E77 • The Art of Discovery & Staying Ahead of Your Audience • CARA CUSUMANO, Festival Director at Tribeca
Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle
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Cara Cusumano, Director of Programming for the Tribeca Festival, joins Past Present Feature as the festival celebrates its 25th year. She pulls back the curtain on how one of the world's premier film festivals selects its films, and how curation, audience, and timing shape every lineup.
Along the way, Cara reflects on the films and filmmakers that shaped her own cinematic taste, from F for Fake, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, to the fiction work of David Fincher, Agnès Varda, and Steven Spielberg.
The conversation also explores Tribeca's origins following 9/11, the future of film festivals in the streaming era, why filmmakers shouldn't let deadlines dictate their creative process, and why the stories that resonate most are often the ones that keep moving, staying one step ahead of their audience, and continuing to surprise us.
The Past Present Feature Film Festival returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Eastwood Revival in Hollywood, California.
Join us for features, shorts, and convos with filmmakers, including an in-person Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou following a screening of her acclaimed film Left-Handed Girl.
Festival lineup, schedule, and reservations coming soon.
https://pastpresentfeature.com/film-festival/
Revival Hub is your guide to specialty screenings in Los Angeles - classics on 35mm, director Q&As, rare restorations, and indie gems you won't find on streaming. We connect moviegoers with over 200 venues across LA, from the major revival houses to the 20-seat microcinemas and more.
Visit revivalhub.com to see what's playing this week.
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The Past Present Feature Film Festival - Nov. 21, 2026 in Hollywood, CA - Submit at filmfreeway.com/PastPresentFeature
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