Theatrical trailer released for Vera Drew’s superhero parody 'The People's Joker'
Los Angeles, california (Release): Los Angeles-based distributor Altered Innocence has released the new theatrical trailer for Vera Drew’s feature debut 'The People's Joker' and announced the first round of North American theatrical dates. Drew directed, edited, co-wrote, and stars in the queer coming-of-age fair use superhero world parody that opens at IFC Center in NYC on April 5.
In the absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy that reimagines the Joker’s origins, 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 cameos from comedy multi-hyphenate Tim Heidecker, award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk, Maria Bamford ('Big Mouth', 'Teenage Euthanasia'), and Scott Aukerman ('Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis'), with Vera Drew, Lynn Downey ('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 ('Magic for Humans' and 'Chad & JT Go Deep').
The film followed its buzzy world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section with a US premiere at the 2023 Outfest LA Film Festival, where it was 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".
