Description
🎬 Where did all the movies go?
​Join us at The Sycamore for a night of cinematic soul-searching with writer and filmmaker Kevin Smokler as we untangle how the once-rich world of movie discovery became an algorithmic wasteland, and how we might reclaim it.
​From the collapse of video stores to the streaming boom (and bust), we'll explore how Hollywood got here, why finding the right film now feels harder than ever, and what we can do about it. Drawing on his conversations with some of today’s most exciting directors, Kevin will show us how to decode our own tastes, navigate the digital chaos, and fall back in love with movies in a post-Blockbuster world.
More About the Speaker
Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker, and cultural critic whose work explores how pop culture shapes who we are. He’s the author of BREAK THE FRAME: Conversations with Women Filmmakers, Brat Pack America, and Practical Classics, and the co-director of Vinyl Nation, a documentary on the revival of vinyl records that screened at 50 festivals and won ten awards. His upcoming film Middle Grounds explores the role of coffee shops in civic life. He’s interviewed everyone from filmmakers to comedians to architects, serves on the board of Zyzzyva Magazine, and lives in San Francisco with his wife and an impressive collection of books and records.
​Whether you’re a film obsessive, a frustrated streamer, or just someone who misses the joy of knowing what to watch—this talk is for you. 🍿📼