NYWIFT Blog

By Tammy Reese

For more than three decades, NYWIFT member Susan Margolin has championed independent storytelling that sparks conversation, challenges perspectives, and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard. As an award-winning producer and trailblazer in documentary distribution, she has helped bring hundreds of impactful films to audiences worldwide. Now, she returns to the festival circuit as one of the producers of Time Warp, a powerful new documentary making its world premiere in the Documentary Competition at the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival.

Directed by Allison Berg and produced alongside an accomplished creative team, Time Warp follows a drag theater company in Rock Springs, Wyoming, as they stage a shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50 years after the cult classic first captivated audiences. Led by the charismatic Kenny Starling, the production becomes much more than a performance — it evolves into a moving portrait of visibility, acceptance, resilience, and the transformative power of community.

For Susan, whose career has been defined by elevating meaningful stories and underrepresented voices, the film arrives at a pivotal cultural moment. In this conversation, she reflects on what drew her to Time Warp, the enduring impact of independent filmmaking, the challenges facing LGBTQ+ storytellers today, and why supporting authentic, community-driven stories remains more important than ever.

(photo courtesy of Susan Margolin)

You have spent more than 25 years championing independent storytelling and groundbreaking documentaries. What initially drew you to producing Time Warp, and why did this story feel important to bring to audiences right now?

I had been in conversation with filmmaker Allison Berg and producer Jen Chaiken about finding a project to work on together — I had collaborated with them both previously on different films during my time at New Video/Cinedigm. When Allison and Jen told me about Time Warp, I knew immediately that this was the project for us — and really for the four of us, because editor Frank Keraudren was an integral part of the team from the start.

As a true Rocky Horror devotee since my teens, I lost count of how many times I saw it in New York City as a kid. Beyond my personal connection to the material, the story felt so timely — and even urgent — given the ongoing rollback of rights and protections for the LGBTQIA+ community across the country.

Time Warp centers queer artists in Rock Springs, Wyoming, as they stage a shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. What do you hope audiences take away from the film’s message about visibility, resilience, and community?

I hope audiences will witness what we watched unfold in Rock Springs — the remarkable way that art, and theater specifically, can bring people together across all walks of life and lived experience. Time Warp is a testament to art’s power to change hearts and minds, and to meaningfully transform a community. That’s what we saw happen there, and it’s what I hope every viewer will carry with them when the credits roll.

Still from Time Warp (Courtesy of Tribeca)

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Festival. What does it mean to you personally and professionally to have Time Warp featured during such a milestone year?

As a lifelong New Yorker, I’ve witnessed Tribeca Festival become a vital fixture on the film and cultural landscape over a quarter century. That’s incredibly impressive given that so many festivals have folded, gotten smaller, or faded in stature given funding and attention pressures.

To have a film premiering here — and specifically a film rooted in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which began its own 50-year cinematic journey in New York — is tremendously meaningful to me. The festival has never been stronger, with an extraordinary lineup spanning film, TV, games, and immersive content, and I am deeply honored to have Time Warp featured here on its 25th birthday.

Throughout your career, you’ve helped elevate hundreds of independent films and documentaries. How has the landscape for independent filmmakers evolved, especially for underrepresented voices and LGBTQ+ storytelling?

I wish I could be more sanguine. The talent is abundant, the technology is advancing rapidly, and there’s exciting experimentation with form and content happening across the field — but there is a serious dearth of funding, censorship (both a result of market forces and actual fear of reprisal from an administration determined to punish its ideological enemies), and a crisis in distribution and marketing that is driving underrepresented and emerging storytellers out of the industry.

That said, I remain hopeful about the future because organizations like the Future Film Coalition and other ecosystem-building groups are working hard to raise awareness and advocate on behalf of independent storytellers. The community is fighting back, and that matters.

Still from Time Warp (Courtesy of Tribeca)

You are also an advisory board member of NYWIFT. What inspired you to become involved, and how has being part of that community shaped your journey?

I first got involved with NYWIFT in the ’90s and served on the board for six years. From the beginning, NYWIFT has been a champion for women in the industry, and at a time when resources to amplify women’s voices were far fewer than they are today, that mission felt essential. It remains indispensable today. NYWIFT has always been about ensuring that women have a seat at the table and about building a sense of a lasting community across the film and television landscape — and that commitment has never wavered.

As an accomplished producer and pioneer in digital film distribution, what advice would you give aspiring producers trying to break into the independent film space?

This is an industry that runs on relationships and word of mouth. My strongest advice: join organizations like the Documentary Producers Alliance, BGDM, the D-Word, and Future Film Coalition, and show up — attend panels, screenings, and talkbacks. If an organization doesn’t have a branch in your region, create one

Don’t be shy about reaching out to people whose work you admire and building your network deliberately. Persistence is essential, and a sustainable day job is an essential asset until you find your footing. Above all, find ways to keep telling stories — build your creative muscle while you build your career.

Still from Time Warp (Courtesy of Tribeca)

During the making of the film, was there a particular moment or interaction that deeply stayed with you and reminded you why stories like this matter?

Kenny Starling, who plays Frank-N-Furter in our film and founded the Starling Theater Company, is an extraordinary talent and an inspiring leader. There’s a moment in the film, which I won’t give away, in which Kenny shows up for one of the members of the community at a moment of need in such a powerful yet tender way; I tear up every time I see it.

They’re changing lives, and opening up new vistas for people in the community in unimaginable ways. Kenny’s optimism and dedication to his craft moves me every single day. I believe they will inspire countless others to take the leap — to create beautiful, rich, and authentically supportive spaces for underrepresented communities. Watching Kenny lead with love was a constant reminder of why this film had to be made.

Before we wrap, is there anything else you’d like readers to know about Time Warp, your upcoming projects, or the importance of supporting independent storytelling?

Supporting independent film is an act of community — it keeps vital, underrepresented voices alive in our culture, and Time Warp is a beautiful example of what’s possible when artists find each other and refuse to be silent.

You can follow my work on Instagram at @s_margolin, on Facebook, and on LinkedIn, and visit my website at  Thank you so much for your interest in the film!

Learn more about Susan Margolin’s work at www.stmarksproductions.com and connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram at @s_margolin.

See Time Warp at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, running June 3-14. 

And check out all the other NYWIFT member projects at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. 

More About Susan Margolin:

Susan Margolin is an award-winning producer and pioneer of digital film distribution with over 25 years of experience in independent film and media. She co-founded New Video/Docurama Films in 1992, building it into a leading distributor of independent films, series, and documentaries before its sale to Cinedigm in 2012. During her tenure, she released more than 400 critically acclaimed titles, including The Invisible War and Dont Look Back.

In 2016, Margolin founded St. Marks Productions, producing award-winning features including the Berlinale premiere Monk in Pieces (Kino Lorber), HBO’s A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, and the Academy Award-shortlisted Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy (Venice, Telluride, Zeitgeist/Kino Lorber). Additional producing credits include A Crime on the Bayou (Starz), The Rape of Recy Taylor (Venice Film Festival, Starz), and Paper Children (YouTube Originals). She is an Executive Producer on Obsessed with Light (Film Movement),Love and Stuff (POV), and A Place of Absence.

Margolin serves on the boards of Chicken & Egg Pictures, the IDA, and Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and on the advisory boards of NYWIFT and the Documentary Producers Alliance. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, the Producers Guild of America, and the Television Academy. She holds a degree from Brown University.