Fantastic Fest has always allowed creatives a place to shine and one such creative is the incredible Vera Drew! The creator of The People’s Joker was at Fantastic Fest in 2022 for the Fantastic Debates in character from her film.
Drew was at the fest after her film, which used characters and iconography from the Batman universe, was threatened with legal action after its screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) earlier that same month. In 2023, the film screened at Fantastic Fest before the film was finally released to theaters in the spring of 2024.
What makes the story of The People’s Joker so special is that Drew and the creative team fought for the film. Once legal action was threatened, it could have been abandoned but those who believed in what Drew did fought with her to make sure audiences got to see it and the incredibly moving and sweet oddball coming of age story really fits in places like Fantastic Fest.
Having seen the movie for its wider release and knowing the beauty of a genre festival like Fantastic Fest, it is wonderful to see Drew and her work celebrated in Austin at the festival! Especially during 2022 when she had just had positive reviews out of TIFF before the film was pulled over the rights issue. Luckily, we all were eventually gifted the film.
So as we celebrate the amazing women who have made Fantastic Fest special, let’s shout out Vera Drew, who fought to make sure that audiences everywhere could experience her film. And we’re grateful to her because The People’s Joker ruled!
Make sure to check out our celebration of some of the women who have made the festival special here and get ready to celebrate 20 years of Fantastic Fest later this September!
(featured image: Fantastic Fest/Fons PR)
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