Partisan Cinema presents: The People's Joker

Notorious audience favourite and critical darling The People’s Joker is coming to Partisan Cinema at Bridge 5 Mill for its second-ever showing in Manchester via new distributor Matchbox Cine - complete with a special personalised introduction from Vera Drew herself.

Director/co-writer Vera Drew stars alongside Tim Heidecker, Bob Odenkirk and many others in this revolutionary DIY parody film. The People’s Joker’s hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham to make it big as a comedian, joining the cast of government-sanctioned sketch show UCB Live, in a world where comedy has been outlawed.

The New Yorker’s Richard Brody listed The People’s Joker as one of his best movies of 2024, previously describing it as “the best superhero film I’ve ever seen”. Vera Drew won the Breakthrough Director Award at the 2024 Gotham Awards and has been nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Film Spirit Awards 2025.

Doors: 6:00pm
Movie Start: 7:00pm
Event End: 10:00pm

Run time: 92 mins. Cert. 15.

Tickets are £3 or, for £8, you can buy a limited-time only film ticket and zine bundle. This includes an exclusive zine produced by Matchbox Cine to celebrate The People's Joker, to be collected on the night.

There will be a bar and opportunity to buy zines on the night if you don't purchase with your ticket; zines can also be purchased direct from Matchbox Cine for £7 if you are unable to make it to the screening. 

This is one not to be missed particularly as it's still unavailable virtually anywhere else! Sign up now. See below for a very important dress code for the event, straight from the People's Joker's mouth* (*please note that despite what Vera says, this dress code is completely optional - wear whatever you feel most comfortable in): 

There is step free access from the street to the entrance of Bridge 5 Mill, with a lift to all floors inside and an accessible toilet in the main reception area – please contact thepartisancollective@gmail.com for more information about accessibility.

This screening is funded by Cinema for All as part of their Festival of Community Cinema, celebrating 100 years of community cinema in the UK. Find out more about the Festival of Community Cinema here. This is also our first public screening as part of the 2025 cohort of Cinema for All's Launch project, helping to get new community cinemas up and running across the UK - thank you to Cinema for All for all their help and advice!