MUBI, the global film distributor, streaming service and production company brings critically-acclaimed festival hit and award-winning documentary GRAND THEFT HAMLET exclusively to MUBI worldwide on 21 February 2025, following UK and US theatrical releases.
Winner of two BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS, for BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY (awarded to directors Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane) and THE RAINDANCE MAVERICK AWARD, which celebrates the most bold, creative, and risk-taking filmmakers, the film is also nominated for DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR at the 2025 LONDON CRITICS’ CIRCLE FILM AWARDS (winners to be announced on 2 February).
Acclaimed as “A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed; hilarious, surreal and… genuinely exciting” in a 5-star Guardian review, “The year’s funniest documentary” by Time Out, “An unexpectedly moving, genuinely quite revolutionary tribute to art’s endurance” by Empire, and “A testament to the human drive toward community and connection in even the most unexpected of spaces” by the New York Times, GRAND THEFT HAMLET tells the story of two out-of-work actors who attempt the seemingly impossible task of mounting a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet inside the ruthless and unpredictable world of Grand Theft Auto.
Following its World Premiere at SXSW 2024 (Winner, Documentary Feature Jury Award), the film, written and directed by Pinny Grylls (Winner, BFI & Chanel Luminous Gala Filmmaker Award 2024) and Sam Crane, has seen a successful international festival run, including Official Selection screenings at Hot Docs 2024, CPH:DOX 2024, BFI London Film Festival (including IMAX presentation), Visions du Reel 2024, Melbourne International Film Festival 2024, Cambridge Film Festival 2024, Leeds Film Festival 2014, Korea’s DMZ Docs 2024, where it won the Frontier Competition Grand Prize. It has been presented at Spain’s Sitges Film Festival (Winner, Sitges Best Documentary Film), Vancouver International Film Festival (Winner, Spectrum Audience Award), Hamptons International Film Festival, where it has played in Competition and the Philadelphia Film Festival, where it received an Honorable Mention. It was also longlisted for the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards and the Cinema Eye Honors’ Audience Choice Award.
Synopsis:
January 2021. The UK is in its 3rd lockdown and all entertainment venues remain closed. For theatre actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on, Mark -single and childless- is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam panics about how he is going to support his young family. They spend their days in the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto and when they stumble across a theatre, they suddenly have an idea to stage a full production of Hamlet within the game. Sam’s wife, documentary filmmaker Pinny, steps into the game too as an avatar filmmaker to record their journey. This film charts their ridiculous, hilarious and moving adventure as they battle violent griefers and discover surprising truths about life, friendship and the enduring power of Shakespeare.
The film is financed by BFI Doc Society Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, as well as Park Pictures, Altitude and Spark Features. Produced by Julia Ton of Project 1961 and Rebecca Wolff of Grasp The Nettle. Executive Producers for the film are Beth Levison (Hazel Pictures), Harlene Freezer (Capstone Entertainment LLC), Sam Bisbee, Cody Ryder and Jackie Kelman Bisbee (Park Pictures), Eric Kuhn (Folk Media Group), Sam Crane, Hannah Bush Bailey and Shanida Scotland (BFI Doc Society), Robina Riccitello, Josh Peters (Spark Features) and Altitude’s Andy Mayson, Will Clarke and Mike Runagall. With the support of the Moving Image Trust and the NY Community Trust -Nola Safro Fund. Altitude also handles international sales rights to the film.
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