(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- After its world premiere at Dances With Films LA (DWFLA), one of the nation's leading indie film festivals, Directors' Commentary will have its New Jersey Premiere at SModcastle Film Festival, hosted by filmmaker Kevin Smith. The film will screen on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 12:00pm.
After two failed years in LA, Ryan Samberg’s Hollywood screenwriting dreams have fizzled. The final humiliation comes when his wife dumps him for another guy. He’s ready to give up, but his ambitious manager insists that pitching Ryan’s latest script to a volatile comedian could be the ticket to fame.
Ryan turns to his favorite DVD commentaries for inspiration and magically summons a trio of indie filmmakers out of his tv and into his life. Real or imagined, Ryan’s cinematic heroes direct him through a Hollywood fairy tale where he hopes to find everlasting love and success.
The cast includes Nicky Romaniello, Stephanie Turek, Olivia Spirz, Christina Yr Lim, Leigh Anna Fry, Jules Horowitz, Josh McLane, Steve N Bradford, Joel David Santner, Daniel Flint and Mark Patrick Moore.
The film was written and directed by Joel David Santner, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. He has written and directed numerous shorts. Joel’s scripts have been featured on The Black List and Red List and he’s a recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Production Grant. Joel is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
The 5th Annual SModcastle Film Festival runs from November 5-8, 2026. Tickets are available for purchase online. The movie theater is located at 82 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.
The film festival is a Central Jersey showcase of cinema hosted by the guy who made Clerks. Welcoming entries from all over the world, the SModcastle Film Festival is a four day event filled with features, short films, animation, documentaries & more! All films are screened by their panel of judges and selected entries will be screened at Smodcastle Cinemas over the four days. The festival includes an opening night premiere, a filmmaker mixer, panels and awards ceremony. Smodcastle Cinemas- "Where the Movies Come To Play"
Pentameter Productions was created by Joel David Santner and Daniel Flint. Before attending film school, Joel taught himself filmmaking by watching DVD commentaries. Inspired by indie writer/directors like Kevin Smith and Edward Burns, Daniel and Joel funded this feature on credit cards, shot guerrilla-style with a crew of four in Los Feliz on stolen weekends, and never asked Hollywood's permission. It’s a rallying cry to follow your dreams. The film features fictional versions of Kevin Smith, Edward Burns and George Lucas. The team can’t wait to share the film at Kevin Smith’s own Film Festival.
Friday, October 30, 2026
@ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
Rahway, NJ
Friday, October 30, 2026
@ 8:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ
Friday, October 30, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center
Morristown, NJ
Friday, October 30, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Outpost In The Burbs
Montclair, NJ
Suzanne Vega will perform a career-spanning show including favorites like “Tom’s Diner”, “Luka”, “Marlene On The Wall”, and many more, plus songs from her latest album, Flying with Angels, which was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. She will be joined on stage by her longtime guitarist, Gerry Leonard (of David Bowie fame), and cellist Stephanie Winters. [Video Trailer]
Friday, October 30, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ
