LONG LIVE THE STATE

description

Members of '90s comedy troupe The State reunite for a live tour, blending classic sketches with behind-the-scenes stories from their influential journey in comedy.

Formed by a group of friends who met at NYU in the late 1980s, The State was a sketch comedy troupe whose unique brand of edgy, offbeat humor quickly landed them their own show on MTV – Generation X’s alternative to SNL. While “The State” was short-lived as a TV show, it inspired a devoted cult following and helped launch the careers of some of today’s most successful comedy actors, writers and directors including Michael Showalter, Joe Lo Truglio and Michael Ian Black. Reuniting for a live tour of U.S. cities in 2024, members of The State reflect on the roller coaster ride surrounding their sudden rise to fame during the mid-90s when New York City was still dangerous — and so was comedy. Featuring hilarious footage from The State’s live Breakin’ Hearts & Dippin’ Balls reunion tour, LONG LIVE THE STATE unpacks the complex ties that have bound this acclaimed group of subversive Gen-Xers together for over 30 years and examines their enduring influence and legacy throughout the comedy sphere.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Tribeca Festival 2025
Oak Cliff Film Festival 2025
Sidewalk Film Festival 2025

DIRECTOR'S BIO
Matthew Perniciaro was born in Smithtown, New York and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended New York University before moving to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career as a film producer. He is a founding partner at Bow and Arrow Entertainment, an independent motion picture production and finance company, founded in 2014. He has been a producer / excutive producer on many projects, inclduing and CUFF Selections THE LITTLE HOURS (2017), SKATE KITCHEN (2018) and HER SMELL (2018), as well as the TV Series MOMENT OF TRUTH, which he also wrote and directed. LONG LIVE THE STATE is his feature directorial debut.