Art of the Prank - Educational License

For Libraries, Students, Educators, Administrators, K-12, Colleges, Universities

Joey Skaggs is available for speaking engagements and workshops

HOST A SCREENING/WORKSHOP INFO >

Taking audiences on a wild ride, this emotional and humorous award-winning documentary from filmmaker Andrea Marini follows the evolution of the notorious American counterculture artist Joey Skaggs, a fierce proponent of independent thinking and an early critic of media irresponsibility. For decades, he has used viral marketing and guerrilla tactics to make hilarious and meaningful social commentary. He is famed for such media fictions as the Celebrity Sperm Bank, the Cathouse for Dogs, the Fat Squad, and Portofess (a mobile confessional booth). In this critically-acclaimed film, Marini interweaves fascinating archival footage with a singularly unforgettable moment when Skaggs attmepts to pull off the most demanding media hoax of his career.

The resulting film is an emotional journey of will and determination following the evolution of an artist who has dedicated his life to seeking social change by relentlessly challenging the status quo. Filmed in New York, Connecticut, London, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and with unprecedented access to the man and his archives, the 85-minute documentary reveals the man behind the curtain, interweaving his current unfolding hoax with a look behind-the-scenes at some of his classic performance pieces.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "As a director, I relate closely to Joey's work. It is a lot about creating a story, a very interesting and outrageous one that catches your eye and your mind, and then adding contrast, juxtaposing reality, to make it taste sweet and bitter at the same time. With this movie I've tried to create something that will inspire people as much as I have been inspired. And like Joey always says, make them laugh and then make them think."

—Andrea Marini

Preview link available upon request. Contact support@videoproject for more information

Directed & Produced by Andrea Marini Produced by Judy Drosd & Michele Malfetta

85 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 11 - Adult

Item #: AOP-1127

Follows the evolution of the notorious American counterculture artist Joey Skaggs, a fierce proponent of independent thinking and an early critic of media irresponsibility

Starting at $89

Licensing Options

K-12 Schools and Public Libraries - $89 K-12 DVD + Digital File - $139 Colleges, Businesses, Other Institutions: DVD - $345 Colleges (DVD with Digital Site License) - $445 Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected]

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Reviews and Festivals

"A fascinating documentary that gives insight into the mind and machinations of the world's greatest media prankster, Joey Skaggs...Marini has a ball with the carnival atmosphere as we watch the likes of Mary Hart, Geraldo Rivera, Merv Griffin, half the anchors of CNN, and even Oprah herself succumb to this charming man's folly...Would make a fine movie in any media ethics course...Gives an important historical perspective into the life of the ultimate media prankster."

— Journalism & Mass Communication Educator

"Art of the Prank is a laugh-out-loud documentary with a pertinent message for our times, when fake and exaggerated news stories proliferate and people readily believe what they're told instead of investigating and engaging in critical thinking."
— Santa Fe New Mexican

"Highly Recommended. [Skagg's] charm is infectious and it is fun to watch him fool the media."
— Video Librarian

"Fun and entertaining"
— Booklist

"Told with a mischievous glee, the artfulness of this film mirrors its content."
— Deadline

"Fun and entertaining"
— Booklist

"The hoax with the most. Joey Skaggs, prank artist par excellence [...] is the subject of this voyeuristic film."
— Indiewire

"Recommended. Skaggs' pranks are more a way just to get a good laugh at the expense of the gullible media. One has to salute him on his creativity in devising them."
— Educational Media Reviews Online

"Both an upbeat summary of decades of mischief...and an intimate portrait of an earnest man earnestly engaged in the business of tomfoolery."
— The New York Observer

"One of the best pranksters in history, Skaggs has consistently exposed the chronic gullibility of the American news media. We see him provide comical and sometimes biting commentary on society in Art of the Prank, all carried out with deadpan precision."
— Fandor

"Timely as the election cycle rolls out the propaganda, The Art of the Prank reveals how gullible we really are."
— Denver Huffington Post

WINNER
Slamdance, Jury Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature
Alhambra Theatre Film Festival, Best Documentary
San Francisco DocFestJury Prize for BEST FILM
Lower East Side Film Festival, Best of the Fest
New Jersey Film Festival, Best Documentary
Bonita Springs International Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary

OFFICIAL SELECTION
New Jersey Film Festival
Bonita Springs International Film Festival
SF Docfest
Slamdance Film Festival
Sarasota Film Festival
Denver Film Festival
Southern Circuit Film Festival
Atlanta Film Festival
Sydney Underground Film Festival
Calgary Underground Film Festival
St. Louis International Film Festival
Arizona International Film Festival
Comedy Cluj International Film Festival
North West Fest

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