VIDEO: SBIFF: ‘Bookends’ Writer/Star Noam Ash On Authentic Queer Storytelling

Mike Doyle’s Bookends, written by Noam Ash, tells the story of Nate (Ash), a somewhat anxious gay millennial writer, who catches his boyfriend cheating, leaves him and moves in with his elderly Holocaust-era grandparents, Miriam (the always wonderful Caroline Aaron) and Saul (Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham) causing a collision of generational values, philosophies and lived experiences. Saul begins to show signs of dementia, but Miriam refuses to acknowledge it.

Meanwhile, Nate meets a nice Jewish doctor (Charlie Barnett), but his familial responsibilities must take precedence.

Ash wears both writer and actor hats incredibly well. He’s penned a poignant yet funny script. And his performance is nuanced and understated.

Ash came to prominence as the creator of the acclaimed 2012-2014 web series My Gay Roommate followed by the TV pilot Boy•Friends (2020). He had a guest spot on HBO MAX’s The Other Two and starred in and executive produced The Influencers on Amazon Prime (2020).

Bookends is world premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, 2026.

The Contending had a nice video chat with Ash.