for my 9th-11th grade years, and applied and was accepted to Interlochen Arts Academy for the Motion Picture Arts major for my senior year. I am so excited to see what change I can make by sparking creativity, entertainment, and love into the world!
Mang, who goes by Mark, is an undergraduate student in the American University Class of 2021 and studies economics and political science. He is from the Bay Area in California and is an admin for an online film community on Facebook. He is an amateur screenwriter and co-produced his first feature-length production last year, which wrapped principal photography at the end of 2018 and is set for a May 2019 release. His favorite movie is The Lion King.
I was born in Seattle, Washington. I grew up watching Pixar films and Star Wars with my Dad. My life changed when I first watched Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and decided I wanted to make films for a living.
I enjoy all things involving movies, music and food. I was in track, cross country, softball, dancing, karate and pageants. I mostly spend my free time on Netflix or listening to music. I really enjoy going to concerts and hanging out with my puppy Reese. Once I graduate, I would like to go into special effects makeup and photography. My dream job is being a photographer in New York.
As a Film and TV major at NYU, I found it important to understand both the artistic and business side of film, thereby learning how to sell and distribute films in the U.S. I aspire to help artists of color get their visual stories shared globally and create opportunities for female filmmakers to connect.
Jack Porter is a recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago. He is currently working as a freelance screenwriter. He has a love of cult cinema, the weirder the better. His love for storytelling is matched only by his love of film criticism. He is particularly interested in the prevalence of genre filmmaking in modern cinema.
Anthony Reyes is a recent college graduate from CUNY Hunter College and lives in New York as a freelance Production Associate. Currently he is working for Rumur Inc., a Brooklyn-based production studio behind many award-winning documentaries such as Battle for Brooklyn and Who Took Johnny?, the latter of which can be found on Netflix. With one short film under his belt and many ideas for future projects, Anthony hopes to create more content and write for television in the future. Film criticism allows him to explore how a specific film makes him feel a certain way, and how he can use it to develop his own craft as a storyteller. Some of his favorite films include Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Robert De Niro’s A Bronx Tale, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, and Spike Jonze’s Her.
Spencer Rider was born in Richmond, Virginia. He fell in love with movies watching Alfred Hitchcock classics in middle school and never looked back, taking in a particular interest in writing about them. A devotee of Wong Kar-Wai and Martin Scorsese, Spencer believes that cinephilia is not just a passion but an ongoing project, furthered through a commitment to scholarly criticism and discussion.
Maya Shah was born in 2003, and is an aspiring filmmaker. Art has always been a huge part of her life. She is a multi-faceted artist with interests in piano, dance, creative writing, and filmmaking. However, filmmaking is what she wants to focus on seriously for the rest of her life. She began making films in sixth grade, and continued all through middle school. By the end of middle school, she knew she wanted to make films for the rest of her life. She wants to focus on directing and editing specifically in the field of film, and currently attends Interlochen Arts Academy, where she is majoring in the Motion Picture Arts Program. Here, she is receiving excellent hands-on experiences with state of the art equipment, and is also building her portfolio and artist statement for college.
Nadia Stern is a sophomore Motion Picture Arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. When she is not studying or making films, Nadia can be found taking photos, drawing, or listening to music.
Sojas Wagle, a student at Brown University in the Class of 2023, aspires to become a psychiatrist specializing in gender and sexuality. At Brown, he is an actor and board member for Production Workshop, a nationally competitive slam poet, and of course, a cinephile. His love for film started as early as second grade, when he watched Slumdog Millionaire. He was mesmerized by how the film was able to combine a whimsical tale with an exposé of such somber issues. Some of his favorite films of the past decade include Boyhood, Call Me by Your Name, and Shoplifters. His fascination with film criticism stems from the intersection of two of his artistic passions: writing and cinema.
I am a Motion Picture Artist in the 11th grade at Interlochen Arts Academy. I went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for my first two years of high school but recently transferred. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with my dad. I love all types of art, but filmmaking and writing are my two main focuses at the moment.
