A Travel Companion Arrives in Keene

For filmmaker and Keene native Alex Mallis, documenting the world around him came naturally. "There isn't exactly one moment I can point to," Mallis said regarding his attraction toward filmmaking. "I have an early memory of my parents buying a home movie camera back when I was in elementary school; I was immediately taken by it. I would walk around filming the different rooms in our house, narrating everything I saw. I suppose it was an instinctual need to document." Now, with experience behind him, Mallis brings his new feature film, The Travel Companion, to Keene Cinemas for one week from May 8-14. The film follows Simon, a struggling documentary filmmaker, who enjoys free flights courtesy of his best friend and roommate, Bruce, who works for an airline. However, when Beatrice — a more successful filmmaker — enters the picture and starts dating Bruce, Simon risks flying too close to the sun. Regarding inspiration: Co-director "Travis [Wood] was a 'travel companion" for many years; one afternoon he informed me that his longtime buddy (who worked at the airline) had a new girlfriend and that she would be the new recipient of the travel perk." He continued: "As we expanded the script, we incorporated a lot of ourselves, which naturally lent itself to making the protagonist a (struggling) filmmaker. We saw the film as a way to explore larger themes of male friendship, fragile egos and the struggle to make art in an unforgiving world — and free flights." On The Travel Companion, he not only serves as co-director, but he also co-wrote and co-produced with partners and friends Wood and Weston Auburn. The film has been getting noticed since premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2025. For instance, RogerEbert.com said: "The Travel Companion is a remarkably assured first narrative feature from directors Alex Mallis and Travis Wood, who wrote the screenplay with Weston Auburn. It draws us in with acutely observed details and relatable characters that portray universal conflicts, all with nuance and good humor." Most recently, the duo just launched their national theatrical tour at The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in New York City. Mallis' next stop: his hometown. "It's so exciting," he said. "I used to go to the Keene Cinemas all the time. Films are best watched in community! And in general, it's surreal — Keene literally made me who I am, and I have such deep, nostalgic love for the city." Mallis, of course, credits Keene State College for its film program, noting that it "expanded" his world. Even more, his mom (to whom he says, "thanks, mom") introduced him to the concept of filmmaking when she signed him for a fundamentals class in high school. Now, he credits the early exposure to topics like film history and rudimentary approaches to film making for setting him down this path. It is not hard to see how the experience has helped him flourish. "Making a film is a surprisingly slow, lumbering endeavor. Ours took almost three years from inception through premiere. But it can be extremely gratifying to witness the natural evolution of an idea," Mallis said. In addition to his work on The Travel Companion, Mallis is working on a feature-length documentary about the rollout of legal cannabis in New York. He said, "it's a portrait of the end of prohibition as well as a sort of trojan horse for exploring more complex ideas of progressivism, democracy and restorative justice." As he continues to become a seasoned filmmaker with vibrant and important stories to tell and show us, his wisdom already reflects how he engages in his art. "There is an old adage that a film lives and dies many times before it is complete. It can be an exercise in patience and humility to stay focused and motivated even as you pass through many moments of self-doubt." To learn more about Mallis, the creative team and the film The Travel Companion, visit thetravelcompanionfilm.com. To access showtimes and instructions on booking tickets, call Keene Cinemas' automated showtime line at 603-499-8403.