03/16/2026
Hope March is going well! Taking a special moment to share how proud we are of CMCS film festival nominee and actor, Ken Holmes, for his latest performances in the films, "The Spice of Life" (Dir. Karen Klami) and "Meditation in the Maelstrom" (Dir. Burnham Holmes), and our upcoming feature film.
"The Spice of Life" is an inspiring and creative piece that carries a simple yet universal message: a quiet, poetic flow of strangers crossing paths in familiar places of New York City —unknown to one another, yet moving through shared, known spaces. Performed along with co-star Rachel Lenihan, his character evokes the emotional resonance we once loved in the CMCS Semi-Finalist film "Same Vibe", where two strangers meet amid loss and confusion. In "The Spice of Life", however, the strangers never actually meet. Instead, the film leaves us with a subtle possibility of connection: their homes exist within the same apartment building, suggesting that their paths may one day cross. Yet, the film gently proposes that such a meeting may not even be necessary. Home is in their hearts. What the characters already share—a parallel spirit and a quiet resilience in evolution—appears to enrich their individual lives in ways that transcend a physical encounter.
In the film, the use of vivid, splendid colors offers an aesthetic expression of vibrance in everyday life—contrasting with the monochromatic palette of "Same Vibe", where connection was equally unspoken yet deeply felt. The carefully selected background music—blending Italian melodies with the pulse of New York jazz—serves as a metaphor for the rhythms, movements, and layered identities that shape many New Yorkers. Meanwhile, a deli cat and a street dog in the film bear silent witness to the characters’ inner stillness, grounding the contemplative tone and hinting at hidden depths within ordinary urban moments. The mystery and magic of connection in one’s stillness is magnificently captured in the next film, "Meditation in the Maelstrom" (Dir. Burnham Holmes), also a visually rich film – highly recommend as a cinematic and poetic masterpiece of Zoom Shorts and look forward to our upcoming features, The Critic and I Love You, Maria, to dive into further depths of unique urban hearts!
- Dr Samita Nandy - Actress & Author
