The People’s Joker
Synopsis
Although it made headlines as a wildly parodic rebuke to corporate IP, The People’s Joker is also a surprisingly intimate and heartfelt film. Quadruple-hyphenate writer-director-effects artist Vera Drew stars as “Joker,” an alt-comedy clown in Gotham City whose journey towards self-actualization is facilitated by her pal The Penguin (Nathan Faustyn) and a vat of feminizing chemicals.
The People’s Joker originated online, with a call for musicians, actors, and filmmakers to contribute to a “queer coming-of-age film” set inside the Batman universe. More than 150 artists responded, and their contributions are woven into this madcap work of comedic resistance. With a supporting cast that includes SNL‘s Sarah Squirm and Tim & Eric regular David Liebe Hart, The People’s Joker is a brilliant take on the personal nature of fandom, a love letter to trans artists and trans creativity, and an uproarious comedy from an exciting new talent.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Joey Lyons, Vera Drew
- Bri LeRose, Vera Drew
- Vera Drew
- Nate Cornett
- Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Griffin Kramer, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Tim Heidecker, Ruin Carroll, Bob Odenkirk, Scott Aukerman, Trevor Drinkwater, Denali Winter, Bambi Bell, Dan Curry, Daniella Baker, Maria Bamford
- Justin Krol, Quinn Scharber, Ember Knight, Danni Rowan, Elias and the Error
- Brian Alkerton, Riccardo Maddalosso, Bee Frederickson, Leo Kovalik Jr., Joey Lyons
- Haunted Gay Ride Productions
- https://thepeoplesjoker.com
Sponsors
Comedy Program Sponsor
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The Persian Version
Synopsis
Coming from two countries that are at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance. She embraces her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the ways she’s been defined by each of them. When her big, traditional family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila must confront both her own identity and long-held conflicts — as well as some surprising parallels — with her mother, Shireen.
Punctuated by a bright color palette, snappy comic dialogue, and vibrant dance numbers, The Persian Version delivers an honest portrayal of a woman who remains unapologetically herself, blended seamlessly into a heartfelt story about family, belonging, and the undeniable influence of pop music. Winning both the Audience Award and Screenwriting Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Maryam Keshavarz delivers a universal and timely story reflecting the Iranian and Iranian-American experience.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Maryam Keshavarz
- Maryam Keshavarz
- Abolfazl Talooni, Joanne Yarrow, A.C.E.
- André Jäger
- Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, Chiara Stella, Tom Byrne, Shervin Alenabi, Arty Froushan, Samuel Tehrani, Jerry Habibi, Reza Diako, Andrew Malik, Parmida Vand, Ash Goldeh
- Rostam Batmanglij
- Nyla Hazratjee, Amy Nauiokas
- Stage 6 Films, Marakesh Films, Archer Gray Production, AGX, A Bigger Boat
Sponsors
Comedy Program Sponsor
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The Space Race
Synopsis
Pioneers in civil rights and outer space, Black astronauts like Guion Bluford, Victor Glover, and Chicago’s own Mae Jemison boldly ventured where no Black Americans had ever gone before. The Space Race is the untold story of their adventures in flight and the social forces they endeavored to transcend. Anchored by the story of Ed Dwight — who was handpicked by JFK to be the first African-American in space before he was dropped from the mission — the film chronicles the personal and political battles these pioneers encountered through the decades.
Filled with rich historical footage and candid interviews with many self-proclaimed “Afronauts,” the film connects their ambitions with cultural forces like the Black Power movement and the Afrofuturism of icons like musician Sun Ra and author Octavia Butler. Expansive, moving, and uplifting, the film is a profound act of reclamation, giving voice to a group of trailblazers, who have been largely missing from the official history — until now.
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Film Credits
- Alexandra Bowen, Aly Parker, Mark Monroe, Keero Birla, Lisa Cortés, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
- Frank Marshall, Tony Rosenthal, Carolyn Bernstein, Leland Melvin
- Kennedy/Marshall Company
Sponsors
Documentary Program Sponsors
Cynthia Stone Raskin
Black Perspectives Program Sponsors
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The Zone of Interest
Synopsis
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house next to the camp. The two play host to all manner of guests, tend to a lavish garden, and take in the surrounding natural beauty, all the while the horrors of the Holocaust rage just beyond their garden wall. As the war nears its end, Hedwig refuses to abandon her “idyllic” homelife, while her husband works to further distinguish himself among the Nazi rank-and-file, both existing in a state of moral squalor and permanent denial.
Scathing, incisive, and unforgettable, The Zone of Interest is a masterpiece of the medium. Crafted with exacting precision by visionary director Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin), the film poses timely questions and uncovers uncomfortable truths about the banality of evil and humanity’s capacity for willful ignorance.
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Film Credits
- James Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska
- Jonathan Glazer
- Paul Watts
- Łukasz Żal
- Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller
- Mica Levi
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Rustin
Synopsis
The architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten.
Directed by DGA Award and five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and starring Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo in a towering and electrifying performance, Rustin shines a long overdue spotlight on the extraordinary man who, alongside giants like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen), Ella Baker (Audra McDonald), Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Jeffrey Wright) and NAACP leader Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock), dared to imagine a different world, and inspired a movement in a march toward freedom.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Bruce Cohen, Tonia Davis, George C. Wolfe
- Julian Breece, Dustin Lance Black
- Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Lilli Kay, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Jakeem Powell, Grantham Coleman, Jamilah Rosemond, Jules Latimer, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, Frank Harts, Kevin Mambo, Carra Patterson, Bill Irwin, Cotter Smith, Adrienne Warren, Jeffrey Wright, Audra McDonald
- Branford Marsalis
- Barack & Michelle Obama, Mark R. Wright, Alex G. Scott, David Permut, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe
- Higher Ground, Bold Choices Production
Sponsors
Black Perspectives Program Sponsor
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Apostles of Cinema [short film]
Darragh Amelia, Gertrude Malizana, Jesse Gerard Mpango, Cece MlayTanzania
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