Tribeca Shorts Film Roundtable panel "Love Fictionally" with Kaily Morgan Smith, Drew Van Steenbergen, Ty Molbak, Maggie and Tyler Brown
I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the filmmakers of the 'Love Fictionally' Shorts film block at the 25th Anniversary season of the Tribeca Festival.
These films premiered at Tribeca on Friday, June 25th, with additional screenings on Saturday, June 13th at 8:30pm and Sunday, June 14th at 2:00pm. I moderated a Q&A after the screening on June 13th.
The description for this block is: Take a humorous, heated and heartfelt journey through love and relationships.
KAILY MORGAN SMITH | Director & Producer of 'General Admission'
Starring Nina Dobrev, Adam Shapiro, Cedric Yarbrough, Sarah Baker
Kaily Morgan Smith is a director, writer, producer, and entrepreneur originally from Denver, Colorado. Her acting credits include THE OFFICE, GILMORE GIRLS, and FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. In 2012, Kaily relocated to New York City after being cast as Alicia Silverstone’s understudy in the Broadway production of THE PERFORMERS. In addition to her creative work, Kaily is the co-founder of SeriesFest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling. Kaily is the founder of Kind Spirit Studios, her current production company focused on developing bold, character-driven stories with a particular emphasis on female-driven narratives across film and television.
DREW VAN STEENBERGEN | Director Writer & Actor of 'Buckets'
Starring Drew Van Steenbergen
Drew van Steenbergen is an award-winning editor and director with work spanning commercials, narrative series, shorts and interactive storytelling. He serves as the lead editor for Spotify and The Ringer’s Golden Globe winning podcast, “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” and has edited series for Paramount+, Hulu, Disney, ABC, and Comedy Central. Drew has also cut high-profile commercial campaigns for such clients as DoorDash, Bank of America, and NBC’s Abbott Elementary – earning accolades including Clio Awards, Best Editing at the NYTV Festival, and Best Short Film at OutFest LA.
TY MOLBAK | Director & Writer of 'You Tryna Say You Love Me?'
Starring Asante Blackk, Malia Pyles
Ty Molbak (Director, Writer, Producer) was raised between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Whidbey Island, Washington. You Tryna Say You Love Me? marks his first short film with dialogue. As an actor, Ty recently appeared in Hamlet directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara and is best known for starring in the BAFTA-winning interactive project Immortality by Sam Barlow which premiered at Tribeca in 2022. Additional credits include Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, Master (Sundance & SXSW 2022), Next Exit (Tribeca 2022), She Taught Love (Hulu), and Law & Order, portraying the counterpart to Luigi Mangione in the series’ viral episode.
Directing credits include TAN (a dance-film featuring dancers from San Francisco Ballet), SCORCH (a one-person play), Mary Poppins (reimagined with shadow puppetry), and Something Yellow (a silent short acquired by IndieFlix). Ty is also the founder of Blue Collaborative, a nonprofit production company where he’s produced projects starring actors like Kaia Gerber, Bob Odenkirk, and Nat Wolff. He attended LMU’s School of Film and Television before transferring to Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and Shakespeare’s Globe in London to study acting.
MAGGIE AND TYLER BROWN | Directors & Writers of 'One Night'
Starring Rain Spencer, Jackson Reid Kelly, Jahking Guillory
Maggie Brown is a filmmaker and advocate for menstrual equity. In middle school, she co-founded The Pad Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending period stigma worldwide. At 15, she was the associate producer of the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary Period. End of Sentence. (2019). Now 22, Brown graduated from Columbia University, where she spent her senior year interning at A24. One Night marks her official narrative directorial debut. The short, which she co-wrote and directed with her brother, will have its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
Tyler Brown is a director whose work spans music, film, and animation. He has collaborated with Gary Oldman, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Trent Reznor. His credits include Willa Amai’s “What’s Up” (1.4M+ views). He writes at Sony Pictures Animation and has been featured in Variety, THR, and Billboard.
Special Thanks to Ben Thompson and Alan Seales
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