[NOTE: I originally posted this on 2.21.26 on my other Substack. I don’t know why I thought having two Substacks was a good idea. It wasn’t, so I deleted the other one and copied this here to keep my posts in one place. I added photos of the original comments at the end for preservation.]
Ted Hope, you’re completely insane. I love you. What’s my next assignment?
Donny Broussard, you were my first friend on here. I loved our OG rapid back-and-forth emails. And I love that we always pick up where we left off so easily. What you wrote in your inspiration post about me was one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. You have a friend for life.
Courtney Daniels, I think you saved my life. I was veering off course for a moment and you snapped me back on track. My random note about “vulnerability being life’s real currency,” is a genuine sentiment of mine. So, when it comes to how I measure generosity, yours is unparalleled.
Sean King O’Grady, even if everybody else hates my film, your approval was enough. The specificity of your feedback made me feel validated in a way I never thought possible. And your advice on distribution was one of the most insightful conversations I’ve had in a very long time.
Taylor Lewis, sometimes I feel like you’re my long lost sister. Then I realize everyone who interacts with you must feel that way. You are quite simply a beam of sunshine. I am honored to call you my friend.
Sara’s Soliloquies, if I could, I’d give you an endless supply of spoons. You entered FilmStack with a bang, and I’m so glad I got to be friends with you early on. You are always giving - and putting all of your effort into whatever you’re focused on. I feel lucky I get to work with you - and consistently rely on you for sound advice.
jake S. weisman, I’m glad I didn’t know the reference to the movie Snatch when you started calling me Cousin Avi. You exude so much warmth that I just assumed you liked to use “cousin” as a term of endearment. I think I confused a few people when I randomly started calling you Cousin Jake. But at this point, you do feel like a cousin, and every time we meet it feels like I’m finally catching up with the family again.
Courtney Romano, you are the true emblem of solidarity for me, as well as I imagine many others traversing this new territory together. I feel like we’re at scout camp (is that a thing? I never did scouts) and you’re the one standing in front, confronting a grizzly bear, telling it to stand down, away from your tribe. One of these days I will convince you to work on something with me, and I think it’ll be a collab for the books.
Elliot Grove, the suspicion sank in when I got David Bowie from The Man Who Fell To Earth vibes, so I did a quick search and the results were as expected: “There is no significant Amish population in the United Kingdom.” So, I’ll just ask it bluntly since we’re all wondering: Elliot, are you God?
Alex Bhat, you are the funniest person I’ve met in a long time. And you’re the only supporter of my interactive scripts. Please make Walking 101. TimG and I will help.
Dave Baxter, It’s so damn rare to see passion these days, and it’s so inspiring to see you having - and sharing - more than one! You remind me to think outside of my film-minded brain and remember to appreciate the nuanced beauty of other aspects of life. My Tokaji 6 puttonyos has been staring me down the last couple of weeks.
(Neven) Geminianum design, thank you for putting so much care and consideration into your work. Of course, I love the poster and art you created for my film. But, more importantly, getting to watch an artist like you put so much love into their craft while communicating so effectively, gives me hope in the potential of any collaboration.
(The Daniels + Ivan) Daniel Harper, Dan Gorski, Daniel Amaral + Ivan Abreu Luciano, thanks for banding together to help out with this experiment of ours. Every time Harper offers a glimpse or anecdote into the goings-on of putting three Daniels in a room with one Ivan, I am filled with anticipation of the epic mysteries on the horizon.
Jon Stahl, every time I ask for help, you seem to appear as if emerging from a mist. I still don’t think we’ve officially met and yet you’re currently helping me with at least three different efforts. You make me proud to be a part of this community.
Alexandra Adaolisa, when Tanya Basu and Sara’s Soliloquies vouch for you, I already know you’re good people. I rarely see Tanya come out of a meeting so enthusiastic, so I am stoked to start working with you!
Adam Kritzer and Dan Mirvish, thank you for lighting a torch ahead of my film festival submission process. Without your guidance, I would be lost in The Nightmare of FilmFreeway.
Charlotte Simmons, you do your generation proud. I never understood the power of criticism until I accidentally studied it in grad school. Yet, you’ve somehow already tapped into - what I believe - is the heart of it. Your voice is certainly one of the most crucial among us. Please continue to spread your gospel. It will be an uphill battle, but we need it.
Ari Gold, I’m honored that you shared the screener of Brother Verses Brother with me. You’ve created something extraordinary. (I’m trying to avoid spoilers in this post, but I’m letting this one slip—) You mentioned “Mentors” as a topic idea for your podcast episode. Well, you’ve now become one of mine. Thanks, dude.
This list could go on and on and on. I consider so many of you new friends. Every guest on NonDē Uprising has become a friend to some extent - Sandi Tan (somebody please help her adapt Elif Batuman’s The Idiot!), Ben Sinclair (thanks for doing your first interview in years over Zoom on some scrappy podcast I had barely started - what’s wrong with you? I love you, it was a blast) , Danielle A. Scruggs, Marion Ranchet, Richard Lorber, Kate Casey, Evan Shapiro, jillian vogel, Kate Wilson, Fawnia Soo Hoo (with whom I share a 66-email chain about mullets). (Sorry for not mentioning those whose episodes haven’t released yet to refrain from spoilers.) Many of those who I’ve been corresponding with about coming on as guests have also become friends. (Also apologies for leaving out many of your names to avoid potential future spoilers.)
I’ve worked alongside (whether directly or indirectly in some fashion) with Amanda Sweikow, Alex Rollins Berg, Swabreen Bakr, Gitanjali Kapila, David Brownstein, and Rekola [Producer • Lawyer], I can’t help but consider them friends.
I’ve attended some of Sasha Santiago’s brilliantly led Filmstackers meetings and have befriended Sasha, as well as Joshua Caldwell, Mark Hensley, Jen Ogrin, BA Turner, Robert Godwin, and Eugene of First Features.
I loved hearing from people like Adam Dietrich who reached out simply wanting to better understand FilmStack and find ways to get involved and help others. (edit on 2.18 [i wrote this on 2.16]: I just got a similar message from Katie Jewett whose excitement was palpable when she opened with, “I am just discovering the whole film world on Substack!!!” before introducing herself. [shared with her permission]) I loved discovering in real time with Ami Vora and Taylor Lewis that this microcinema idea had some potential, and exploring innovative ways to embrace it with Satu. And then discovering success stories like A Dairy Story. And all the people who responded to my microcinema article wanting to get involved in that effort - Alfredo La Corte, Elijah A. Bland, Nicholas Reade, Non Films, Antonella Ciancio, Matt Schulte, Dawn Sellers, County Fence Bi-Annual, Space Melt Cinema, Mel Starker, DVE, Jon, and I know I’m missing some - who now, with the help of Taylor Lewis and jake S. weisman, have a network to join. And as great minds think alike, Ellis J. Sutton was already preparing his own Coffeehouse Cinema. And Michael Lavine and Skip Berry were helping out. A growing network of future friendships.
And solidarity counts for something (A LOT!) - Mauro Mueller / El Suizo, Hudson Phillips, Kathleen Lingo, Michael Maupin 🄾🄵 🅂🅃🄾🅁🅈🅂🄷🄴🄳, Max Cea, Emily Shesh, Tom Violett, Ray Violett, Vanessa Hope, Ana Rubio Moles, Jen Orta Castellanos, James Lantz (who I admire for treading so transparently and determinedly as he unravels all that heavies his heart. Keep it open, brother, let it linger), Poppy, Dane Benko, Kelli of KLA Media Group, Victoria Michele Miller, Dario Llinares, Oren Shai, Coco Morier, Emma Jamieson, Raphael of The Long Take, Jason N, Kyle of stupid co, Penny Lane, Elizabeth Joyce, Alan McIntyre, Chris Riddle, Radha Mehta, Jane Gilmore, Jennifer Esposito, Julian 🕶️ , Lauren Greenwood, Kremerica, Tomas Leach, Alex Bailey, Calypso35 Films, Josh Carter, Nick O’Hagan, Ed William, Paige Feldman, Ani Simon-Kennedy, Estelle Artus, Amber Wilkinson, Lewis Beer, Bill Arceneaux, Nick Geisler, Leave It Better, Colby Day, Clint Till, Angle on Producers, Naomi Esther, Kodi M. T. Gates, Paul Mowry, Kai Swanson, Cameron Andrews, Sophie, Lina Patel, James McLoughlin, Dan Levy Dagerman, Jordan Hubacz, Christopher Schiller, Pablo Villaça, Sam Widdoes, Jen Topping, Su Tais, Doug Block, Jon Reiss-8Above, Marya E. Gates, Decarceration, Brooke Berman, Jonathan Ytreberg, Molly O’Blivion, Jean Ellen Cowgill, Elissa Suh, Whitney Saffel, Eliza Brooke, Anthony Kaufman, and many many many more (sorry I know I forgot many people)…
The Big Break post-production team, Steven Jr., Julia Dietrich, Saham, and Rodrigo Perez-Segnini, who all joined Substack because I forced them to, are also new friends - even though Steven & Julia, it’s been over a year!
It’s always nice to reconnect with a friend after a few years like Thomas Verdi. And it’s nice seeing friends from way back like Ethan and Jessica of Light and Shadow and Caitie Delaney doing their things. And it’s too cool to reconnect with a friend from WAY WAY back like Lela Meadow-Conner @mamafilm.
Also, shoutout to Matt Klein at Substack for reaching out to me from time to time. Huge props for showing that kind of consideration to some random dude on here (me).
That’s it for now, I guess. PEACE.
(edit on 2.18: one final note, to emphasize just how much these friendships have affected me. i’m currently writing what will be my 2nd film - if i get the chance to make a 2nd - and i’m writing roles specifically for a few people mentioned above, who all at some point told me they were also interested in acting. if i continue to make films, my work - like i imagine many of ours - will forever be interwoven with these friendships that have just begun.)
Comments from OG post:
I fucking love this post man.
And I love that you've had to post it twice.
You're awesome dude cousin Avi.
Pizza soon x
Avi, the other day my daughter asked me what animal I'm most afraid of, and I said a bear. I've had dreams about defending my parents from polar bears, and every time we get close to a mildly wooded area (even in the middle of the city) I ask Craig to confirm there won't be bears. (Every time.)
I believe our hopes and fears are all tangled up in each other. And it makes some sense to me that as bears scare the shit outta me, you simultaneously see me as standing a proverbial one down. What we fear, we hope for, and what we hope for, we fear.
All this to say, your ability to reach into the cosmic subconscious depths of these new friends is truly singular. Not many people can do it, even if they wanted to (and I suspect most folks don't spend the time trying). You are a good person, Avi. With so much to offer and reflect. I'm more than honored to be listed with these other folks and the nuanced way you've perceived and embraced them. What a gift you've given us through your work and the reflections from that work. You are a real one. Thank you for the kindness. Much love to you, friend.