Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
June 25, 2026
Source: YouTube
“You might think the boys are silly, but they have connections.” A unique indie film worth a look. Magnolia Pictures has revealed their official trailer for the indie drama titled Late Fame, the latest from filmmaker Kent Jones after his last film Diane in 2018. This initially premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival last fall, and it also played at NYFF, Vienna, Stockholm, and plenty of other fests. Legendary New York poet Ed Saxberger’s forgotten works captivate an eccentric group of young creatives, reigniting his artistic passion. Their intrigue intertwines with the bewitching presence of actress Gloria. This thoughtful, witty new feature from Kent Jones, working from a sly and hugely entertaining script by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch, is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York. Starring Willem Dafoe as a poet finding newfound fame, Greta Lee as a tragic heroine, and Edmund Donovan as the poet’s admirer. This picked up plenty of great reviews at festivals, describing it as a “witty drama” that “gives amusingly accurate observations about the pretensions of ambitious artists.” Looks good to me! I really want to watch.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Kent Jones’ film Late Fame, direct from Magnolia’s YouTube:
The great Willem Dafoe lends his delicate gravitas to the role of Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet who works in the post office. After an eager, flattering young admirer appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of 20-something admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius. Intoxicated by the attention — and by the alluring presence of Gloria, the group’s “tragic heroine” (a sinuous, Kurt Weill-crooning Greta Lee) — Ed gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle. Late Fame is directed by former film critic turned filmmaker Kent Jones, director of the films A Letter to Elia, Hitchcock/Truffaut, and Diane previously, plus a few other docs. The screenplay is written by Samy Burch; adapted from the book also titled “Late Fame” written by Arthur Schnitzler. It’s produced by Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Mason Plotts, Danny Roberts H.S. Naji, Jackie Langelier, Taylor Shung, & Ethan Lazar. This first premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival last year. Magnolia Pictures debuts Jones’ Late Film film in select US theaters starting August 7th, 2026 this summer. For info head to the film’s official site.
