Altered Innocence debuted the new theatrical trailer and North American theatrical dates for The People’s Joker, Vera Drew’s genre-defying breakout feature debut film. Drew directed, edited, co-wrote, and stars in the queer coming-of-age fair use superhero world parody.

Starring in the film are David Liebe Hart, Griffin Kramer, Christian Calloway, Ember Knight, Dan Curry, Cricket Arrison, Eliot Glazer, Sandy Honig, Alec Robbins, Mia Moore Marchant, Phil Braun, Trevor Drinkwater, Daniella Baker, Bambi Bell, Denali Winter, Ruin Carroll, and Arden Hughes

Release Date

The People’s Joker world premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival followed by the U.S. premiere at the 2023 Outfest LA Film Festival, where it was awarded a Special Mention in the North American Narrative Feature competition. At both the Seattle Queer Film Festival and Oslo/Fusion, the film was awarded top honors in the narrative feature competitions.

It opens at IFC Center in NYC on April 5th, with Drew in attendance for opening weekend, and expands to over twenty cities in the coming weeks.

The film’s theatrical expansion includes support from Alamo Drafthouses across the nation and openings in Los Angeles (4/12 Landmark’s Nuart Theatre with Drew in attendance for opening weekend, 4/19 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DTLA, and 4/19 at Vidiots for a one-night-only screening with Drew in attendance), Austin (4/12 Austin Film Society, 4/13 Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar), Denver (4/12 Sie FilmCenter, 4/19 Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake), San Francisco (4/12 Roxie Theater, 4/19 Alamo Drafthouse Mission), Seattle (4/17 Northwest Film Forum, 4/24 The Beacon Cinema), Washington (4/19 Alamo Drafthouse Bryant Street and Crystal Street), Chicago (4/26, Music Box Theatre, with Drew in attendance for opening weekend), and more.

Synopsis

In the absurdist autobiographically-inspired dark comedy that boldly reimagines the Joker’s origin, 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.

Shot entirely on green screen, the work of over 200 independent, predominantly queer creators —artists, musicians, and animators— elevates the instantaneously illustrious feature beyond genre pastiche to an overflowing richness of mixed-media visuals across 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and more forms of animation.

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for The People’s Joker

Theatrical Dates

US DATES

4/5 – IFC Center – New York, NY
** Vera Drew in attendance for select screenings **

4/12 – Plaza Theatre – Atlanta, GA

4/12 – Austin Film Society – Austin, TX

4/12 – Sie FilmCenter – Denver, CO

4/12 – Landmark’s Nuart Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
** Vera Drew in attendance for select screenings **

4/12 – Roxie Theater – San Francisco, CA

4/17 – PhilaMOCA – Philadelphia, PA
** Two-Nights **

4/17 – Northwest Film Forum – Seattle, WA

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema One Loudoun – Ashburn, VA

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar – Austin, TX

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Boston Seaport – Boston, MA

4/19 – The Independent Picture House – Charlotte, NC

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Charlottesville – Charlottesville, VA

4/19 – Gateway Film Center – Columbus, OH

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Sloans Lake – Denver, CO

4/19 – Varsity Cinema – Des Moines, IA

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema East El Paso – El Paso, TX

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema LaCenterra – Houston, TX

4/19 – Screenland Armour Theatre – Kansas City, MO

4/19 – Central Cinema – Knoxville, TN

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DTLA – Los Angeles, CA

4/19 – Vidiots – Los Angeles, CA
** One-Night-Only — Vera Drew in attendance **

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan – New York, NY

4/19 – Hollywood Theatre – Portland, OR

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh – Raleigh, NC

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Mission – San Francisco, CA

4/19 – The Frida Cinema – Santa Ana, CA

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Springfield – Springfield, MO

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Bryant Street – Washington D.C.

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Crystal Street – Washington D.C.

4/19 – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Woodbridge – Woodbridge, VA

4/20 – Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas – Bethlehem, PA
** Two-Nights **

4/20 – The Apohadion Theater – Portland, ME
** One-Night-Only **

4/24 – The Beacon Cinema – Seattle, WA

4/25 – Texas Theater – Dallas, TX
** One-Night-Only — Vera Drew in attendance **

4/26 – Music Box Theatre – Chicago, IL
** Vera Drew in attendance for select screenings **

4/26 – FilmScene – Iowa City, IA

5/3 – Lightbox Film Center – Philadelphia, PA
** One-Night-Only **

5/8 – Trylon Cinema – Minneapolis, MN
** One-Night-Only **

CANADIAN DATES

4/12 – 13 – ByTowne Cinema – Ottawa, ON

4/12 – 13 – Fox Theatre – Toronto, ON

4/13 – 14 – Apollo Cinema – Kitchener, ON

4/20 – Winnipeg Film Group – Winnipeg, MB

4/21 – Metro Cinema – Edmonton, AB
** Three-Nights **

4/27 – Revue Cinema – Toronto, ON
** One-Night-Only **