A.M. Lukas is a renowned writer/director, celebrated for his work on the feature film "Hollidaysburg" and the acclaimed short film "One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure". The latter, which premiered at Sundance and qualified for the Oscars, has received widespread recognition and accolades from top international film festivals, human rights organizations, including the United Nations Refugee Agency, and notable critics.
This critically acclaimed short film, starring British actress Emily Mortimer, has been praised for its excellence by many, and RogerEbert.com has described it as "a must for fans of Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne, and anyone who has had an idealistic mother, particularly in the Midwest".
Working in collaboration with VICE Studios, Lukas expanded the world of "One Cambodian..." to create the series "Grand Forks", which was sold to Showtime with Lukas set to write and direct.
Lukas's feature directorial debut, "Hollidaysburg", was met with unanimous acclaim from top film critics. The Village Voice praised it as "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". While the documentary provided a thorough glimpse into the making of a low-budget independent film, it also 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".
