In 2023, The White River Indie Film Festival hosted a secret screening of the then in "legal limbo" film The People's Joker, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier that year, before being pulled from the festival circuit due to threat of legal action by Warner Brothers.
#FreeThePeoplesJoker trended, as Vera toured the film in secret. Her self proclaimed favorite festival stop was WRIF, which championed the film, sight unseen, committed to uplifting marginalized voices and giving a home to even the most transgressive of filmmaking.
The audience goers (and WRIF staff and crew!) had no idea what the film was that they had bought tickets to see, as it could only be advertised as a "super secret screening" to open the festival late Thursday night.
This talkback was filmed post our secret screening, with Vera Drew in conversation with Jordyn Fitch of the WRIF selection committee, who fought hard to bring the film to the WRIF audience.
The People's Joker is finally free, and now available on DVD, VHS, and is streaming on Mubi.
