The People’s Joker (2024)
Director: Vera Drew Run Time: 92 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 2024
Starring: Griffin Kramer, Kane Distler, Lynn Downey, Nathan Faustyn, Vera Drew
Country: United States
Language: English
About the film:
Infamously pulled from the program before its premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, The People’s Joker (2024) subsequently screened at festivals across the country, including Outfest in Los Angeles, Fantastic Fest, and the Nightmares Film Festival at Gateway Film Center.
This revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live – a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed. As mainstream success eludes our heroine, leading her to unite with a ragtag team of rejects, misfits, and a certain love interest named Mister J, “Joker the Harlequin” is born again as a confident (and psychotic) joker on a collision course with the city’s fascist caped crusader.
Vats of feminizing chemicals, sexy cartoon interludes, scarecrow psychiatrists, CGI Lorne Michaels, and psychedelic gender dysphoria all play supporting roles. Helmed by writer/director/editor/star Vera Drew and using her own life experiences as a basis for the film, The People’s Joker is a deeply personal journey that’s as much documentary as it is parody.
About the filmmaker:
Vera Drew is a film director, writer, editor and actor making her feature film debut with The People’s Joker (2024) – a Queer coming of age comic book parody selected at TIFF, Outfest, Fantastic Fest, and Nightmares Film Festival, among others. She got her start in TV post production, editing and contributing visual effects to dozens of comedy televisions shows, including KRFT PUNK’S Political Party!, season two of I Think You Should Leave, and three seasons of Comedy Bang! Bang! on IFC. She then honed her skills at Tim and Eric’s Abso Lutely Productions, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work as an editor on Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America (2018). That same year, she launched Tim and Eric’s streaming TV network (for which she wrote and directed four series and hours of original content).
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