Vera Drew’s Critically Acclaimed Explosive Breakthrough Comedy Hit Enters the Awards Race
Recent Nominations:
The Gotham Awards 2024 – Breakthrough Director (Vera Drew)
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The Indie Awards 2024 – Best Narrative Feature
The Indie Awards 2024 – Outstanding Storytelling Craft
The Indie Awards 2024 – Outstanding Technical Achievement
Early Winner: Narrative Features Committee Renegade Award
Synopsis: In this absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy, a painfully unfunny aspiring clown (Vera Drew as Joker the Harlequin) grapples with her gender identity while unsuccessfully attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program in a world where comedy has been outlawed. Uniting with a ragtag team of rejects and misfits, Joker the Harlequin forms an illegal anti-comedy troupe that puts her on a collision course with the devious caped crusader controlling the city.
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER features a superhero-sized cast of celebrated comedic talent in both voice and live action roles behind the vibrant kaleidoscope of characters that lampoon the iconic heroes and villains of the DC comics’ world, featuring cameos from comedy multi-hyphenate Tim Heidecker, award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk, Maria Bamford (Netflix’s Big Mouth, Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia), and Scott Aukerman (Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis co-creator and host of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast), with Vera Drew, Lynn Downey (Amazon Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six), Nathan Faustyn (SADDLED), and Kane Distler, in his film debut, making up the film’s core cast. With her own life as a trans woman and artist motivating the film’s story and theme, the script was co-written by close creative collaborator Bri LeRose (Netflix’s Magic for Humans and Chad & JT Go Deep).
Shot entirely on green screen, the collaborative work of over 200 independent, predominantly queer creators —artists, musicians, and animators— elevates the instantaneously illustrious feature beyond genre pastiche into an overflowing collage of mixed-media visuals across 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and more forms of animation.
Upcoming Theatrical Screenings
with Vera Drew in Attendance
Chicago – In 35mm!
Friday, Nov. 22 at 9:30pm – Music Box Theater
Saturday, Nov 23 at 2:15pm – Music Box Theater
About the Release
Directed, starring, co-written and edited by trans filmmaker Vera Drew, who got her start in the alt-comedy scene and with Tim Heidecker’s Abso Lutely Productions, the film is heavily based on her own life and relationship with queerness and comedy. It had an illustrious and explosive journey to the present, starting out as a TIFF 2022 Midnight Madness selection that was pulled from the festival after its Midnight section world premiere due to WB making it known that they considered the film an infringement.
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER became an instant cult hit, simultaneously viral and elusive, as it spent a year traveling through the festival circuit via secret and semi-secret screenings. It had its U.S. premiere at the 2023 Outfest LA Film Festival, awarded a Special Mention in the North American Narrative Feature competition, with subsequent American festivals including Fantastic Fest, Denver International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and the Seattle Queer Film Festival, among others, and international bows at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, SXSW Sydney, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and more. At both the Seattle Queer Film Festival and Oslo/Fusion, the film was awarded top honors in the narrative feature competitions, with Seattle Queer’s jury applauding its “unapologetically rebellious and iconoclastic spirit” and “totally immersive—even transcendent—theatrical experience.”
In 2023, the film was acquired by Altered Innocence, and the ambitious theatrical release began its rollout in April 2024. Critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience word of mouth propelled THE PEOPLE’S JOKER into all major markets, ultimately hitting over 150 screens, with an extensive Vera Drew appearances tour. Filmgoers celebrated the film by dressing up for screenings and sharing their outfits on social media, embodying the exuberance and collaborative community spirit of THE PEOPLE’S JOKER. Following the extended theatrical rollout, featuring special events and new 35mm print screenings, the film has been released on VOD and physical media, including regular DVD and Blu-ray, as well as VHS and special slipcover Blu-ray editions with extensive extras and bonus content. THE PEOPLE’S JOKER is still screening in select U.S. cities, with more exciting news coming soon!
Director: Vera Drew | Screenplay: Vera Drew & Bri LeRose | Produced by: Joey Lyons | Edited by: Vera Drew | Cinematographer: Nate Cornett | Animators: K. Kypers, Jake Myers, Paul McBryde, Hank Friedman, Tucker Wooley, Marianna McQueen, Eric Ashbrook, Lev Cantoral, Aaron Johnstone, James Morr, Isabelle Aspin, Scott Lougheed, Bea Malone, Gabriel McGowan, Michael Clouse, Kodie “Megaspel” Williams, Ashley Sengstaken, Jesse Scholz, Teddy Holcomb, Luisa Bryan, Nina Barreda, Billy Thompson, Drew Petursson, DataErase, Rashaad Rosalle, Dan Cupps, Salem Hughes | Wardrobe: Laura Wheeler | Makeup: Lauren Kezon | Production Design: Courtney McIntosh, Amy Smoot, Yesenia Rego, Noah Stijl, Elaine Carey, Shannon Pollak, Cory Porter, Rosie Sanders, Maggie Forest, AT Pratt, Ashley Brown | Sound: John Chamberlin (Mix), Shanna “Snake” Polley (Foley sound design), Jake Robinson, Stephen Harrod | Original Score: Justin Krol, Quinn Scharber, Ember Knight, Danni Rowan, Elias and the Error.
