POP UP CINEMA BRIGHTON

One of the funniest, most heartfelt and enjoyable documentaries of all time

​now celebrating it's 25th anniversary 'American Movie' (winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival) centres on young Wisconsin filmmaker Mark Borchardt who along with friend Mike Schank are attempting to make low budget horror movie 'Coven'. 'Attempting' being the operative word. Armed only with determination and a $3000 loan from his uncle, a combination of mishaps, mismanagement and sheer ineptitude lead to a catalogue of hilarious filmmaking disasters.

​

Here director Chris Smith, who went on to create a string of successful docs that include 'Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond' (the doc about Jim Carrey playing Andy Kauffman in Man On The Moon), 'Fyre' (about the failed Fyre Festival), 'Sr' (about Robert Downey Jr. and his father, Robert Downey Sr), the recent 2023 Wham! doc and an upcoming 2024 DEVO doc. crafts one of the most beloved, intimate and amusing docs of all time in 'American Movie'.

​

This bittersweet doc about a would-be director and his bumbling but loyal friend is surprisingly funny, touching and a real love letter to the burning sense of ambition that fuels every true filmmaker as well as a loving and joyous portrait of two hapless friends chasing their dreams. ​​