FOunder & President

  • KANDEL_JJ-Headshot-SUMMER_SHORTS_FILM_FEST-Team

    J.J. Kandel

    J.J. Kandel is a producer, director and actor. Kandel is the Founder and Managing Partner of STAGE TO SCREEN NYC. Stage to Screen films include Sparring Partner, Still Happy, 10 K, Good Luck (In Farsi), and The Mulberry Bush. J.J. is the founder of THROUGHLINE ARTISTS, and co-founder of the SUMMER SHORTS festival of new American short plays® presented at 59E59 Theaters in NYC, for 13 consecutive seasons. Screen directing credits include Sparring Partner by NEIL LABUTE (with CECILY STRONG, 2022 Tribeca Festival); Stage directing credits include True Love Will Find You In The End by NEIL LABUTE (World Premiere); Lucky by SHARR WHITE (World Premiere); In This, Our Time... by ALEXANDER DINELARIS (World Premiere); and Wedding Bash by ANDREW LEEDS and LINDSEY KRAFT.

    As an actor, J.J. Kandel's film and television credits include 10 K (2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival) and The Mulberry Bush written and directed by NEIL LABUTE (2016 Tribeca Film Festival); Chuck with LIEV SCHREIBER and NAOMI WATTS; Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker (Best Picture 2010) both directed by Academy Award® winner KATHRYN BIGELOW; We Need To Talk About Kevin; Billie & Billy (DIRECTV); and Law & Order (NBC). New York theater credits include Falling Short directed by Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner ALEXANDER DINELARIS; The Killing (World Premiere) by WILLIAM INGE; Sundance directed by MATTHEW PENN; Intermission by WILL ENO (World Premiere); and The Great Pretenders directed by BILLY HOPKINS with AMY IRVING. J.J. Kandel is an actor member of Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City, SAG-AFTRA, and Actors’ Equity Association.

THROUGHLINE ARTISTS

We have strived to create an easy and fun environment for both emerging and veteran, best-in-class, writers and actors to tell new stories for as many people as possible through low cost ticket prices. This led us to produce SUMMER SHORTS festival of new American short plays for 13 consecutive seasons at 59E59 Theaters in NYC. We created over 90 new works by 60 writers including: Terrance McNally, Lucas Hnath, Neil Labute, Robert O’Hara, Alexander Dinelaris, Tina Howe and Sharr White. Then, the global pandemic in 2020 gave us an opportunity to innovate. We expanded the reach of our mission with the creation of the SUMMER SHORTS FILM FEST, in partnership with the DENIZEN Theatre in New Paltz, New York. THROUGHLINE ARTISTS is committed to creating and preserving new stories, now reaching an even wider audience, through both theater and film.

OUR MISSION

To preserve the art of storytelling through film and live theater by providing opportunities for established professionals to share their experience and knowledge with emerging artists.

We are committed to fostering and preserving this art form for future generations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J.J. KANDEL

President

HARRY LIPSTEIN

Board Chair & Treasurer

STEPHANIE FAGENSON 

Secretary

TOBY HORN

ILENE ROSEN

DAVID STONE

JENNIFER BROWN STONE

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