Nostalgia, Black Eyed Peas, and the unwritten rules of New York City dating. When two strangers meet on a bench, a 21-day "break" turns into a masterclass on romance, airport running tropes, West Side Highway running etiquette, and what it actually takes to win someone back.

Let me know what you think in the YouTube comments!

Thanks to the folks at Soundstripe for helping make this possible.

xo,

Jonah

Starting now, Romantical's home is moving from Substack to Patreon, where we're building out as a full community entertainment platform.

Comedians figured this out years ago. So did podcasters. They stopped waiting for a network to say yes and started building direct relationships with the people who actually wanted to hear from them. Patreon became the place where a comedian could sell out a tour without ever needing a late-night booker, where a podcast could turn a few thousand engaged listeners into a real business, no ad agency required.

Filmmaking hasn’t had that path. Not really. You either get a studio to say yes, or you go indie without the direct-to-audience relationship.

So, that’s exactly where Romantical is going. We’re moving our community to Patreon.

Every membership goes towards the production budgets of the films we make for YouTube, while being able to offer more extensive perks for members, and community building.

show me show me

Free Member
You’ll get occasional updates and public posts, no cost, no commitment. If you just want to follow along, this is you, and even having you on our free list means the world.

Studio Member — $10/month
For the price of an iced matcha green tea… You are a member of Romantical Studios. Weekly behind-the-scenes materials, scripts, Q+As, and decks from whatever we’re making.

First access to events (and future dating events <3), screenings, and live gatherings in NYC.

You also get credit as a Studio Member on all of our YouTube films.

Every dollar goes to our production budget across our shows and films!

Executive Producer — $100/month
For people who don’t just want to watch. They want to be in the credits. Every month, your name goes on our latest Romantical filmette as an Executive Producer. A real credit, on a real film, on YouTube and IMDb. You get everything in the Studio tier, plus early access to each filmette before it goes public Oh, and a special hat. :)

As far as Substack goes, the Romantical will still live!

In fact, we have a new writer who I’m excited to introduce you to, as well as provide some insight into the world of New York City romance and culture.

Excited, nervous, and kicking my feet for the next step and the future of what an indie studio built around rom-coms looks like. As always, thank you for your love and support.

Join The Patreon

Jonah

In the meantime: Busboys, the movie we made with David Spade and Theo Von that had its theatrical run in April, is now available on VOD.

You can watch it at home right now. And as of today, it’s a top five film in the world.

I want to talk for a second about why that matters, and why the distribution strategy behind it is the real story.

Watch Busboys!

A few LinkedIn “experts” were quick to point out that our $4 million opening wasn’t exactly Obsession numbers. Fair. But most of the people making that call have never set foot on a film set, and they’re missing the bigger picture.

David and Theo own this movie.

That means they didn’t just get a paycheck and a theatrical window. They hold majority ownership in the VOD profits, and they own their IP forever. Spinoffs, merch, future films, brand deals, whatever future they hold for the film.

That’s the part I’m most excited about, not just for this film but for where filmmaking is headed.

\You can make something high quality on an economically sane budget, put it out into the world, and keep ownership of it forever. That ownership is the asset.

It’s one of the biggest lessons I took from making Busboys, and it’s directly shaping how I’m building Romantical.

If you want a comedy to throw on this weekend, brain fully off or fully on, check out our movie! It’s on all major platforms now. Spread the word if you enjoyed it.

Thanks for always being here.

Busboys @ home

xo,

Jonah

If you’re in NYC, come to one of the director Q+A screenings below! They are selling out, and I’d love to see you there.

Union Square 4/18 8pm

Regal Essex 4/19 6pm

Jonah here with a quick video you can listen to while you’re eating lunch or folding laundry.

If you are elsewhere in the world, get your tickets at www.busboysmovie.com

I wanted to talk a little bit about Busboys, which comes out in theaters today across the country.

It’s playing at Regals and AMCs — these are direct deals we made with the theaters ourselves. This movie is completely independent. It was financed, written, and is starring David Spade and Theo Von. They wrote it together over the course of a few years while they were touring, and really just became friends through the writing process. I feel very lucky to have gotten to work on this movie.

The way I describe getting this job: I was the only person who didn’t not get it. They had been talking to directors, trying to figure it out, and I think maybe I just stuck around. I had a great Zoom with David, then a great Zoom with Theo. And one day I spoke to one of our producers, Ezra, and said, “Let’s just start scouting.” And we started scouting — and the movie manifested itself.

So if you’re a filmmaker watching this: the way a movie gets made, in my opinion, is a start date and a scout date. If you start scouting, the movie happens. The money finds its way there. In this case, David and Theo went out of their own pockets and financed this film, which I think is incredibly cool.

They had a blast making it. Everyone did. But it’s clear this was something they wanted to do just for the joy of it — which is amazing. That’s what movies should be. A movie doesn’t need to be a business. Even though it’s called the film business, it’s honestly a pretty bad one. It’s not a reliable way for people to make money. So why not approach it from a place of fun and genuine excitement?

We shot this in January 2025 — slightly after the LA fires. LA was really hit hard, and so was the creative workforce. I felt very lucky to be able to hire such incredible people in front of and behind the camera. Everyone was genuinely stoked to have a job and to be there.

It was a hard shoot — it’s a comedy with gags, live animals, fire, and a rotating cast of comedians coming in every other day. Our most consistent cast was of course David and Theo, but you have new people arriving every week, sometimes every day. That’s some of the most fun, but it also means a lot of casting, deal-closing, and scheduling.

I mean, David has become a real mentor and a good friend. I’m a huge Emperor’s New Groove fan, as you all know, and a huge SNL fan — and I remember day one, calling action and looking at my monitor and just thinking: that’s David Spade on your screen. You feel like you’re already watching a movie, because he’s just that good. That natural. He has incredible range, and he’s so subtle and so quick — it’s something else to watch in real life.

For Theo, this was his first time acting in a feature film in this capacity, and he was really able to find his own voice — to lean into what makes him so incredible on his podcast and bring that into his character. He also wore a producer hat and had a really strong vision for what he wanted and how he wanted it to feel. I think as a result, Busboys is a genuinely unique movie in its tone and execution. I can’t point to anything that feels totally similar to it. It’s a comedy, obviously, but it just feels like its own thing.

I also got incredibly lucky with our crew. Our cinematographer Jeff Leeds Cohn — I’d been a fan after seeing his work on a film my friends Mary and Kareem made, and I literally walked up to him at the screening and said, “Hey, do you have plans in January?” Huge thanks to our producers Ezra, Rob, and Lucas — this was a hard movie to produce with so much happening in front of and behind the camera, and in comedy you have to maintain that energy on set that lets the funny actually happen.

And the cast — everyone who came in was cooperative, fun, and excited to be there. Shoutout to our incredible production designer Jen, and to Nathan Floody, our editor, who never lost his cool through what is genuinely a hard film to cut. Comedy timing is everything, and there are so many rounds of notes and feedback — he just always delivered.

This one was also personally special because I got to bring my girlfriend Molly to set for the first time. We had stunts, dogs, a possum, a deer — and an incredible comedic ensemble including Jay Farrow, Casey Rock, Ken Patterson, William Montgomery, Brecken Meyer, and Lindsay Normington, among others.

Look — this movie was made by a lot of creative forces, and if you have time this weekend, I would love for you to see it in theaters. It is an original, independent comedy. Not financed by a studio. Not distributed by a studio. We made direct deals with Regal, AMC, and various theaters ourselves. If you believe in independent cinema and you’re concerned about what’s happening with AI and mergers in this industry — this is a tangible way to support something different.

I hope people enjoy the film. It is a silly comedy — Rotten Tomatoes and I probably aren’t going to be best friends on this one — but I do hope audiences can escape the tough realities of everyday life, even just for a couple of hours.

Thank you for supporting my work. Tickets are linked below.

And if you’re in New York, come check out one of the director Q&As — I’ll be there.

xo,

Jonah

My next film, Busboys, a comedy starring David Spade and Theo Von, opens April 17 in New York City.

The amazing people at Regal were kind enough to arrange two director Q&A sessions that I can attend and host, and I would love to see you there if you are in New York.

REGAL UNION SQUARE / April 18th 8PM

or

REGAL ESSEX / April 19th 6PM

This is a very, very silly comedy that Theo and David made completely independently of the system, which I truly applaud them for.

I was able to employ an incredible set of artists in front of and behind the camera, especially during such a difficult time with the LA fires and the lack of work in Hollywood as we know it.

This is a real indie movie through and through, and I hope you can come have a laugh with me to see everyone’s amazing work.

Get your tix at the links above if you’d like to watch together, otherwise there are other cities and showtimes available through Regal and Cinemark.

xo,

Jonah + Lucky

We open nationwide at Cinemark and Regal on April 17th.

A few things I want you to know about this movie:

Theo Von and David Spade produced this film themselves and are releasing it directly to fans — and I couldn't be more proud to have directed it. This is what independent filmmaking looks like in 2026.

We shot it during the LA fires. A genuinely devastating time for the city — especially for the creative community. We pushed our shoot. Several crew members were directly affected, and we all felt very thankful to be employed and working (on a comedy!).

It was executive-produced by Night Media—one of their first theatrical narrative projects—and working with them has been one of the great experiences of my career. What they’ve built around this release is something I haven’t seen before. The way they’re mobilizing their community, activating their creators, and bringing audiences to theaters isn’t just smart marketing. It’s a new blueprint. Studios are going to be studying this playbook for years.

The cast is a collection of comedians from all over the country. Theo and David didn’t just show up to act — they wrote this thing, drawing on their own real experiences as busboys.

I’m proud of how independently this all came together. It’s quite different from my most recent release, 31 Candles, a rom-com about a 30-year-old who has a Bar Mitzvah, but is consistent with my passion to entertain audiences and make films that, even if briefly, help folks escape the harsh realities of the world.

April 17th. Get your tickets.

much love,

Jonah

Chemistry Check Is Here

For a while now, I’ve been wanting to make a show that feels like a movie but lands like a podcast. As I build out Romantical, I was excited to get back to my podcast roots (who remembers Hinge’s Dating Sucks in 2019?) - as a way to bring in the incredible talent in the Romantical ecosystem to have unscripted conversations about their process, and love life!

That show is Chemistry Check.

The inspiration is a mix of things. There’s My Dinner with Andre — that idea that a dinner conversation, if it’s the right one, can be as cinematic as anything. And there’s a scene in my first feature, Dating & New York, that always stuck with me. I wanted to build a whole show around that feeling.

We shot the first episode on a three-camera setup at Madame George, which is a beautiful restaurant and bar, and turned out to be the perfect backdrop. It’s a growing, learning experience — the show is still finding its footing — but I’m really proud of how it came out, and I can’t wait to keep making it.

Episode 1 is with Sarah Coffey.

Sarah is an actress, musician, comedian, and one of my dearest friends. She’s also the co-star of my film 31 Candles, where she played Eva Shapiro — and she felt like the perfect person to launch this with. She’s brilliant, she’s funny, and she’s completely unafraid to be honest on camera.

Over martinis at Madame George, we covered a lot of ground:

• The enormous gap between how many dates I’ve been on versus how many Sarah has - when we were both single.

• The concept of “Chill Girl”

• Sarah’s love-at-first-sight story involving a film premiere, Mariah Carey’s Fantasy, and a boyfriend who grew up Mormon

• Whether “I’m so busy” is ever actually true — or just the polite version of something harder to say

• How honest you should really be on a first date, and where the line is between being open and love-bombing someone

It’s a fun one. I hope you love it as much as I loved making it.

You can watch or listen on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows. New episodes coming weekly.

Can’t wait to hear what you think.

— Jonah

I have a fond memory of the Space Jam website, specifically. Starry tiled backgrounds, clip art planets, a page where you could download a screensaver. I also can’t stop thinking about theYou’ve Got Mail which looked like a prettier verison of AOL.com.

Now every movie gets a Linktree. Maybe a landing page with a trailer embed and three social links. The marketing playbook is Instagram Reels, paid media, and whatever TikTok trend is happening that week.

Of course, I use both of these, and one of our 31 Candles reels sits at 3.2 million views on IG.

So when it came time to promote 31 Candles, I decided to do something dumb and wonderful: I built a Geocities-style website by vibe-coding (and some real coding, interesting Jonah lore is that I took 4 years of computer coding in high school!)

Geocities was a free web hosting service launched in the 90s that let anyone build their own corner of the internet. The name came from the idea that neighborhoods of the web were like actual cities: you’d pick a “neighborhood” based on your interests (Hollywood for entertainment, SiliconValley for tech) and your site would live there. It was the first time regular people could have a homepage. It was glorious and absolutely unhinged.

I wanted to share our 31 Candles website and its special features, like a Bar/Bat Mitzvah photo board, AIM chat, and photobooth.

The Design

If you visit 31candles.com, the first thing you’ll notice is it looks like it was built in 2003. That’s on purpose.

The aesthetic came together pretty naturally. 31 Candles is a movie about a guy having his Bar Mitzvah at 31, so there’s already this tension between childhood nostalgia and adult life baked into the premise. A retro website felt like the right container for that energy. The whole movie is about revisiting something you missed — why not revisit an era of the internet we all collectively moved on from?

The Features - We have some cool ones!

The Guestbook. Just like the old days. Visitors can leave a message with their name and it shows up on the page for everyone to see. It’s connected to a real database. Please say something nice!

An AIM Chat Widget. You can “chat” with Eva Shapiro, the love interest from the film. Ask her about the movie. Ask her about Leo Kadner.

B’nai Mitzvah Photo Uploads. This one’s my favorite. There’s a section where you can upload your own Bar or Bat Mitzvah photo. Dig through your parents’ photo albums, find the one where you’re thirteen and awkward and wearing something regrettable, and share it with the world. The photos go into a community gallery on the site. Also accepting funny birthday party pics and Christmas cards!

A Photo Booth. The site can access your webcam and take a photo of you with a 31 Candles–themed border, complete with candle emojis and the movie logo. You can download it and share it. It’s a photo strip, like the ones at a real Bar Mitzvah.

Why did I do this?

I think there’s something valuable about making promotional material that people actually enjoy spending time with.

Every filmmaker I know is trying to figure out how to promote their work in a way that doesn’t feel like screaming into the void. My answer, at least this time, was to build a tiny corner of the internet that feels like it belongs to the movie, a place with personality and texture.

The old web was messy and personal and alive. I wanted a little bit of that for 31 Candles.

Watch the Movie

31 Candles is available now on Apple TV. You can rent or buy it right here.

And while you’re at it, go sign the guestbook: 31candles.com

much love,

Jonah

I’m a filmmaker who lives at the crossroads of two worlds that shouldn’t be separate anymore: YouTube and cinema.

I’ve directed two theatrical releases — Dating & New York, distributed by IFC Films, and 31 Candles, which I got into theaters by literally knocking on the door of the Quad Cinema in Manhattan and convincing them to program it. I’ve made films for major streamers: EXmas on Amazon and At Midnight on Disney Plus and Hulu. And I’ve built a YouTube channel where hundreds of thousands of people watch my filmettes every month.

My next film, Busboys, starring David Spade and Theo Von, will be released this year and confirms the thesis I’m about to pitch you below.

I’ve seen every version of how movies reach audiences. And all of that experience has led me to one conclusion: YouTube should be the home base for independent film distribution.

I’m asking for one thing that would change everything:

A rent/buy button that creators can add directly to their own uploads, on their own channels.

That’s it. It would be quite lovely and amazing so if this is convincing enough, and takes about a few lines of code, no need to keep reading, and THANK YOU for making it better for us thousands of indie filmmakers out there!

But if you need convincing, as Casey Neistat would say - let me explain.

We’re living in a paradox of independent film distribution. There have never been more pathways to get your movie in front of an audience — and yet remarkably few of those pathways actually work at getting people to show up in a meaningful way.

In my opinion, the landscape essentially breaks down into three tiers, and none of them are good enough.

The first is acquisition by a major or well-resourced distributor — an A24, a Neon, a Searchlight. These companies have real marketing budgets, legacy relationships with theater chains and streamers, and the infrastructure to actually launch a film. But that infrastructure is expensive, and even the cooler, more filmmaker-friendly versions of these companies are still backed by private equity or significant institutional capital. You’re playing in a world where access is gated by money and relationships that were built long before you showed up.

The second tier is the smaller independent distributor. Some of these companies are run by passionate people who genuinely care about cinema. But if you’re being honest about what they actually provide, it’s often a preexisting relationship with a handful of theaters and access to an aggregator that places your film on SVOD or AVOD platforms. Meanwhile, your revenue is being split across multiple intermediaries before a dollar ever reaches you — the distributor, the aggregator, the platform. This has been the standard model for a long time, but given what’s now possible with direct-to-audience distribution, it’s increasingly hard to justify handing over that much of your film’s economic life to middlemen.

And then there’s full self-distribution. You build a website, you host your film, you own everything. Which sounds great in theory — until you realize your mom doesn’t know how to find it (sorry Nancy), and neither does anyone else. Without a platform that audiences already trust and already visit, you’re essentially opening a store on a street with no foot traffic.

Every indie filmmaker knows this nightmare. You finish your film, and then you’re told to get it on as many platforms as possible. So your movie ends up on Fandango, Vudu, Trader-Joes-Flix (the new one of the week) who the hell knows, and a dozen services nobody in your audience has ever opened on purpose.

The person who’s followed your channel for three years has to go create an account on some platform they’ve never heard of.

YouTube solves every single one of these problems. And would live in tandem with a limited theatrical release.

Reachability? YouTube has over two billion logged-in users a month and an algorithm that is essentially a free, perpetual marketing engine. If your content resonates, the platform will find your audience for you — something no independent distributor on earth can promise.

User experience? On the front end, audiences get a clean, technically seamless viewing experience on any device they own. YouTube is already on every television, every phone, every tablet, every Roku and Fire Stick in the world. The app is installed. The credit card is on file. Someone can hear about your movie at dinner, pick up their remote, say the title, and be watching in sixty seconds. No other platform comes close. On the back end, filmmakers get robust analytics, monetization tools, and complete creative control over how their work is presented.

But here’s the thing that matters most — YouTube is the only option where you retain full ownership of your film. Forever.

You don’t sign over your rights for seven years. You don’t grant exclusivity to a platform that might shelve your movie. You don’t watch your revenue get carved up by four different middlemen before you see a cent. You keep your film. You keep your audience. You keep your data. That is genuinely unprecedented in the history of film distribution, and I don’t think enough filmmakers have fully internalized how radical that is.

What I’m describing is YouTube becoming the place where Substack meets Patreon meets a seamless viewing experience — all in one. A creator builds their audience on your platform, makes their work on your platform, and monetizes their work on your platform. No five different services duct-taped together. No sending your fans on a scavenger hunt across the internet.

You might be reading this and thinking, “YouTube already does this.” It doesn’t..

YouTube offers Memberships — a monthly subscription where creators can gate bonus content behind a paywall. But that’s a subscription model, which sets the expectation of regular, recurring content. We’re not trying to become a content treadmill; we’re making films, and films don’t work on a monthly drip schedule. On top of that, Membership videos aren’t even surfaced by the algorithm, which defeats the entire purpose of building on YouTube in the first place.

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum: YouTube’s transactional movie rentals and purchases. Yes, those exist — but they live on an entirely separate part of the platform that creators have zero access to. That pipeline runs through traditional distribution aggregators with layers of splits and a messy back end that has nothing to do with the creator economy YouTube has built.

What I’m proposing sits in neither of these buckets. It simply does not exist on the platform today.

And the thing is — this isn’t a massive engineering lift (at least I think!). The rent/buy infrastructure already exists. You built it for studios. It’s one button of code. Just extend it to creators.

Quick edit: if your immediate thought here is that one of the issues with this would be the chain of title, the series of documents that proves the person who owns the film owns the film, I believe that could be a very simple upload process. Considering all of us independent filmmakers need to create a chain of title no matter what distribution option we go through - that exists in a Google Drive. Thank you

This would change everything. Not just for me — for every filmmaker who built an audience making shorts and behind-the-scenes content but has no way to monetize their actual feature on the same platform. For every director who made something great and watched it disappear into the void of services nobody uses.

YouTube, you’ve already changed how the world watches. Now change how independent filmmakers distribute.

Give us the button. We’ll do the rest.

Much love,

Jonah Feingold, Romantical

Oh and P.S. - progress! Thank you Fede!

Everyone’s had a roster. Maybe you didn’t call it that — maybe you called it “keeping your options open” or “just seeing where things go” or “dating around like any 35-year-old in New York.” But it was a roster. The three to five people in your phone that you were sort of seeing but not really dating but definitely texting but nothing was official.

It was comfortable because it meant you never had to choose. And choosing is the scariest thing in the world because choosing someone means closing every other door. It means saying, out loud, to another human being: I pick you. I like-like-LIKE- you! And that’s terrifying. So you kept the roster. You rotated. You told yourself you were just figuring things out.

But here’s my thesis: you can’t be with your person until you clear it. All of it. Not slowly, not “let things fizzle out,” not ghost someone and hope they get the hint. You have to look every single person on that roster in the eye and say it’s done. Because the person you’re supposed to be with deserves to know that you chose them — not by default, not because everyone else fell away, but because you burned the whole thing down on purpose. For them. That’s the move. That’s the reset.

That’s what this film is about.

Roster Reset is the latest filmette from Romantical Pictures — part of our 12 Movies in 12 Months project, where we’re making one original short filmette every single month for an entire year, funded entirely by our Patreon community.

No studio. No gatekeepers. Just us and the people who believe in what we’re making. This is independent filmmaking in its purest form — a direct line from the people who watch to the people who make.

We shot Roster Reset on location in New York City, entirely on the Blazar 33mm anamorphic lens — one single lens for the whole film. There’s something about the way it renders faces, the oval bokeh, the horizontal flares, the squeeze — it just feels like things are off. Shooting on a single focal length forces you to commit. You can’t zoom your way out of a bad setup. You have to move your feet, find the frame, and trust the lens. It keeps things honest, which felt right for a film about choosing one person.

Watch on your largest screen possible and thank you as alwasy for your support of my work!

Thank you to producer Jonah Weinstein for flying in from Los Angeles to make this film with me.

Xo,

Jonah

That said, I am fueled by my passion for making great art this year and the momentum I feel with everyone in this community. I am prepping the next filmette which we shoot next week - about a guy (me!) who breaks up with this roster of lovers in order to be with “The One”. Now, how did we get here?

The best romantic comedies have always been Trojan horses—love stories that smuggled in social commentary through emotional relatability.

Casablanca (1942) wasn’t just about Rick and Ilsa; it was propaganda wrapped in romance, using Rick’s arc from cynical isolationist to freedom fighter as a metaphor for America entering World War II. The film worked because it made the moral imperative of war feel personal, intimate, worth sacrificing for. Beyond the nostalgia and lost love, Casablanca presented a complex political commentary on the early days of World War II, with the message that “this is a fight worth fighting” aimed at an American public not yet convinced of the moral imperative.

Before you reply to me that Casablanca isn’t a rom-com. It has romance. It has comedy. I had never heard more laughter and weeps of tears in a theater in my life than at last year Valentine’s day screening at the Aero Theater. IT IS A ROMANTIC COMEDY (and drama).

The Apartment (1960) was even more subversive. Billy Wilder took infidelity—extramarital affairs conducted in a junior executive’s apartment—and used it to indict postwar corporate America. Critics called it “a dirty fairy tale,” but Wilder was holding up a mirror to the callousness of capitalism, using adultery as a metaphor for how White men in suits exploited everyone around them. The film functioned as cynical social commentary on corporate culture in the sixties, an indictment of America’s increasingly rapacious business practices. It won Best Picture because beneath the bittersweet comedy was a barbed critique of modern life.

Then came When Harry Met Sally (1989), which asked the question that preoccupied every 30-something professional in the ‘80s: Can men and women ever just be friends? For the first time, a rom-com had no plot—just two well-employed people talking about their feelings over deli sandwiches and New Year’s Eve parties. Billy Crystal’s Harry Burns argued “no” from the beginning, then agreed with Sally that it was possible, only to discover that sex and love replaced the friendship. It worked because it captured something true about how relationships were changing: friendship as the basis for love was both celebrated and treated as an aberration.

Enter “The Roster”

I think about this a lot when I’m working on film ideas. What’s the emotional issue hiding inside the love story? What’s the thing we’re all doing but not quite saying out loud yet?

How can I make something nearly as good as Puss In Boots Last Wish made a film about anxiety and death - disguised as a children’s tale.

Right now, I’m obsessed with a concept I’m calling *The Roster Refresh*—a story about dating multiple people at once in that informal, undefined, low-commitment way that’s become the default setting for everyone who has an app on there phone that allows you to send messages (Venmo is just as much a dating app as Hinge is).

Dating has never been easier with apps, and we’re all so ADD, everyone keeps a little roster. It’s not polyamory, it’s not cheating—it’s just... efficient? Exhausting? Both?

My most viral Instagram reel ever has over 11 million views between its trial and grid feed, and 6,000 comments.

It clearly hit a nerve. The comments were split between people saying “finally, someone gets it” and people saying “this is why dating is broken.” Which is exactly the kind of tension a good rom-com needs.

Because here’s the thing: roster dating isn’t new, but the way we’re doing it now—with the speed, the volume, the algorithmic efficiency—feels like it’s changing something fundamental about intimacy. And if rom-coms are supposed to reflect the way we love in real time, this feels like the next frontier. Or at least enough to explore in a filmette.

Maybe the rom-com that captures 2026 isn’t about finding “the one.” Maybe it’s about what happens when you’re dating five people at once and realize you’re lonelier than when you were single. Or maybe it’s about two people on each other’s rosters who accidentally fall in love and have to figure out how to stop treating each other like backup-options.

I don’t know. I’m still working on it. But I do know that the best love stories have always been about more than love—they’re about who we are, how we’re changing, and what we’re afraid to admit about both to each other!

The Romantical Report

I’m Writing the New Kenan & Kel Film In between roster dating think-pieces, I’ve been working on something completely different: the new Kenan & Kel movie. It’s essentially our generation’s Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein—taking the greatest modern comedy duo and putting them in a genre film that actually respects both sides of the equation.

Nostalgia is a vehicle, not the destination. The goal isn't just to make people remember the 90s. It’s to use that familiarity to take them somewhere new. By blending their dynamic with the "Universal Monster" world, we get to make something fresh that still feels like home.

We need more movies that just make people feel good. We need communal laughter back in theaters. This movie is Shaun of the Dead meets Scooby-Doo. It’s scary, it’s silly, and it’s full of heart.

“Clear-Coding” is 2026’s Biggest Dating Trend—and It’s About Radical Honesty Singles are entering 2026 more emotionally fluent than ever, with 64% saying the dating landscape needs more honesty. The new mantra? Say what you actually want from the first date. No more “let’s see where this goes”—just radical clarity about whether you want something real or something casual. It’s less about playing it cool and more about saying what you mean from the start.

The Golden Steer, the Legendary Vegas Steakhouse That Fed the Rat Pack, is Opening in Greenwich Village The 65-year-old institution is bringing its old-school Romantical vibe to 1 Fifth Avenue this month—red leather booths, prime cuts, and all the romance of a bygone era . If you’ve been looking for a place that feels like stepping into a time machine (in the best way), this is it and a great Valentine’s day date! It’s MARTINI TIME BABY!

Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria is Back—With Cole Porter’s Piano, Queen Victoria’s Clock, and Zero Patience for National Treasure Bits Last night my friend had a going away party in a suite at the Waldorf Astoria (he works for a travel company).

We had to leave our puppy alone for three hours (worth it, even though we learned her bladder had less fun than us). I was very excited to “discover” this bar in the lobby. I got STOKED as I was greeted by the 4,000-pound bronze clock from the 1893 World’s Fair and the custom Steinway that Cole Porter played while living in the hotel from 1934 until his death.

It still had markings from his Martini glass on the wood! Of course—I started doing a whole National Treasure bit about the clock. Molly was impressed. The hostess was not.

Go for the cocktails, stay for the history, or a treasure.

My amazing sister Janey has written a book.

My sister Janey’s debut novel, Royal Magic, drops January 28th in paperback and Kindle Unlimited. It’s a spicy adult romantasy about a trio of lady spies who go undercover in a prince’s marriage season to expose his corrupt royal family. Think Charlie’s Angels meets The Bachelor but everyone has magic—forbidden romance, secret identities, fated mates, and lavish balls at the Winter Palace.

She’s celebrating the release at Word Bookstore in Brooklyn on January 29th at 7PM—free with RSVP -I’ll be there to lead a Q&A.

And if you’re in LA, there’s a Q&A and live reading on February 17th at 7PM —use code ROMANTICAL for 20% off your ticket.

If you’re into romantasy, spies, or just want to support a debut author, check it out. She’s incredibly talented and I’m romantically proud.

Xo,

— Jonah

BUT - Why is everyone posting photos from 2016?

More importantly, when the typical nostalgia gap is around 20-30 years, why have we become nostalgic for only 10 years ago? Will we become nostalgic for tomorrow next?

As a filmmaker whose work is deeply inspired by the romantic comedies of yesteryear (1940s, 50s, and 90s, to be exact) - I did a little research and drew some of my own conclusions.

2016 was the summer of Pokémon GO, Leo finally getting his Oscar, and me paying 100 bucks for a Hamilton ticket with the original cast. It was the golden era of memes (Harambe, "Damn Daniel"), the Mannequin Challenge. It was The Chainsmokers on repeat, and movies like LA LA LAND, making me question every romantic choice I had made up until that moment. It was Trump vs. Clinton, which, as I type that, feels so simple.

Don’t get me wrong, “I love nostalgia, I like to greet it as I would a stranger on a subway, the older they are, the more likely I am to give up my seat.”1

What’s interesting, concerning, and thought-provoking is that the nostalgia gap is getting smaller and smaller. What was once a 30-year cycle, then a 20-year, has now become a 10-year gap.

Historically, culture operates on what writer Patrick Metzger coined “The Nostalgia Pendulum.” It usually takes about 30 years for a trend to return (e.g., the 70s came back in the 90s; the 90s came back in the 2020s).

The logic is sound: it takes three decades for the consumers of culture to grow up and become the creators of culture.

But the pendulum is breaking. The gap is shrinking. We are now nostalgic for a time that was only ten years ago.

It’s possible that the creators of culture are younger - anyone with a phone can build an app, start a digital series, change the world, and thus because they are younger, their influences are ALSO not dated too far back. But there are other reasons.

Cultural critic Simon Reynolds calls this “Retromania.” In the digital age, the past never actually “goes away.” Because everything is archived and instantly accessible on TikTok, YouTube, or Spotify, we don’t have time to miss things before we bring them back. We are living in a state of “atemporality”—where 1999, 2016, and 2026 all exist on the same screen at the same time. Nothing surprises me more when I see someone comment on a clip from E.T. or Stand By Me on TikTok, saying its “copying” Stranger Things.

Why 2016? Why now? Psychologically, we are engaging in what Harvard scholar Svetlana Boym defined as “Restorative Nostalgia.”

When the future feels unstable (future fatigue), the brain seeks safety in the “known.” This is the same reason you watch The Office or Friends on repeat.

We crave 2016 not because it was perfect, but because it was the last time the internet felt messy. It was before the algorithm got too smart, before every hobby became a side hustle. It was unpolished. It was human. Or at least as human as a 1:1 filtered photograph could portray.

But the pendulum is breaking. We are now rebooting a culture that is barely cold.

As a director, I have never struggled more to get original IP made in the system (however, all FIVE of my films are original — but it’s harder today than it was even yesterday, or ten years ago!)

The Evidence:

• Disney’s Moana: The animated film came out in 2016. The live-action remake hits theaters this summer (2026).That is a 10-year gap.

• How to Train Your Dragon: The animated trilogy ended in 2019. The live-action remake arrives in 2025. Gap: 6 years.

• Spider-Man: Tobey Maguire hung up the suit in 2007. Andrew Garfield rebooted it in 2012. Tom Holland is doing Spiderman 4 (of his own series) Gap: 5 years.

• Gossip Girl: The original ended in 2012. The reboot launched in 2021. Gap: 9 years.

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The Romantical Report (Nostalgia Themed) Some pieces of uplifting news that fit into our current obbession of the past.

• Fujifilm Just Dropped the “Cinema” Camera: It looks like a 1960s 8mm camcorder, has a manual “film advance” lever, and prints photos with a QR code that plays a video clip. It’s “hybrid nostalgia” in a tactical form. I want one badly. Read the announcement

• CES 2026 Was Dominated by “Retro Tech”: Companies like MyArcade and Hyperkin stole the show with new devices that play old Game Boy cartridges, proving that we want to physically own our media again. See the retro gaming reveals

• The “Pen Pal” Revival is Here: Pinterest just dropped its “Pinterest Predicts 2026” report. Gen Z is actively searching for stationery, wax seals, and calligraphy sets. We are tired of sliding into the DM, it’s time to slide into the mailbox. Read the Pinterest 2026 Report

• Physical Media > Streaming: At a CES panel last week, tech founders argued that physical media is the future. With streamers deleting content left and right (my own film AT MIDNIGHT included!), buying the Blu-ray is the only act of true ownership left.

I don’t think we are naturally nostalgic for 2016.

We used to rely on our own brains to trigger nostalgia - “Hey There Delilah” starts playing, the smell of Chloé by Chloé reminds you of your ex, a cracked iPod in your attic. Now? I wake up, and before I’ve even had my Dunkin’ Hazelnut, Apple Photos or Instagram Stories is hitting me with an “On This Day” notification, serving me a slideshow of a blurry night out at 169 Bar. The algorithm is constantly re-contextualizing our own recent history as “vintage” before we’ve even had a chance to miss it on our own.

But there is a reason we accept the feed. In 2026, “High Quality” has started to feel like a lie. Between 8K cameras and AI-generated everything, perfection feels suspicious. We are returning to that 2016 “Indie Sleaze” / Tumblr aesthetic—the low-res, over-filtered, chaotic energy—because it feels truthful.

I actually feel this is a reason my YouTube filmette shot in 5 days, that has blurry shots and bad audio, might have resonated with so many people.

We crave 2016 not because it was perfect, but because it was the last time the internet felt messy. It was before the algorithm stopped showing us our friends, before every hobby became a side hustle. 2016 was unpolished. It was human.

In a world that is increasingly curated and optimized for SEO, “cringe” is the only proof of humanity we have left.

much love,

Jonah

P.S. Thank you to everyone who supported 31 Candles in its theatrical release.

31 Candles is in Theaters TOMORROW!

Friends, family, exes, the day is finally here. My new film, 31 Candles, hits AMC theaters nationwide starting tomorrow, Friday, January 9th. WTF. I am humbled but also so incredibly nervous.

It’s a love letter to the old school romantic comedies of yesteryear! And a film where we prioritized a theatrical release, because going to movie theaters IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT to humanity, community, and our emotional well-being.

We toured the film in select theaters this Fall in NYC, Florida, and LA, and now, because of that, we can open more widely. To me, this is a key part of releasing films these days, a slow rollout, allowing for community-driven screenings before going wider (at least when you have a very very tiny marketing budget)

Thanks to AMC, we are going WIDE! Let’s go!

If you’re in NYC, we have special Q&A screenings this weekend (I’ll be there!) and I would be honored to see you in the seats. Seeing a movie in a theater with a crowd is the reason I do this—let’s fill the room.

NYC Q&A: Friday, Janurary 9th, 8pm

NYC Q&A: Saturday, Janurary 10th, 4:45pm

NATIONWIDE: Get Your Tickets at AMC Here

The Romantical Report: This Week’s Picks

Brighten your inbox with The Romantical Report—a weekly dispatch of feel-good events and musings curated by filmmaker Jonah Feingold.

For the Date Night Planner: NYC Restaurant Week is Back (Jan 20 - Feb 12) You know I love a good dinner scene. Dim lighting. Martinis. Slow zoom. I’ve shot more than I can count on two hands! Restaurant Week reservations just opened, and honestly, in this economy, a $45 prix-fixe dinner is the kind of plot twist we all need. Whether you’re taking a Tinder date or your long-term partner (I’ll be grabbing a table with my girlfriend), this is the perfect excuse to pretend you’re in a Nora Ephron movie. Grab a res before they’re gone.”🔗 Book Your Reservations

For the “Main Character” Energy: Winter Jazzfest (Happening Now!) If you want to feel like you’re living inside one of Grant Fonda’s (my composer!) movie scores, this is it. The Winter Jazzfest kicked off this week in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It’s got that moody, DATING & NEW YORK ‘anything can happen in New York’ energy. I always say movies are 50% score—well, life is too. Go catch a set, grab a glass of wine, and romanticize your week. 🔗 See the Full Lineup

Stream It: People We Meet on Vacation (Netflix) It is a huge week for the rom-com genre. While I hope you’re catching 31 Candles in theaters, the rom-com gods have also blessed us at home. The adaptation of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation drops on Netflix tomorrow, Jan 9th. It’s directed by my friend Brett Haley, who is such a talented filmmaker (and a great guy). The Rom-Com Renaissance is undeniably here, and I think he crushed it wiht this film and the casting! 🔗 Watch on Netflix

Bees Get a Lawyer? For inspiration on my films, I just look up good news sometimes, this one caught my eye: A species of stingless bees in the Amazon has officially been granted legal rights to exist. I just love the idea of a ‘stingless bee.’ It sounds like a character description I need to use. It’s a nice reminder that the world is getting a little kinder, one bug at a time. 🔗 Read the Story

That’s all for this week, and hope you get a chance to see 31 Candles in theaters. I can’t tell you how hard it is to get this far with a full indie film, so all your support, even talking about it or telling friends about it, means the world!

Oh, btw, here is an unreleased poster my gf Molly and I designed the NIGHT we found out we had a theatrical release! Can you guess which movie inspired it?

xo,

Jonah

It’s “Twixmas”—that strange, timeless void between Christmas and New Year’s when time feels fake, and nobody knows what day it is. In the middle of this holiday limbo, two strangers who matched on Tinder experience the rarest phenomenon in modern dating: running into each other in real life, right in the middle of Central Park.

www.itsromantical.com

THE PLAYERS
Amelia Evans
Connor Wood
Yvette Segan
Courtney Michelle
Jonah Feingold

Directed, Shot, and Edited By: Jonah Feingold
Produced By: Jonah Weinstein
Produced By: Tinder
Production Assistants: Lindsey Lauria, Janey Feingold
Special Thanks: Delta Charlie

ABOUT ROMANTICAL
Romantical Pictures is a production company dedicated to the cinematic universe of modern love. From “Good To See You” to the 31 Candles, we explore the awkward, magical, and often hilarious reality of dating in the digital age.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Jonah Feingold is a writer and director based in New York City. Inspired by the golden era of rom-coms (think Nancy Meyers meets Billy Wilder), Jonah’s work deconstructs modern romance with a nostalgic touch.

#ShortFilm #RomCom #Twixmas #CentralPark #Tinder #Dating #IndieFilm #Filmette #JonahFeingold #Romantical

If you don’t work in this industry, you might not know just how broken the projector currently is.

It’s a system where a project’s entire financing hinges on an arbitrary list of five “marketable” actors that an agency puts together. It’s a world where Business Affairs offices take six months just to redline a standard agreement, bleeding momentum dry. And too often, by the time you are finally ready to sign a deal, the studio that loved your script has just been swallowed whole by a massive telecom conglomerate, the executive who championed you has been fired, and your project is dead. Again. Movies are, and always have been, resurrections - but even Dr. Frankenstein seems to be running low on power.

I’m done waiting for that machinery to fix itself. Film isn’t content. And an audience isn’t just a metric.

That’s why this year, I am hardlaunching Romantical with The 12 Filmette Project.

My goal is simple but ambitious: Make 12 filmettes (mini-movies) in 12 months. No waiting for green lights. No corporate notes on marketable casting. Just consistent, original, feel-good romantic comedies delivered directly to the people who care about them, and premiered on a screen that wouldn’t fit in your living room, and then, again, on a smaller screen.

To make this happen, I am launching Romantical Studios on Patreon.

This is more than just a subscription; it is a production arm powered entirely by you. By joining, you aren’t just watching the movies; you are greenlighting them. You are helping me rent the cameras, secure the locations, and pay the actors (and the interns!)

In return, there is entertainment, education, and community.

Join Romantical Here

The Plan & The Tiers I am looking for 100 Founding Members to kickstart this slate. We are keeping it small to start so we can build a genuine community (and because I want to actually know who you are).

Here is how you can get involved:

• Center Row ($10/mo)

  • The Cost: Roughly the price of one oat milk latte or a single movie ticket at AMC.

  • The Value: You are the audience. You get every monthly filmette in 4K HD, ad-free, before the public release. But the real value is the community: You are automatically on the guest list for our monthly IRL screening and networking events here in NYC. Come hang out, watch the movie on a screen, and meet other creatives.

• Studio Member ($25/mo)

  • The Cost: Less than the price of a Sweetgreen salad and a… oat milk latte.

  • The Value: This is Romantical Film School. If you are a filmmaker, actor, or writer, this is an open door to my entire hard drive. You get the actual scripts, the pitch decks I used to sell concepts, the real budget breakdowns, and the shot lists. Plus, you get access to a monthly Zoom Q&A and “Making Of” breakdown where we dissect exactly how we pulled off the production.

  • Simply put, your questions answered.

• Executive Producer ($100/mo)

  • The Cost: The price of one nice martini dinner date in Brooklyn.

  • The Value: You’re the boss. You are officially part of the team. You get your name in the Opening Titles of the film and a verified IMDb credit for every single project we make while you’re a member. You also get voting power on upcoming filmettes (voted). You aren’t just watching the movie; you’re helping make it.

Join Romantical Here

Why This Matters

If you are a filmmaker, writer, or creator reading this, I want to offer one piece of advice that has become my north star in this volatile industry: Focus on building your direct line to your audience, whether by email, text, or even hand-written letters. I promise you that is the future.

The platforms will change. The algorithms will shift. The studios will merge. The only thing they can’t touch is the direct connection between your work and the people who love it. You don’t need millions of passive views to have a career. You just need a community that believes in what you do.

Join Romantical Here

The most important thing a creative can do right now is build a direct contact to their audience—even if it’s just 100 of them!

See you at the movies, Jonah

We all know the feeling. The presents are opened, the leftovers are in the fridge, and New Year’s Eve is still a few days away. It’s that purgatory period where time feels both incredibly long and confusingly short. You don’t know what day it is, you don’t know if you should be productive or hibernate.

For example, I told myself I’d write five scripts, so far, I’ve watched The Holiday five times.

I once read somewhere that it was called “Twixmas”

My new film, appropriately titled Twixmas, was born out of a desire to capture that specific feeling. I wanted to make a holiday film, but not a Christmas movie. I wanted to tell a story set against the backdrop of this strange, beautiful, transitional week but with a positive, romantic spin.

A brand can help you make your film.

Making independent films is always a puzzle, and for this project, the pieces came together in a really unique way. I’m incredibly excited to share that this film was made in collaboration with Tinder.

They approached me as fans of my work, and the feeling was mutual. But what made this collaboration special was their approach: they simply wanted to support a cinematic vision. They didn’t come in with a heavy hand; they came in to support what I believe represents the future of great romantic comedies and independent filmmaking. They allowed me to go off and create the story I wanted to tell, and for that trust, I am incredibly grateful.

We Shot In Central Park

We shot Twixmas over the course of just four crisp days in Central Park. It was a whirlwind, but we captured something magical, largely thanks to an incredible group of collaborators.

The film stars a cast that I still can’t believe I got to work with: Connor Wood, Amelia Evans, Yvette Segan, and Courtney Michele.

It was produced by Jonah Weinstein, who many of you know produced my previous film, 31 Candles (Playing Nationwide in AMC’s Jan 9th!).

Getting to reunite with him to make something creative, fun, and loose was a highlight of my year.

The Future Is Art Vs. The Algo

I love the idea that we can put a film like this directly on YouTube. There is something powerful about bypassing the gatekeepers and engaging with you—the audience—directly. That said, YouTube STILL does use an algorithm.

As we head into the New Year, Twixmas has me thinking a lot about the future. I’m currently exploring ways to scale this model up, potentially releasing one film a month. My goal is to figure out how to dodge the algorithm and focus entirely on giving back to this audience in ways that are more meaningful than just “content.”

I’ll be looking to find my “1000” supporters, folks who are down to subscribe monthly (and get a film, bts, and executive producer credit). Let me know if this is you!

Anyway, thank you for your incredible readership, support, and kindness in 2025!

Subscribe now

Much love,

Jonah

When Good to See You first came out, I wasn’t prepared for the response.

I made it quietly, almost impulsively—just going out into New York and making something personal, scrappy, and honest. What came back was overwhelming positivity. Messages from strangers. Notes from friends. People saying the film made them feel something, or reminded them why they fell in love with movies in the first place.

It was deeply encouraging. Not just emotionally, but creatively. It reinforced a lesson I keep relearning: if you go out and make the thing yourself, you get one step closer to owning your audience, your voice, and the freedom to make movies without the noise, nonsense, and inflation of the traditional Hollywood system.

Shortly after Good to See You was released, I got a call from my friend Mike Greene—the CEO of Skylark . He pitched something that immediately clicked.

What if, instead of making branded content, you made branded cinema?

No talking points. No winks to camera. Just: we’ll fly you to London, put you up at a hotel, and you make your next movie. Your character can use Skylark naturally. The brand lives inside the story—not the other way around.

I didn’t hesitate.

So we packed our bags and, together with Tess and my good friend Nic, went to London and made Good to See You 2. It explores different themes and character beats, but it’s made the same way as the first—a self-portrait-style film that wears its love of movies of yesteryear on its sleeve.

I think of it less as a “proper sequel” and more as a holiday special. A continuation. Something warm, a little nostalgic, and hopefully funny. It was an absolute joy to make, and it feels like a meaningful step toward what thoughtful, artist-first brand collaboration can look like.

Leading up to today’s release, we shared clips from the film—and will continue to do so. Some of those clips alone have already reached close to a million views. That kind of response still blows my mind.

I also want to thank Epidemic Sound, who reached out after a networking event where I casually mentioned to their CEO that I was looking for music for the sequel. They raised their hand immediately and became a partner on the project.

Moments like that have been the most exciting part of this journey—not people creating walls or gatekeeping how things are “supposed” to be done, but people stepping forward and saying, how can we help?

Good to See You 2 is another small example of what it can look like to create for yourself and for your audience—and to build a future where filmmakers don’t wait for permission to make the things they care about.

I hope you enjoy it.

If you find value in this, it would mean the world to me if you came to see my fourth feature romantic comedy in theaters — 31 Candles — which opens in Los Angeles (THIS) Friday, December 5th — I’ll be flying in from New York City!

Get your tickets here: 31 Candles in LA on 12/5!

I have never sold a script, but I have made five movies. Three indies, two studio films, and a whole lotta stuff for the web.

Here are some things I tell myself every day, and wish someone had told me sooner in a way that made sense. I hope some of it provides you value, and no, I’m not trying to sell you a course, but yes, I’d love it if you watched my work.

1. Embrace the Instinct to Just Create

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a filmmaker is that the urge to go out and make something on your own terms is absolutely the right one. People often say, “Grab your iPhone and start filming,” or remind you that the cavalry isn’t coming to hand you a studio deal. And it’s true: the traditional system might not just show up at your door. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find support and help along the way from other people (friends, family, the guy who owns the diner near you, your ex).

The most effective thing you can do is to commit to creating something yourself. Set a start date, tell people about it (this part is really important), and decide that you’re going to hit record no matter what. Just that mental shift of saying, “I’m making this happen,” can open a lot of doors and give you the momentum you need to create.

I have seen this work and change lives people!

2. Consider What You Should Be Making Right Now

If you’d asked me a couple of years ago, I might have said, “Go make an independent $200,000 feature film, take it to a festival, and hope it finds an audience (and distributor).”And to be honest, that path can still change your life. Making a well-thought-out, artful piece of media—like a feature-length film—absolutely has the power to open doors.

But the last five years have shown us there’s more than one way to do it. As movie-going habits change and our media consumption methods.

Now, you can also change your life by creating scalable, high-quality art for the internet and releasing it fearlessly. It’s all about finding what you actually enjoy making, what you can realistically produce, and what lets you express yourself in a fun and authentic way. Keep your audience in mind, choose a format that excites you, and remember that it doesn’t always have to be a traditional feature to be meaningful.

That said, making your micro (or big budget) movie will be a lot of fun, and likely, something that lasts WAY longer than the shorter form pieces.

3. Define What Truly Makes You Happy in Filmmaking

Another crucial lesson is to figure out what truly brings you joy in this process. For me, I once dreamed of standing on a big film set, calling “action” as if I were directing the next Indiana Jones or National Treasure. And yes, I’m still not joking about wanting to make National Treasure 4! But over time, I’ve realized it’s really about understanding your own benchmark of success. Some incredibly successful filmmakers aren’t necessarily happy, while others who haven’t made a movie in decades are perfectly content.

So, take a moment to look in the cracked iPhone screen and ask yourself what satisfies you. Is it just the joy of creating something for even a tiny audience? Is it being on set with fellow filmmakers, even if you’re not directing? Or maybe it’s simply the act of writing scripts at your desk, regardless of whether they ever get made. Spend some time reflecting on what part of the process makes you happiest, because that can guide your entire journey. And remember, it’s okay if this changes over time.

For me, the joy is in the act of creation itself—casting actors, finding locations, and solving the puzzle of a scene on the day. Even though making a movie is just a small slice of a filmmaker’s life—most of it is chasing funding or navigating the industry — i wanted and still work to make a majority of my time focused on CREATION above all.

4. You’re Not Crazy—This Is Just How Wild the Process Can Be

Another key lesson: you’re not crazy for feeling like this whole process is incredibly hard or sometimes downright absurd. Filmmaking is full of moments that make no logical sense.

You might need an actor to sign off on a rewrite that doesn’t exist yet, just to convince their agent the script is solid, so you can get funding, only to have to recast someone else when that actor drops out. Or maybe a studio will ask you to VFX a bigger truck into the background of a scene that has nothing to do with trucks at all - just because.

The important thing to remember is that everyone has their own chaos going on. The best thing you can do as a filmmaker is to be communicative, kind, and empathetic. The strongest leaders in this industry are those who are transparent and offer a “yes, and” approach rather than just a flat “no.” It’s about saying, “This might not work as is, but how can we solve it together?” Unfortunately, this kind of empathy isn’t always common in Hollywood, but it can make a world of difference.

5. Don’t Quit Your Day Job—Or Your Side Hustle, or your part-time dog-walking.

Here’s something not enough people talk about: the realities of making films today often mean that being just a “director” or a “writer” isn’t enough to sustain you. The traditional system has changed, and the independent film market can be tough. Between marketing costs, travel, events, and just finishing a film, there are so many expenses and often very little immediate return.

The reality check is that we need to think of ourselves as our own little media companies. That might mean having a side hustle, whether it’s a corporate job, freelance marketing gigs, or another business that supports your creative work.

My approach is that we’re not just filmmakers now; we’re building a direct relationship with our audience, often in a parasocial way. That means meeting them where they are—on social media, through podcasts, live events, and consistent, valuable content. It’s about maintaining that relationship on multiple platforms and understanding that our role is as much about building a community as it is about making films.

Okay One More: It’s Not About the Camera. It’s About the Emotion

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give my younger self, it’s this: it never really mattered what camera you used or how many fancy effects you had. What matters most is whether your work makes someone feel something. Emotion is the most powerful connection you can create with an audience, and the best part is, it doesn’t cost anything.

I used to roll my eyes at that advice because it sounded cliché, but the truth is, it’s absolutely right. People just left out a SUPER KEY DETAIL.

When people say the camera doesn’t matter, what they’re leaving out is that you need the self-awareness to look at your work honestly. Ask yourself: is this good? Does it deliver the emotion I want? Is it funny, moving, or meaningful? Sometimes, having fancier tools can trick you into thinking something is good when it’s not. So be a little ruthless with yourself in evaluating your own work.

If you can do that—if you can step back and really judge whether your material is hitting the emotional notes you want—then you’ll go far.

But also, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is supposed to be fun and an ever-growing circle of creation. Your art and creations are not linear.

I hope this was helpful. I really want to be specific and optimistic about the space and inspire folks to get out of their head, stop checking their email, and go make something.

xo,

Jonah

Get your tickets here: 31 Candles in LA on 12/5!

I’m reaching out to you on the verge of releasing my fourth feature film in the romantic comedy genre—and my second theatrical release in the past five years—seeking your support and help.

The film is called 31 Candles. It’s a romantic comedy about a guy who has a Bar Mitzvah at 31 after discovering that his former summer camp crush is now a Torah tutor in New York City.

We all know how challenging the theatrical distribution landscape is these days, so I’m opting for a scattered release, allowing myself, the cast, and the crew to tour with the film and enrich the theatrical experience.

The success of our film in its opening days determines how long we stay in theaters, so I kindly ask that you pre-purchase tickets as soon as possible and avoid waiting until it’s no longer showing.

The film premieres on November 7th in New York City at the Quad Cinema, Kew Gardens Cinemas, and in Mamaroneck.

Then I travel with the film to Delray, Florida, on 11/14, and then to Los Angeles on 12/15!

I’ll be chatting live about the film with tomorrow, Wednesday, at 1 pm EST!

Buy your tickets now if you’d like to support the film!

NYC: https://quadcinema.com/film/31-candles/

(Tuesday, we’ll have director Daniel Robbins, Wednesday we have a special with Shabbat Club and after screening drinks!, Thursday we have my favorite comedian Tess Tregellas!)

LA: https://lumieretickets.com/purchase?showId=68335

Delray: https://www.moviesofdelray.com/movies/1000023303-31-candles/

I see making romantic comedies as a kind of life’s duty — a way to help people escape the harsh realities of the world and feel a little less lonely. That’s the magic of cinema: hearing people laugh together, feel together, be together in a theater.

If there’s one thing I ask, it’s that you support this film — and others like it that make you feel good. And as always, if there’s ever anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

See you at the movies!

Love,

Jonah

We’re about a week out from 31 Candles opening at The Quad Cinema this Friday, November 7, also happy birthday to John Feingold (father), and we’re celebrating with a full week of screenings and post-show Q&As featuring our incredible cast, crew, and some very special guest moderators — this is the 31 Candles TEMPLE TOUR! (The Temple, being the theater, of course!)

If you’ve ever wanted to see a New York rom-com come to life (and then talk about it with the people who made it), this is your week.

Come laugh, cry, and sip your martinis with us.

Ticket purchase gets you entry to our opening weekend party Saturday night, November 8th.

Each special screening will include a Q+A and special candle lighting moment with each special guest!

NYC, here is our lineup! I’d love to see you and you can click here to get your ticket!

🗓️ Sunday, November 9 — Matinee
Q&A with the cast, candle lighting and moderated by comedian Sam Morril!
🕒 3:00 PM

🗓️ Tuesday, November 11
Q&A with the cast, candle lighting and moderated by director of indie-smash BAD SHABBOS Daniel Robbins!
🕖 7:15 PM

🗓️ Wednesday, November 12
Q&A with the cast, candle lighting Morgan Raum (of Shabbat Club).
🕖 7:15 PM

🗓️ Thursday, November 13
Q&A with the cast, candle lighting and moderated by comedian and star of indie hit “GOOD TO SEE YOU!” Tess Tregellas from Betches Media.
🕖 7:15 PM

LA or Florida? We have tickets for you too!

ROMANTICAL NEWS

“I realized I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed”: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder This one is half-terrifying, half-tragicomic. Apparently, people are using AI to flirt for them, like having a Cyrano who works in Silicon Valley. I read this and thought: maybe the only thing less sexy than ghosting is realizing the person you fell for was powered by OpenAI. Still, the piece feels oddly romantic in its own way: proof that humans will literally invent robots rather than risk rejection.

Any producers want to commission me to write this into a movie — it could be our next You’ve Got Mail.

“A New Coffee Shop in Manhattan Wants to Be the Tinder You Can Taste.”
A singles only coffeeshop, with free coffee for the members of the app. It’s like if Nora Ephron designed a tech startup. You come for the cappuccino, stay for the banter, and maybe — just maybe — leave with a phone number written on a napkin.

xo,
Jonah