Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse (2025)

People on Paper

Americans are preoccupied with the news, but need an escape from many of the events reported in the news. These escapes in the past have included dime store novels. The most accessible of these escapes is what are known as the funny papers, the set of serialized comic strips that are included within many newspapers. They appeal to all socio-economic classes, and all ages. Some of the earliest known from the late 19th century include the Yellow Kid, Little Nemo, Happy Hooligan, the Katzenjammer Kids, Mutt & Jeff, and Bringing Up Father. Many cartoonists are seen in action. Some originated their characters, while others have taken over following the passing of the originator. The joy of many comic strips are the absurd and the fantastical, which are limited only by the imagination of the cartoonist. Others are grounded in reality, which add to their poignancy within the public mindset.

Inverosímil Jardiel Poncela

The Spanish author Enrique Jardiel Poncela (1901-1952) was one of the best comedy writers of all time, a novelist and newspaper columnist, misunderstood, even censored, both by the Second Republic government and Francoism, an outsider ahead of his time; also a filmmaker and screenwriter in Hollywood, architect of a revolutionary theatrical building and scenographer, cartoonist and illustrator. An implausible genius.

Disney: Through the Looking Glass

Tito del Amo, a passionate 72-year-old researcher, takes the final step to unravel the enigma about the alleged Spanish origin of the American cartoonist Walt Disney, making the same journey that his supposed mother made to give him up for adoption in Chicago. A journey that begins in Mojácar, Almería, Spain, and ends in New York. An exciting adventure, like Alicia's through the looking glass, to discover what is truth and what is not, with an unexpected result.

Batman & Bill

Everyone thinks that Bob Kane created Batman, but that’s not the whole truth. One author makes it his crusade to make it known that Bill Finger, a struggling writer, actually helped invent the iconic superhero, from concept to costume to the very character we all know and love. Bruce Wayne may be Batman’s secret identity, but his creator was always a true mystery.

Laerte-se

In this film, Laerte conjugates the body in the feminine, and scrutinizes concepts and prejudices. Not in search of an identity, but in search of un-identities. Laerte creates and sends creatures to face reality in the fictional world of comic strips as a vanguard of the self. And, on the streets, the one who becomes the fiction of a real character. Laerte, of all the bodies, and of none, complicates all binaries. In following Laerte, this documentary chooses to clothe the nudity beyond the skin we inhabit.

Carceller, the Man Who Died Twice

The life story of Vicente Miguel Carceller (1890-1940), a Spanish editor committed to freedom who, through his weekly magazine La Traca, connected with the common people while maintaining a dangerous pulse with the powerful.

Ibáñez

The life and work of the legendary Francisco Ibáñez, brilliant cartoonist, creator of Clever & Smart and many other characters through whom he has portrayed Spanish society for over seven decades, with wild humor, subtle cruelty and much tenderness.

Very Semi-Serious

The New Yorker is the benchmark for the single-panel cartoon. This light-hearted and sometimes poignant look at the art and humor of the iconic drawings shows why they have inspired and even baffled us for decades. Very Semi-Serious is a window into the minds of cartooning legends and hopefuls, including editor Bob Mankoff, shedding light onto how their humor evolves.

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story

Exploring the rise and fall of the groundbreaking animated series ​Ren & Stimpy​ and its controversial creator, John Kricfalusi, through archival footage, show artwork and interviews with the artists, actors and executives behind the show.

Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist

A subtle portrait of Japanese director Satoshi Kon by the specialist of Japanese cinema Pascal-Alex Vincent and a dive into a rich work. With interviews of the greatest Japanese, French and American directors inspired by his work.

Enrique Herreros

The story of Enrique Herreros (1903-1977), cartoonist, advertiser, poster designer, talent manager, actor, producer and filmmaker, and the most daring of mountaineers; the man who, along with his companions from the so-called “other Generation of '27,” brought Hollywood to Madrid's Gran Vía, turning a grey and sinister post-war city into the capital of an incipient and ambitious cultural industry.

The Leunig Fragments

With an anarchic and life-affirming heart, this documentary feature celebrates self-expression, friendship, life and death, and the power of the imagination to ignite, enrage, heal and inspire. With exclusive, intimate access to Michael Leunig - one of Australia’s most renowned artists - we reveal the man behind the household name.

Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation

This biography, shown on American television as part of the PBS "Great Performances" series, examines the life works of one of Hollywood's most celebrated animators, Chuck (Charles M.) Jones. He is best known for Warner Brothers cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and Pepe LePew. Included are plenty of behind-the-scenes descriptions of how an animated film is made, and (best of all) many clips from Chuck's cartoons.

L'ami, portrait de Mix & Remix

How a shy young man living off odd jobs became the funniest and most popular cartoonist in French-speaking Switzerland.

Ziraldo - Lifelong work of art crying for help

The film seeks to address the risks that Ziraldo's work takes. In a building abandoned ten years ago, the cartoonist's "Santa Ceia", a six-meter-high work painted in 1967, is far from the public and subject to the effects of time

Maaveeran

After a head injury, cowardly newspaper cartoonist Sathya hears a voice in his mind, foretells events and puts him in precarious situations and forces him to take on a corrupt politician.

Freddy Got Fingered

Unemployed cartoonist Gord Brody moves back in with his parents Jim and Julie and younger brother Freddy. When his parents demand he leave, he retaliates by spreading rumors that Jim is sexually abusing Freddy.

Next Year If All Goes Well

Isabelle and Maxime are a pair of lighthearted lovers -- that is, until Isabelle gets the itch for motherhood. When she confesses her desire for a child, Maxime panics. As a cartoonist by trade he is far from financially stable, so he outright rejects the idea of parenthood. What follows is a roller-coaster romance full of recriminations and reconciliations, until Maxime must ultimately decide whether his fear of becoming a parent is a reason to leave.

One Crazy Summer

An aspiring teenage cartoonist and his friends come to the aid of a singer trying to save her family property from developers.

Monkeybone

After a car crash sends repressed cartoonist Stu into a coma, he and the mischievous Monkeybone, his hilarious alter-ego, wake up in a wacked-out waystation for lost souls. When Monkeybone takes over Stu's body and escapes to wreak havoc on the real world, Stu has to find a way to stop him before his sister pulls the plug on reality forever!

Don't Tell Her It's Me

Gus is a fat cartoonist that recently won a battle against cancer, which explains his baldness. But he is also lonely. Therefore, his caring sister tries to set him up with suitable woman. But to do so, she must turn him into an irresistible man. When he falls in love with Emily, Gus takes the identity of a mysterious biker from New Zealand.

Zodiac

The Zodiac murders cause the lives of Paul Avery, David Toschi and Robert Graysmith to intersect.

Cool World

A bizarre accident lands Frank Harris in Cool World, a realm of cartoons. Years later, cartoonist Jack Deebs, who's been drawing Cool World, crosses over as well. He sets his lustful sights on animated femme fatale Holli Would, but she's got plans of her own to become real, and it's up to Frank to stop her.

Cellar Dweller

In the 1950s, a horror-comic artist's creations come alive and kill him. Years later a new cartoonist revives the creatures in his house, now part of an artist's colony.

Artists and Models

A struggling painter begins taking inspiration from the dreams of his friend and roommate, a comic book fan who narrates an adventure story while he sleeps, but unbeknownst to the latter, the artist of his favorite comic book lives in the same building as they do with the model for her drawings.

Sammohanam

A cartoonist, who detests films and movie stars, finds himself in an awkward situation when he falls in love with a film actress

Funny About Love

As political cartoonist Duffy and his bride Meg fail to conceive, he and sorority girl Daphne succeed.

Hitman: Agent Jun

A failing webtoon artist finds he's drawn a target on his own back after publishing a story containing real secrets from his former life as a superspy.

Meet the In-Laws

When cartoonist Hyun-joon falls in love with Da-hong, one of his fans, it sets up the archetypal battle between their two families, who are from rival regions. Hyun-joon comes from the politically liberal Honam region while Da-hong comes from the conservative Yeongnam region. When the two declare their intention to marry, they are confronted with a seemingly endless number of barriers that threaten their happiness.

Mr. & Mrs. '55

A young, naive heiress is forced into a 'marriage of convenience' with an unemployed cartoonist in an attempt to save her millions - a move orchestrated by the scheming aunt.

Piccadilly Jim

Jim's father wants to marry Eugenia, but her sister Netta refuses to allow it. When Jim sees Ann at a club, he falls for her even though she is with Lord Priory. He meets her the next day at the riding path, but she quickly loses him. He searches all over for her, not knowing that his father's hopeful fiancée is her Aunt. As his caricature work suffers as he searches, he is fired from his paper. But he makes a comeback with the comics 'Rags to Riches' which is based upon the Pett's. But this upsets the Pett's so much that they go back to New York, and he follows, being careful not to let them know that he is the one who draws the strip that parodies them.

A Cartoonist's Nightmare

A cartoonist falls asleep at the drawing board and into the clutches of his own villains, until Beans the Cat comes to the rescue.

Swallows of Christ

On December 27, 2019, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted a bill to seize all church property from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Hundreds of thousands of people in Montenegro stood up for the conciliar prayer led by Metropolitan Amfilohiy (Radovic). During his ministry, the Metropolitan, together with his people, built and restored 700 churches and monasteries. Through the life line of Metropolitan Amfilochiy, we want to tell about the long-suffering Serbian land. About life and monasticism in Montenegro. Unexpectedly for everyone, a national shepherd dies from the coronavirus. But his prayers have been answered. On the fortieth day after the death of Vladyka, the government changes and introduces amendments to the bill on the Church. This means that there will be no split.

Super Size Me

Morgan Spurlock subjects himself to a diet based only on McDonald's fast food three times a day for thirty days without exercising to try to prove why so many Americans are fat or obese. He submits himself to a complete check-up by three doctors, comparing his weight along the way, resulting in a scary conclusion.

Richard Strauss im Zwielicht

The composer Richard Strauss (1864-1949) is still a shining light today. But behind his radiant aura lies a dark shadow. His life was full of contradictions. During the "Third Reich", he was president of the Reich Chamber of Music and at the same time protector of the Jewish part of his family. Who was this Richard Strauss?

Les enfants terribles de la gauche

Plot unavailable

Days of Meade

A film documenting Spencer Staggs' final 28 days attending the Defense Information School on Fort Meade, Maryland. The film mostly documents the antics of Staggs and his friends Eric Nelson and Elijah Webb in Room 204 of the Navy Detachment.

Lider

“True art is the strength of its versatility and incompleteness,” says Daniel Lider, a great stage artist, teacher and citizen of Kyiv, the place where his art could express itself most freely. Mixing archive footage of Lider’s creative reflections with biographical facts narrated by his wife, the filmmaker keeps the film concise, bringing its cinematic form closer to the protagonist’s philosophy, as experimental as the television production of the 1+1 TV channel could allow.

2 Girls, 1 Duck

A full length documentary on the making of Return to Nuke 'em High volumes one and two.

Black-out, soirées sans limites

This documentary takes us into a world apart, that of French youth immersed in a culture where alcohol is omnipresent. Social drinking, festive drinking, occasional drinking, or even taboo drinking—it is everywhere.

UNTOLD: The Secret World of Incels

Filmmaker Ben Zand investigates the dark world of incels. After a year-long investigation, Zand gains unprecedented access to the men behind the keyboards. Research finds the community is rapidly growing, and one of the most extreme incel forums has 18,000 members with around 2,500 from the UK. The documentary also meets a British incel who has never had a proper conversation with a woman in real life. The investigation uncovers shocking extremism, which includes sharing extremely violent and bloody content.

Crestone

In the desert of Crestone, Colorado, a group of SoundCloud rappers live in solitude, growing weed and making music for the internet. When an old friend arrives to make a movie, reality and fiction begin to blur.

TFW No GF

Born from the internet, the phrase "TFW No GF" was originally used online to describe a lack of romantic companionship. Since then, it has evolved to symbolize a greater state of existence defined by isolation, rejection and alienation. The meme's protagonist, "WOJAK," has become the mascot to a vast online community consisting of self-described "hyper-anonymous twenty somethings" and "guys who slipped between the cracks." TFW No GF asks: How has the zeitgeist come to bear down on a generation alienated by the 'real world'? Meet the lost boys who came of age on the internet- places like 4chan and Twitter, where they find camaraderie in despair.

Les vendredis d'Apostrophes

Hours and historical meetings, Pierre Assouline has composed an anthology of the best extracts presented in the form of a primer, which he had commented on by a surprised Bernard Pivot.

Sacachun

A documentary about faith through an essay on aging and the fear of death. A story about a group of elders in a ghost town and their lifetime struggle for the respect of their culture and their different ways of understanding faith, where the need of water is the main element that supports their demands and ancient culture is presented as an heritage for new generations to come, that if their home town survives after they are gone. A film that portrays youthfulness as hope, while the main characters reminds us all that nothing is more powerful than our own will and that there is no such thing as a lost cause.

Heroes

"Heroes" tells the story of five legends of motorsport, whose lives are intimately intertwined and interconnected as they all scale the heights of their sport, while contending with profound personal challenges along the way.

Russian Georgians. Part 1

The film is about the historical role of Georgians in Russian, and later - Soviet politics, culture and science. The heroes of the film are Bagration and Shevardnadze, Pirosmani and Danelia, Balanchine and Andronikov.

Titan, La Pelicula De Martin Palermo

Plot unavailable

Camp Century: The Hidden City Beneath the Ice

How in 1959, during the heat of the Cold War, the government of the United States decided to create a secret military base located in the far north of Greenland: Camp Century, almost a real town with roads and houses, a nuclear plant to provide power and silos to house missiles aimed at the Soviet Union.

Wagenknecht

Left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht’s working day is marked by applause and admiration but also doubts and intrigues. This film follows her and her team: from the 2017 election campaign to her withdrawal from political leadership in 2019.