the assignment

The core belief of The Film Encomium will be a fairly simple concept to grasp: Filmmaking is good. Not only is it broadly positive as a concept—as most artistic mediums are—but also, the cinematic landscape heading into 2026 is existing at or near the pinnacle of the craft. 

 

It is an indelible fact that humans struggle to recognize greatness when it is right in front of their eyes. Take that and wrap it up in the tinfoil of negativity that is the Age of Social Media, and one might find themselves convinced that we are collectively trapped in some sort of creative doldrums. The Prime Directive of this outlet will be to passionately reject that notion. 

 

Do not mistake this as a rejection of critical thinking. There was a time—back in the days of slap-bracelets and perms—when film criticism was an absolutely essential service. During the time period when the only source of information you had on the five movies that were in your local theater was three nerds who write for the newspaper, it was of paramount importance that they presented you with a discerning enough representation of the flicks in question that you could eliminate four of the options. 

 

We simply do not need to live in that world any longer. There will always be room on the internet for ruthless dissection of fresh new art, it just will not be here. In this endless expanse of content, there will never be another low tide moment. For those of us who aspire to be the new nerds in your newspaper, a necessity to assist the reader in picking through the bare bones no longer exists. 

 

Rather, it falls upon us to swim this ocean for you. International film is exploding. Larger franchises are finally getting a handle on wrangling their massive universes without sacrificing artistic integrity in the process. Quality indie films are being cranked out at a higher rate than ever. Mid-indie production companies such as A24 are setting new horizons for the industry as a whole. Apparently every person on the planet had a fantastic idea for a documentary during the pandemic. Animation is being given unprecedented creative liberty. It might not ALL be perfect, but overall it is truly an outstanding time to be a cinephile, and we are going to spend most of our effort focusing on that, around these parts. 

 

Hop in, kids. The water is fine.