Joel Potrykus is this month’s featured director at UICA Local Director Series, July 24

Joel Potrykus’ feature film “Ape” will be featured at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts’ Local Director Series,  Tuesday, July 24 at 8:00 PM.

“Ape” is the story of Trevor Newandyke (Joshua Burge),  a struggling comedian who is looking to catch a break in life. Not only does he bomb on stage, he also bombs in everyday life.

Offered by Potrykus in a Facebook post,  “I’ll be breaking this movie down, scene-by-scene, talking about money, cameras, crew, the silliness of permits, and how to start a dumpster fire in public without alerting the cops. I’ll point out the flaws and we can talk.”

Joel Potrykus, an independent filmmaker and assistant instructor in the department of Media and Information at Michigan State University, has had feature film works screen  at the Lincoln Center for the Arts, the MoMA, the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, Cinémathèque Française in Paris, the Gartenbaukino in Vienna, and the Munich Film Museum.

Potrykus is this month’s featured director of the UICA’s Local Director Series, a recurring event that showcases feature-length films by independent directors who live and work in Grand Rapids, MI.

The directors selected to show their films as part of the series include: Lisa Enos (Ivansxtc), Joel Potrykus (Ape), Daniel Falicki (An Anti American), Bret Miller (Some are Born), and Chris Randal (America’s Most Haunted).