Adam Nayman is a film critic, lecturer, and author based in Toronto. He is a contributing editor for Cinema Scope and a frequent contributor to The Ringer, The New York Times, Sight & Sound, and The Criterion Collection. Nayman is the author of several acclaimed monographs, including The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together, David Fincher: Mind Games, and Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks. His critical work is celebrated for its deep analysis of modern auteurs, blending academic rigor with accessible, sharp-witted prose. Beyond his books, he lectures on cinema and journalism at the University of Toronto and TMU (formerly Ryerson University).
Josh and Benny Safdie are the visionary filmmakers behind the adrenaline-fueled modern classics Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019). Known for their "street-level" realism and high-tension storytelling, they redefined the New York crime thriller before transitioning to independent paths in 2024. Josh Safdie continues his exploration of obsessive characters and frantic pacing as the director of the 2025/2026 awards contender Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet. Benny Safdie has successfully balanced a prolific acting career-appearing in Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer-with his solo directorial debut, the MMA drama The Smashing Machine (2025), starring Dwayne Johnson. The brothers remain foundational figures in 21st-century American independent cinema, and their foreword to Masterworks offers a unique peer-to-peer perspective on the technical and emotional brilliance of Paul Thomas Anderson.