2026 Hotbox Residency
Jill Pangallo and Anni Rossi
July 22 — August 15, 2026
MASS is pleased to announce the artists selected for the 2026 Hotbox residency program this summer: Jill Pangallo and Anni Rossi, an artistic duo based in New York City.
Together, Jill Pangallo and Anni Rossi make character-based films about self-discovery and connection. Their process is deeply collaborative and fully self-driven: they write, perform, film, score, and edit everything themselves, a lean approach that echoes the DIY ethos both artists bring to their solo work. Their forthcoming film series is a natural home for the many mediums each of them works across individually (performance, music, writing, theater, movement) and a complement to the multidisciplinary practices they've each built on their own. In each film, the location functions as a character itself, shaping the tone and inspiring improvised dialogue that unfolds within a planned narrative outline and character breakdowns they prepare before arriving onsite to film. This method allows them to stay responsive while maintaining the structural integrity of their scriptment, a hybrid form that honors both preparation and the creative discoveries that emerge in the moment.
During their time at MASS, Pangallo and Rossi will develop and shoot the next film in their series: a meta-character piece about two artists who find themselves clashing at a fictitious residency. The duo will also host a community screening of their first film, Blind Contour, which was shot on location in Scheggino, Italy last August.
About the Artists
Jill Pangallo’s decades-long practice spans performance, video, and digital media, including web-based projects that explore identity, aging, visibility, and belonging. Using humor as both an entry point and an equalizer, she transforms discomfort into connection, revealing truth through laughter. Based in New York City, Pangallo has written, produced, and performed an extensive body of solo work at venues including Joe’s Pub, the Wild Project, and La MaMa, where she most recently premiered Swallows, a seven-actor play. She holds an MFA in Transmedia from the University of Texas at Austin and is an alumna of residencies at Skowhegan, Pioneer Works, and La MaMa Umbria.
Anni Rossi is a Queens-based interdisciplinary song-maker creating performance-driven work at the intersection of song, movement, and clown. She has released solo albums on labels including 4AD and Too Pure, with a new album forthcoming later this year on her own imprint, Land Majestic Records. She has presented original work at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and appeared as a performer in works at the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Chocolate Factory Theater, and REDCAT, among others.
Photo of Jill and Anni by Ian Praeger O'Brien
Stills from "Blind Contour" by Jill Pangallo & Anni Rossi, forthcoming 2026
