Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/25/26 – Meeting Your Maker, the award-winning dark comedy from writer-director Gregory JM Kasunich, takes a wonderfully unconventional approach to creativity, burnout and the search for purpose.
Jonathan Kite stars as Otis, a beloved children’s television puppet confronting an existential crisis on the eve of his show’s landmark 300th episode. Against the bright, cheerful backdrop of a busy television studio, Otis begins questioning his identity, relevance and value, both as a performer and as a creation.
The film’s clever premise allows Kasunich to explore serious concerns facing today’s artists, including self-doubt, shrinking opportunities and fears about an increasingly uncertain entertainment industry. Its dark humor is balanced by emotional sincerity and an ultimately hopeful belief in the enduring importance of creating art.
Kite brings humor and vulnerability to the story, supported by accomplished puppeteer Amanda Maddock and a terrific ensemble that includes Thomas Lennon, Lenny Jacobson, Jason and Randy Sklar, and Dylan Mooney.
Inventive, strange and unexpectedly moving, Meeting Your Maker demonstrates that even a puppet can experience a very human crisis of confidence. The film arrives at HollyShorts after winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at the Dallas International Film Festival, along with numerous additional festival and screenplay honors.
Meeting Your Maker will screen during the Oscar®-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, taking place August 13–23, 2026, in Los Angeles.
