A Simple Machine (2026) with Q&A
- Today, Sep 12
Today, Sep 12 @ 7:00 pm: with post-screening Q&A
Director: Mark Alan Hoffman Run Time: 97 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 2026
Starring: Brad Carter, Gabriella Quezada, Richard Blackmon, Shannon K. Dunn, Smack Louis
Country: United States
Language: English
About the film:
In a last-ditch attempt to get out of debt, Nick makes a series of radically frugal lifestyle choices without telling his girlfriend Marie that he’s going off the grid. After taking advice from a bike mechanic who lives out of a tent, Nick fixes up an old ten-speed using Goodwill parts and tools. Freed from costs and expectations, he discovers a sense of purpose and self-reliance as he commutes around town. But Marie starts to become suspicious of his erratic behavior, and Nick is torn between between committing to the woman he loves or devoting himself to a simpler existence.
“relevant to almost everyone in America”
—Tim Molloy for MovieMaker
Adapted from the novel by Evan P. Schneider, A Simple Machine (2026) is a coming-of-age story about the cost of wanting less in a world built on wanting more. The film won several awards at film festivals this past year, including the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the 50th Cleveland International Film Festival.
About the filmmaker:
Mark Alan Hoffman is an award-winning director, screenwriter, editor, and producer whose career spans more than two decades of acclaimed commercial and narrative work. After building an international reputation directing campaigns for brands including Nike and Barilla, Hoffman makes his feature directorial debut with A Simple Machine (2026), a thoughtful independent drama that reflects his distinctive visual style and deeply human storytelling.
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