Formed by a group of 11 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.

Producer-writer-director Matthew Perniciaro (Stockholm Syndrome, TF ‘21) returns to Tribeca with this sharp, incisive film. 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.—Andrea Passafiume

Matthew Perniciaro