Anthony Kaufman

Another War, Another Movie But where will the films come from, and even if they do, is the "empathy machine" broken?

For many, the U.S.’s attack on Iran is in long shot.... But when the close-ups arrive of suffering and pain, will it make any difference?
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

Another War, Another Movie But where will the films come from, and even if they do, is the "empathy machine" broken?

I am starting to wonder whether the “empathy machine” of movies is broken.
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

anthonykaufman.substack.com/p/another-wa...

Thank you @antkaufman.bsky.social.

Share this article and you have enough time to share your stories if you were impacted by an industry crushing merger.

What Isn't Being Said about the Paramount-WBD Merger "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." - V for Vendetta (Warner Bros, 2005)

The deal isn't done yet! You can make a difference...
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

There’s one thing the media isn’t telling you about the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery: What you can do to stop it.
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

Don't be naive: Approval of the war will skyrocket among the MAGA faithful.

Blockthemerger.com

In Dissent, 3 Justices Warn Tariff Decision May Unleash Chaos, at Least in Short-Term

So basically they're saying what the Trump Administration did was unlawful, but because it would be "messy" and they could impose tariffs in other ways, we are just going to side with authoritarianism.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/u...

This is why we need the videos.
www.newsweek.com/ice-agent-fa...

More at anthonykaufman.substack.com

Over 5.3 million views in one day is more than double the standard viewing on the network.

ICE officials knew use of force was rising well before Minneapolis shootings Internal agency emails show a surge in reports of ICE officers using more force going back nearly a year, but DHS leadership did not see it as a concern to be addressed.

No, duh.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Great article—one of those articles where you make one point and I’m like, yep, then next graf you make another point and I’m like, agree, and on and on and I’m like, yep 💯

I share the meh about IRON LUNG but also the awe. Likewise SECRET MALL APT. which I saw in April 2025.

anthonykaufman.substack.com/p/how-filmma...

For @samadams.bsky.social especially in the case of Philadelphia vs. U.S.

The only time I got the chance to interview Wiseman was in 2013, who at 83 was at the top of his game. “Making these films is a sport,” he said. “You have to be on your feet, running around, carrying equipment, for 16 to 17 hours a day. It’s never easy.”
www.villagevoice.com/frederick-wi...

"I see this as a writing role" -- that's the most disturbing line

Thank god MELANIA is no longer in the top ten at the box office so we don't have to talk about it anymore.

“We left one tyranny and came to another kind of tyranny,” Nikita said in Russian. “Even in Russia, they don’t treat children like this.”

Government Loses Hard Drives It Was Supposed to Put ICE Detention Center Footage On A Kafkaesque saga in which the government has failed to produce critical video footage has reached new levels of absurdity.

Court battle over surveillance footage at the Broadview ICE detention center reaches new levels of kafkaesque absurdity: The DOJ claimed it *couldn't afford* hard drives to put video footage on. Plaintiffs bought THE US GOVERNMENT hard drives. ICE "lost" them.

www.404media.co/government-l...

"A drug cartel drone"???? Come on, NYTimes, you know better than to repeat this government's disinformation without qualification.

JUST IN: Tom Malinowski has conceded the #NJ11 primary to Analilia Mejia, who was the left's candidate in this crowded race.

Next up: Mejia faces a general election in April.

Melania may have been the breaking point—certainly for the independent film and media community.
open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

People are pissed off!

open.substack.com/pub/anthonyk...

Don’t Panic: Doc Industry Looks for Upsides Amid Decimation at Sundance 2026 The documentary industry looks for upsides amid decimation at Sundance 2026

The bad news is that biz for #documentaries is not so good. The good news is that theatrical might now be the best option, which could be a boon for audience experience!

@antkaufman.bsky.social's update from Sundance for @documentary.org

documentary.org/online-featu...

Terms and conditions: "You also agree not to count the cost of prescriptions toward your deductible or true out-of-pocket costs."