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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Media
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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Late Night With the Devil
Colin Cairnes, Cameron CairnesUnited States, United Arab Emirates, Australia
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The Promised Land Bastarden
Synopsis
In 18th-century Denmark, Ludvig Kahlen (played by a rugged, windswept Mads Mikkelsen) lives with purpose and determination. After retiring from the army, he hopes to curry favor with the Danish king by embarking on a quest to settle and cultivate the unforgiving Jutland. All previous attempts to tame the heath have ended in utter failure, and the soil is thought to be hostile to crops.The harsh natural conditions aren’t the only thing standing in Ludwig’s way, however, and he soon begins to butt heads with a local landowner who worries that the settlers’ successful harvest will diminish his own power and influence.
Majestic landscape photography is punctuated with bursts of thrilling action as The Promised Land’s characters careen towards bloody confrontation.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Louise Vesth
- Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel
- Oliviér Bugge Coutté
- Rasmus Videbæk
- Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Gustav Lindh, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Simon Bennebjerg
- Zentropa Entertainment
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The Teachers’ Lounge Das Lehrerzimmer
Synopsis
When Carla Nowak, a dedicated sports and math teacher, starts her first job at a high school, she stands out for her idealism. Then, one of her students is suspected in a series of thefts at the school, and Carla decides to investigate the matter on her own. Carla tries to mediate between outraged parents, opinionated colleagues and aggressive students, but is relentlessly confronted with the rigid structures of the school system. The more desperately she tries to do everything right, the more the young teacher threatens to break.
This gripping drama about conformity, racism, and rebellion — Germany’s entry into the Oscars — is an incisive look at the rapidly shifting power dynamics and complex search for truth in contemporary society.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Ingo Fliess
- İlker Çatak, Johannes Duncker
- Gesa Jäger
- Judith Kaufmann
- Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachoviak, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Eva Löbau, Kathriin Wehlisch, Sarah Bauerett, Leo Stettnisch, Oscar Zickur, Antonia Küpper, Elsa Krieger, Vincent Stachowiak, Can Rodenbostel, Padmé Hamdemir, Lisa Marie Transe
- Marvin Miller
- if...Productions
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Through the Night Quitter la nuit
Synopsis
Late one night, Aly calls the police from the passenger seat of a car racing along a deserted road. She feels she is in danger from Dary, the man in the driver’s seat whose behavior is becoming increasingly explosive. Anna fields the call, deftly decrypting Aly’s conversation with her “sister” and talking her through the unfolding nightmare. Dary is arrested, and an investigation is underway. Weeks go by, and tensions mount. Aly must figure out what it means to carry on. Anna becomes obsessed with Aly’s future. Dary must account for his actions.
An intelligent and provocative expansion of director Delphine Girard’s Oscar-nominated short of the same title, Through the Night turns the traditional thriller on its head, intertwining the paths and points of view of these three characters in the aftermath of a sexual assault. The film deftly navigates between the shifting perspectives and story lines to create a tense, 360-degree view that never loses sight of the trauma’s impact rippling out over time and across communities.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Versus production (BE) – Haut et court (FR) – Colonelle Films (CA) – The Reunion (BE)
- Delphine Girard
- Damien Keyeux
- Juliette Van Dormael
- Selma Alaoui, Veerle Baetens, Guillaume Duhesme, Anne Dorval
- Ben Shemie
- Gwennaëlle Libert
- Versus Production, Haut et Court, Colonelle Films, The Reunion
- https://playtime.group/film/626b30db8d97dd0004c5bb1a
Sponsors
New Directors Program Sponsors
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation
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Synopsis
Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather’s house, helping her sprawling family prepare a birthday party for her dying father, Tonatiuh. Behind the closed doors of his bedroom, Tona attempts to gather the strength for a celebration he never wanted, yet may be his last. As the daylight fades, complex webs of family tensions begin to tangle and break as each of Tona’s loved ones is overwhelmed by the duality of this celebration of life and death.
The childlike illusion of a harmonious family fades from Sol’s vision, and as the celebration comes to a close, she must learn to embrace the essence of letting go. A film whose spirituality transcends its story, Tótem is a warm and delicate meditation on life and loss.
Screenings & Events
Digging Deeper into Movies with Nick Davis
Sat, Oct 14 @ 12:00pm
Join Northwestern Professor and film critic Nick Davis for an interactive conversation before the Oct 14 screening of Tótem.
Free and open to the public.
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Media
Film Credits
- Tatiana Graullera, Lila Avilés, Louise Riousse
- Lila Avilés
- Omar Guzmán
- Diego Tenorio
- Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Mateo García Elizondo, Teresita Sánchez, Juan Francisco Maldonado, Iazua Larios, Alberto Amador
- Thomas Becka
- Limerencia Films, Laterna, Paloma Productions, Alpha Violet Production
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
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