In many ways, Billy is just like other teenage boys; he's into heavy metal, is desperate to find a girlfriend and aspires to a career as a rock star. But he also has a troubled past that has left him marked. Jennifer Venditti’s provocative coming-of-age debut follows the 15-year-old as he navigates the trials of adolescence in small-town Maine, grappling with isolation, first-time love and the frustrating gap between his dreams and reality. Using fly-on-the-wall footage, Venditti lets Billy’s story unfold without judgment, in all its angst, beauty and vulnerability. In the process, she challenges us to understand this startlingly wise teen on his own terms—and imagine ourselves beyond labels.
"Jennifer Venditti is a well-known casting director behind a slew of great ‘street casting’ ensembles, like those featured in Uncut Gems and Euphoria. But she has directed one film, and one film only, herself: Billy the Kid. It’s a funny, fascinating and deeply felt portrait of a teenager with some behavioural issues whom she met and befriended while casting a totally different project. I can only assume that she stopped making films after this one because it turned out one thousand per cent perfect and she had nothing left to prove. A doc portrait is only as powerful as its compassion, and this one is an all-timer that I routinely thought about when making Marcel."
- Dean Fleischer-Camp, director of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Tickets: $15 (Members from $10)
Want more? Check out The World of Marcel the Shell, a special film series that tours the offbeat inspiration and influences behind the iconic stop-motion character Marcel the Shell. Curated in partnership with director Dean Fleischer-Camp.
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