Life is busy – you’re starting an absolute doozey of a new year with weather emergencies around the country, tragedy in Minneapolis, and calls for a general strike. It can (understandably) be tough to stay up-to-date on film industry news, profiles, analysis, and advice. That’s why we’ve curated some essential reads you may have missed over the past month. So take some time to catch up with this month’s good reads!
This Month’s Good Reads (January 2026)
No BS: What the Class of 2026 Filmmakers Should Know (via Lela Meadow-Conner for The Popcorn List)
Filmmaking career tips to bring into the new year.
All My Friends Are Leaving L.A. (via Lauren Bans for Vulture)
One screenwriter’s battle with Hollywood (the industry and the town) cynicism.
Josh O’Connor x 4 (via Manohla Dargis for The New York Times)
2025 brought a quartet of O’Connor-led films.
Mira Nair: A Cinema of Hope (via Fatima Khan for A Rabbit’s Foot)
A career retrospective with the Mississippi Masala and Vanity Fair director (and mother of the new mayor of NYC!).
In Early ’80s NYC, No Wave Cinema Caught a Fast Break – Then Crashed. Can It Rise Again? (via Alex Rollins for Underexposed)
Re-examining the 1980s indie film movement that brought us Amos Poe, Susan Seidelman, Jim Jarmusch, and more.
A First-Time Filmmaker Is Opening His Movie on 2,500 Screens Without a Distributor (via Dana Harris-Bridson for IndieWire)
YouTuber Markiplier’s Iron Lung hits theaters on his own terms.
The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026 (via Tim Molloy for MovieMaker Magazine)
If you’re leaving L.A. (see Vulture article above), here’s your Film Industry Zillow!
“I’m Not Seeing America Doing the Best Films”: Rodrigo Teixeira on Supporting Brian De Palma, James Gray, and Contemporary World Cinema (via Nick Newman for The Film Stage)
The prolific Brazilian producer behind Frances Ha, The Witch, Call Me By Your Name, I’m Still Here, and more.
I Didn’t Just Move to Los Angeles. I Stepped Into a Movie (via Amy Nicholson for Los Angeles Times)
A critic’s love for this movie-centric town (in case you decide not to leave L.A.).
Are Movie Theaters Cool Again? (via Kyndall Cunningham for Vox)
Grab an Orange Julius, because a key component of ’80s mall culture is back!
Changing the Theatrical Experience Forever (via David Larking for The Industry.)
Why theaters should keep enticing moviegoers on their way out.
This List Will Make Your Successful in Film (via Sean King O’Grady for Hope For Film)
A no-fail (per the author) list of how to pursue a film career and stay sane.
In case you were ignoring us (aka blatant self-promotion)
Filmmaker Interview: Ryan Prows, co-writer/director of Night Patrol
We talked to the filmmaker about putting a new spin on the urban crime film.
Videos worth watching
DIY Spielberg (via William H. Baker)
How ’bout you? Read anything good this month?
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