Provocative, subversive, and always unpredictable, Andy Kaufman was the trailblazing anti-comedian whose figure looms so large that his name has become synonymous with boundary-blurring conceptual theater. Before laying the groundwork for modern-day alternative comedy, Andy Kaufman was a shy Jewish kid from Long Island. Preoccupied with cartoons and Elvis, Andy’s fantasy of becoming a great entertainer and television star began in his childhood bedroom, where he honed his unique delivery before an imaginary camera which formed the basis for his most iconic characters. Chronicling his earliest days in children’s television, his rise through the comedy circuit, his legendary network appearances, and increasingly confrontational personas, director Clay Tweel interweaves never-before-seen home movies, photos, and Andy’s personal archive of notes and audio diaries. Intimate interviews with family, friends, and entertainers including Carol Kane, Eric Andre, and David Letterman provide further insight into Andy’s eccentricities, and his brief but indelible impact on the world of comedy. —Lori Donnelly
West Coast Premiere
Clay Tweel is a director, producer, and editor known for telling complex, character-driven stories. His acclaimed works include Finders Keepers, The Innocent Man, Heaven’s Gate: Cult of Cults, Out of Omaha, and Gleason, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award and named one of the five best documentaries of 2016 by the National Board of Review. His films have been distributed by Showtime, Netflix, HBO Max, Starz, and Amazon Studios, and he has collaborated with Open Road, Campfire Studios, and A24. In 2024, he premiered The Bitter Pill, chronicling a lawyer’s fight against Big Pharma during the opioid crisis. He is currently directing two new feature documentaries: one on comedian Andy Kaufman and another on Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s remarkable return to the NFL.
This film is available with closed captions.