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U.S. Documentary Competition

Joybubbles

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United States202679 minEnglish
Joybubbles

Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession unwittingly lays the groundwork for a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.

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Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession unwittingly lays the groundwork for a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.

A film as uplifting as its protagonist’s chosen name, Joybubbles recounts the story of Joe Engressia, a lonely boy who turned his love for the telephone into a way to connect with the world. One of the first “phone phreaks,” protohackers who used technology to subvert the monopoly of the global telecom network, he defied a paternalistic, ableist society to fulfill his dreams of living an independent life — and insisted on having fun along the way. From operating the Zzzzyzzerrific Funline and adopting the name Joybubbles, to renouncing adulthood’s responsibilities and declaring himself a perpetual 5-year-old, he reclaimed a childhood haunted by trauma to spread joyful wonder to anyone willing to listen. Rachael J. Morrison brings that same sense of delight to her feature debut, creatively employing playful archival material to illustrate Joybubbles’ unforgettable story, told in his own voice. — BT

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 29–February 1) and credentialed press and industry (January 28–February 1).

U.S. Documentary CompetitionAll FeaturesBiographyDisabled StoriesFirst-Time FeaturesScience & TechnologyNonfictionAudio DescriptionClosed CaptionOpen Audio DescriptionOpen CaptionU.S. Only- less

Credits

  • Director(s)

    Rachael J. Morrison

  • Producers

    Sarah Winshall

    Will Butler

    Annie Marr

  • Editors

    Bradford Thomason

    Patrick Lawrence

  • Executive Producers

    Cameo Wood

    Rhianon Jones

    Tristan Scott-Behrends

    Adora Cheung

    Roman Nesis

    Kyra Rogers

    Todd Remis

    George Rush

  • Music Supervisor

    Taylor Rowley

  • Composer

    Will Epstein

  • Cinematography

    Michael Belcher

    Ashley Connor

    Helki Frantzen

    James P. Gannon

    Hiroshi Hara

  • Audio Description Writer

    Cheryl Green

  • Audio Description Narrator

    Thomas Reid

  • Motion Graphics & Animation

    Ali Clark

    Arthur Jones

  • Contact

    Rachael Morrison

    rachael.morrison@gmail.com

Meet the Artist

Panelist Name

Rachael J. Morrison

  • Instagram

Rachael J. Morrison is a documentary filmmaker and archival producer. Her short documentary Elvers premiered at the 2019 Camden International Film Festival and is featured online as part of The Atlantic Selects. She has worked as an archival producer on documentary series and feature films for over a decade.

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