Echo Chamber - DWF-NY26 - Vol. 2 (Stop Time)
Watch the conversation with Paul Schwartz, HERE!
This is our second hit from 'Dances with Films: New York' for @EchoChamberFP, and it was another great one!!!
Today was all thanks to Susan Engel, who really does come with the full spread of projects! This one is a really interesting reflection on time, memory, and how we process things. The poignant visuals and story make a lot of sense when you consider today's guest's background and myriad talents in the realm of storytelling. We were able to get into his latest film, the origin, the process of adapting the Short, finding those growth moments, as well as touching upon his journey through sound and play! This is really a must listen!!!
'Stop Time' is written & directed by Paul Schwartz. A man (Nelson Avidon) and a woman (Tara Westwood) each must decide if they want to remain stuck in their pasts or together take a leap into the future.
Watch the conversation with Paul Schwartz, HERE!
Today we have:
Paul Schwartz - Poster
Stop Time
Watch Review: Here.
Dances With Film: NY, World Premiere: 17th January 2026
Director: Paul Schwartz
Cast: Nelson Avidon, Kelly Deadmon, Christina Toth, David Gideon, Judy Jerome, Eddie Kehler, Daria Karic, Tara Westwood, Catherine Quirico, Patty McCormack, Elizabeth Narciso, Kylie Victoria Edwards
Credit: Zakatak Productions
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 78 min
Cert: 15
Trailer: Here.
Website: Here.
Watch the conversation with Paul Schwartz, HERE!
Paul Schwartz
Paul Schwartz
Composer, Playwright, Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematographer
Paul Schwartz is a writer, director and composer. His work is in the field of dramatic story-telling in all its forms, and encompasses projects in film, theatre, opera and dance. He is a member of ASCAP, the Dramatists Guild, and the Playwrights and Directors Unit of the Actors Studio.
His new feature film, STOP TIME, will receive its world premiere in New York City in January of 2026.
His first feature film: THE SEASONS, consists of four linked stories each set in a different season of the year. The film went out to festivals in September 2022 and has won over 40 awards: multiple best feature and best director awards, as well as a number of awards for individual cast members and the entire cast as an ensemble. The film was subsequently acquired by Random Media for distribution.
His previous film, A NEW YORK STORY, was completed in January of 2021. The film addresses the tumultuous summer of 2020, as four entwined New Yorkers tell stories of how their lives have been shaped by the protests, the pandemic, and the unforeseen consequences of both. So far the film has won over two dozen awards: for the film itself, and for best cinematography, best screenplay, best cast and best director. In 2018 he completed his first film: TIME CAN BREAK YOUR HEART, a short which deals poignantly with memory, loss, and the power of love, and which has also received over two dozen awards.
He is currently at work on his next film: WHAT CLARA SAW, which will being shooting in t he summer of 2026.
Paul is also active as a playwright, his play A MEASURE OF DOUBT was a standout hit at the 2020 New York Winter Festival of Plays. He is the composer of two operas. ORPHEUS ’68, commissioned by a consortium of Scandinavian opera companies, explores the junction of politics, art, and romance against the background of the Prague Spring in 1968.
Follow Paul via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
FilmFreeway: Here.
Website: Here.
Instagram: @paulschwartzphoto
YouTube: Here.
Apple Music: Here.
Spotify: Here.
Watch Paul's films via Prime Video: Here.
Zakatak Productions
Zakatak Productions
Film & Music Production company
Zakatak Productions is the producing entity for the films of writer/director Paul Schwartz. Based in the Hudson Valley in New York, we are an independent production company with a vision of filmmaking focused on stories that touch the heart and enrich the soul.
Follow via:
Website: Here.
Dances with Films- NY 2026 - Logo
Dances with Films - NY 2026
Festival Date: 15th - 18th January 2026
While DWF:LA continues annually at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Los Angeles, 2022 saw its’ expansion to New York’s Union Square neighborhood. DWF:NY recently completed its’ 4th year at the Regal Union Square to recording houses and remarkable films presented to New York audiences.
Website: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @danceswithfilms
*(Music)
'The Big Payback' (Instrumental) by EPMD - 2020