Alumni Reunite for NYC Premiere of ‘The Last Movie They Ever Made’ 

The Last Movie They Ever Made, a film featuring at least half a dozen Columbia Film alumni in major roles both behind and in front of the camera, will premiere at this month’s Big Apple Film Festival in Manhattan. The film is a reunion comedy about making movies, friendship, and failure.

Written by Film alumni Micah Paisner '16 and Scott Riehs '15 and directed by Riehs, it tells the story of a desperate LA screenwriter who reunites with old friends to make a movie, secretly creating an exploitive tell-all documentary about the experience.

The film is produced by Paisner, Riehs, Alice Shindelar '16, and Magdalena Waz, with Thomas Mentel '18 as the Director of Photography. It also features appearances by Hernán Jiménez '17, Nick Weiss-Richmond '17, and the voice of Michael Castelaz '17. This collaboration among former classmates highlights the creative synergy formed during their time at the university.

“It was like being transported back to Columbia for the incredibly protracted schedule we had in which to make the movie,” Paisner said. “We came up with the concept as a group and within a few months we had a shooting script and plan in place for how to get this movie done on a budget we could all afford (basically nothing). It was nice slipping back into old habits of making decisions on the fly and collaborating with people I really trust and got to know over the course of my four years at Columbia. I think what helped make the shoot go smoothly was we all had a sort of shared language from our time at Columbia. We also all collaborated a lot while we were students.”

Working with fellow School of the Arts alumni on The Last Movie They Ever Made was a unique experience for Riehs as well. Reflecting on their shared time at Columbia, Riehs described grad school as “living in the trenches for a couple of years, especially as a producer.” This intense period of their lives fostered a strong bond among the team. “Since we all survived Columbia together, we came into this project with an established shorthand,” he said. 

“I've always said that the most impactful part of my time at Columbia was the relationships and collaborations with my fellow students, and I would say the same now as an alumna,” said Shindelar, co-producer of the film. “I'm happy to say I stepped away with a close circle of friends who I stay in contact with to this day and continue to create with. Art-making doesn’t always need to be hard or serious, sometimes it can just be about having fun with friends.”

The production of The Last Movie They Ever Made was filled with unique challenges and memorable moments, particularly given its dual nature as both a film and a mockumentary about making a movie. With a small cast and crew of seven who all acted in the film and worked behind the scenes, Shindelar found it necessary to let go of perfectionism and some of the obsessions from film school. Transitioning out of character was especially tricky since they were playing filmmakers while also being real filmmakers on set. Living in the house they were filming in added to the surreal experience. “Usually a couple of times a day, one of us would have to stop the other to check if we were talking as our characters in the movie or talking as ourselves making the movie,” she said. “Needless to say, it was all a bit wacky.”

This is an experience Riehs remembers well. “I was playing ‘Scott the director’ while simultaneously directing the actual movie,” he recalled. Despite the entire film being scripted, there were numerous instances where the real “us” was about to play the fake “us,” or they were unsure if they were playing “them” or “themselves.”

The Big Apple Film Festival showcases and promotes the highest quality films from the New York City independent film community, as well as selected films from across the country and around the world. The festival also honors a variety of New York City-based filmmakers, writers, actors, and artists who have played an influential role in the growth of independent filmmaking in New York. Each season, BAFF presents awards in various categories in filmmaking and screenwriting. 

This year's festival takes place from May 20 to May 23, 2024 at Look Dine-In Cinemas NYC. The Last Movie They Ever Made will screen on May 23 and tickets are available here. 

Watch a trailer for the film below.