The People’s Joker ‘trans film’ pulled from Toronto International Film Festival

The trans coming-of-age story seems to have run foul of Warner Bros' intellectual property rights during its world premiere.

Director Vera Drew’s film The People’s Joker has been removed from this year’s Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) lineup.

Drew, a Chicago-born director and writer, wrote and stars in the film, which has been described as a trans coming-of-age story. Her directorial credits include On CinemaWho Is America?, and Our Bodies, as well as multiple music videos. The People’s Joker is her feature debut.

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Paul Dalgarno is author of the novels A Country of Eternal Light (2023) and Poly (2020); the memoir And You May Find Yourself (2015); and the creative non-fiction book Prudish Nation (2023). He was formerly Deputy Editor of The Conversation and joined ScreenHub as Managing Editor in 2022. X: @pauldalgarno. Insta: @dalgarnowrites