Film Screening
A Simple Machine
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026 • 7:00pm
Victoria Conference Centre
Level One Lecture Theatre
Tickets: $20
Includes post-screening Q&A with the director Mark Alan Hoffman
A Simple Machine
In order to get out of debt, an indecisive young man makes a series of radically frugal lifestyle choices.
From Director / Writer Mark Alan Hoffman, and staring Richard Blackmon in a breakout lead role, the new independent feature film A SIMPLE MACHINE is a coming-of-age story following Nick Allander a recent college grad trying to figure out his life’s direction during the late stages of the pandemic.
Shot in luminous black and white in Portland, Oregon by the award-winning cinematographer Kevin Fletcher (It’s What’s Inside, 2024 Sundance-winner) A SIMPLE MACHINE includes an original score by Mark Orton (best known for the Academy Award-winning film The Holdovers and Nebraska).
A Simple Machine is a deeply human and timely story about personal freedom and the cost of wanting less in a culture built on more. At a time of economic crisis, housing instability, and digital saturation it offers something rare: a grounded, thoughtful counterpoint rooted in the deliberate choice towards simplicity and financial freedom.
At the heart of the film is a bike—a simple technology that gives one the power to move through the world on one's own terms.
Instagram: @asimplemachfilm
Recognition
Special Jury Award - Best Narrative Feature - Lighthouse International Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Narrative Feature - Lighthouse International Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Narrative Feature - Heartland International Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Narrative Feature - Cleveland International Film Festival
Made in Oregon Award - Portland Panorama Film Festival
Run Time: 1hr 40mins
Release Date: June 2026
Directed By: Mark Alan Hoffman
Written By: Mark Alan Hoffman, Evan P. Scheider
Based on the Novel: A Simple Machine, Like The Lever by Evan P. Scheider
Produced By: Alyssa Roehrenbeck, Michelle Damis, Mike Lay, Mark Alan Hoffman, Tyson Wisbrock,
Starring: Richard Blackmon, Gabriela Bloomgarden, Brad Carter