Joel Potrykus Explained

Joel Potrykus
Birth Place:Ossineke, Michigan, U.S.
Birth Date:10 July 1977
Occupation:Film director, screenwriter

Joel Potrykus (born July 10, 1977) is an American film director and screenwriter. His feature film debut Ape won the Best New Director prize at the 2012 Locarno Film Festival,[1] while his follow-up feature Buzzard won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2014 Ljubljana International Film Festival.[2]

Early life

Potrykus was born and raised in Ossineke, Michigan,[3] then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to study film at Grand Valley State University. Later, he earned his MFA in screenwriting from Emerson College.[4]

Career

A stint as a stand-up comedian in New York City led to the inspiration for his first feature film, Ape.[5] While spending a year as a temp at a Michigan mortgage company led to the inspiration of his second feature film, Buzzard.[6] The book Walden by Henry David Thoreau was the influence for Potrykus' 2016 feature The Alchemist Cookbook, which builds on his themes of slackers and loneliness.[7] [8] His fourth feature film Relaxer, is a modern interpretation of Luis Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel.[9] He's been the subject of retrospectives at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2015[10] and at the 2016 Valdivia Film Festival.[11]

In 2024, his fifth feature film, Vulcanizadora, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, taking home a Special Jury Prize for actor Joshua Burge.[12] Chase Hutchinson of Collider said of the film, "There is no film you’ll ever see like it as it patiently builds to a terrifying explosion and then keeps going from where most would stop, leaving us to pick up the pieces that are forever shattered."[13] The film had its International premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 19, 2024.[14]

He currently teaches filmmaking at Grand Valley State University.[15]

Style and influences

In 2016, Vimooz called Potrykus "The New King of Underground Cinema".[16] Vague Visages credits him as the originator of the new genre, "metal slackerism".[17]

Potrykus has cited the following directors and films as having an influence on his work; Alan Clarke's Made in Britain, Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man!, Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, Vincent Gallo's Buffalo ’66, Rick Alverson's The Comedy, Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead, F. W. Murnau's Faust and James Nguyen's Birdemic;[18] as well as the films of Michael Haneke, Kelly Reichardt, Jean-Luc Godard and Quentin Tarantino.[19] [20]

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AFI Fest: J. Potrykus. American Film Institute. November 1, 2012. https://archive.today/20130628092648/http://afifest.afi.com/sections/APE%23.Uc1Wzn3LfK5#.UaLoAuCAz-k. June 28, 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: FIPRESCI: Joel Potrykus. International Federation of Film Critics. December 1, 2014.
  3. Web site: Andrew. Westrope. J. Potrykus Alpena News interview. Alpena News. September 14, 2012. May 28, 2013.
  4. Web site: Erin. Clossey. Low-Res MFA Student Makes Off-Beat Film with Unusual Business Model. Alpena News. October 12, 2016. October 12, 2016.
  5. Web site: John. Serba. Grand Rapids filmmaker overwhelmed. MLive.com. September 5, 2012.
  6. Web site: Ben. Kenigsberg. Joel Potrykus’s Film ‘Buzzard’ Is Inspired by Dead-End Jobs. New York Times. February 27, 2015.
  7. Web site: SXSW Q&A: Writer/Director Joel Potrykus talks ‘The Alchemist Cookbook’. 2016-03-18. en-US. 2016-06-30.
  8. Web site: Joel Potrykus and Slacker Cinema. 2016-08-16. en-US. Vague Visages. Justine. Smith. 2016-08-16.
  9. Web site: Eric. Kohn. Milk Vomit and ‘Pac Man’: Joel Potrykus’ ‘Relaxer’ Is a Masterpiece of Depraved ’90s Nostalgia. New York Times. March 9, 2018.
  10. Web site: The Animal Trilogy: Buzzard, Ape, Coyote. March 4, 2015.
  11. Web site: Filipe. Blanco. Joel Potrykus: An Observer of the American pathology. Ficvaldivia. October 14, 2016. October 14, 2016.
  12. Web site: Jill. Goldsmith. ‘Griffin In Summer’, ‘Bikechess’, ‘Hacking Hate’ Take Top Awards At Tribeca Festival. Deadline. June 13, 2024.
  13. Web site: Chase. Hutchinson. 'Vulcanizadora' Review: Joel Potrykus’ Horror Film Will Melt Your Face Off. Collider. June 9, 2024.
  14. Web site: Fantasia's 28th Edition Awards Filmmaker Mike Flanagan, Closes with the World Premiere of André Forcier's Ababouiné . . July 3, 2024.
  15. News: Joel Potrykus Department of Visual Media Arts. 2018-08-17.
  16. Web site: Josef. Rodriguez. Sound on Sight. INTERVIEW: Joel Potrykus – The New King of Underground Cinema. October 15, 2016.
  17. Web site: Justine. Smith. Vague Visages. Joel Potrykus and Slacker Cinema. October 30, 2012.
  18. Web site: Meet the 2014 AFI Filmmakers #2: ‘Buzzard’ Director On Why It’s Good to Steal From Your Inspirations. Indiewire. 2014-11-09. en-US. 2016-06-30.
  19. Web site: Coyote, Ape, Buzzard: Joel Potrykus on Film. 2016-06-30.
  20. Web site: The AFI Interview: Joel Potrykus on SXSW Premiere THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK. en-us. 2016-06-30.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Joel Potrykus".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.