A.M. Lukas
- Director
- Writer
- Actress
A.M. Lukas is an award-winning writer/director best known for the feature film, "Hollidaysburg" and the Sundance-opening, Oscar-qualifying short film, "One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure," which stars British actor Emily Mortimer and which was recognized and awarded for excellence by top international film festivals as well as human rights organizations, including the United Nations Refugee Agency. RogerEbert.com called the film "a must for fans of Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne, and anyone who has had an idealistic mother, particularly in the Midwest." Working with VICE Studios, Lukas expanded the world of "One Cambodian..." to create a series-"Grand Forks"-which sold to Showtime with Lukas set to write and direct. Lukas's feature directorial debut, "Hollidaysburg," was unanimously praised by top film critics. The Village Voice wrote: "Darn good. A coming-of-age comedy that compresses the whole transition from adolescence to adulthood in one Thanksgiving weekend." The Los Angeles Times called it "Smart, warm, and authentic, one of the better youth comedies of the last few years." Lukas was the subject of Starz's limited series "The Chair," a 10-part documentary that followed Lukas's creative process during production on "Hollidaysburg." "The Chair" was for the most part a thorough day-in-the-life documentary depicting what it's like to make a low-budget independent film, but it included a controversial "competition" element involving a now-disgraced YouTube star. Years after its (unconventional) release, "Hollidaysburg" was named #10 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the "20 Best Thanksgiving Movies Ever."
