Small Press Expo and AFI Silver Theatre Announces Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt on May 18
The Small Press Expo (SPX) has announced two more comics-related films with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in their ongoing film series celebrating comics and their impact on storytelling. This special series will feature screenings of acclaimed films and documentaries, culminating in the highly anticipated SPX 2025 weekend, that will occur September 13-14.
The series continues with a showing of the documentary Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt on May 18 at 3:15 PM.
This in-depth documentary traces Drew Friedman’s evolution from underground comics to the cover of the New Yorker through interviews with Friedman’s friends and colleagues. It also features a rare peek into his private “Jewseum,” perhaps the world’s largest collection of artifacts devoted exclusively to Jewish comedians.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Kevin Dougherty and producer Thom Shubilla.
The first 15 attendees to arrive at the event will receive one free limited-edition T-shirt featuring a glow-in-the-dark Tor Johnson lovingly rendered by Drew Friedman.
For more info and tickets visit the AFI Silver web site.
The SPX-AFI Silver series continues on Sunday, June 1, at 3:45 PM with a showing of No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics.
Led by such notable queer creators as as Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Maia Kobabe, along with SPXers Denis Kitchen, Lawrence Lyndell and Breena Nunez, this documentary shows the trials and triumphs of the LGBTQIA+ comics community.
Preceded by a video intro from filmmaker Vivian Kleiman.
For more info and tickets visit the AFI Silver web site.
