'André Is an Idiot' Sundance Institute Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment André Is an Idiot is heading to theaters after making a splash on the festival circuit. Joint Venture has acquired North American rights for director Tony Benna's documentary feature and will release the movie theatrically, starting with Film Forum in New York City on March 6, 2026, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. André Is an Idiot premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award and the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award in the U.S. documentary competition. André Is an Idiot centers on André Ricciardi, who considers himself an idiot for not getting a colonoscopy. Over the course of the movie, he remains determined to approach his terminal cancer diagnosis with levity. The project uses stop-motion animation to bring Ricciardi's stories to life. Related Stories Movies Eddie Murphy on His Netflix Doc, 'Shrek 5,' Resolving Feuds and That Elusive Oscar Movies Celine Song Takes Her 'Materialists' Victory Lap: "I'm Able to Be Fearless Because I'm Not Full of Sh**" In addition to its Sundance success, the movie won the Audience Favorite for Documentary at the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Special Documentary Jury Prize for Impactful Storytelling at the Hamptons Film Festival. "When André approached me to direct what he called 'a comedy about his cancer,' I was taken aback but also deeply honored that he trusted me to tell such an intimate story," Benna says. "Cancer isn't inherently funny, but André definitely is. His raw, unapologetic honesty and humor in the face of something so heavy make it impossible not to fall in love with him." Says Joint Venture's co-founder and CEO Vinay Singh, "André Is an Idiot is a documentary unlike any we've ever seen. The film is a beautiful portrait about mortality, friendship, fatherhood, and love - that plays like a stand-up comedy special." Joint Venture co-founder and chief creative officer Jess Jacobs adds, "It's funny, it's colorful, it's in your face. André Is an Idiot is about something real and challenging, but the story is profoundly human and oozes with joy and humor. It's a celebration of life." Hailing from A24 Films, Sandbox Films and Safehouse Pictures, André Is an Idiot counts Ricciardi, Tory Tunnell, Stelio Kitrilakis, Joshua Altman and Ben Cotner as producers. Executive producing are Nicole Stott, Emily Osborne, Marissa Torres Ericson, Jessica Harrop, Greg Boustead, Joby Harold and Lee Einhorn. The deal was negotiated by Matt Burke, Ben Schwartz and Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers and Chris Lane and Becca Leckie on behalf of Joint Venture. In his review of André Is an Idiot for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Daniel Fienberg wrote, "Funny, sad and uncomfortable in shifting proportions, the film is at once an urgent public service announcement and a documentary memento mori." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up international Schlock Meisters Asylum Get Doc Treatment With 'Mockbusters' (Exclusive Trailer) The White House Effect A Republican President Dedicated to Combating Climate Change? This Doc Explores What Nearly Was World Lens CFCC Beyond 'Ne Zha 2': China's Cinematic Revival Takes Shape Oscars 2026 Italy's Oscar Contender 'Familia' Takes a Genre-Bending Deep Dive Into Trauma and Abuse Rotterdam Film Festival Rotterdam Film Fest Adds 'The Misconceived' and Absurdist Musical Road Movie Whose Title Is Way Too Long for This Headline Joaquin Phoenix 'Trillion': What's the Joaquin Phoenix Exec-Produced Film About? You'll Only Find Out at the Very End international Schlock Meisters Asylum Get Doc Treatment With 'Mockbusters' (Exclusive Trailer) The White House Effect A Republican President Dedicated to Combating Climate Change? This Doc Explores What Nearly Was World Lens CFCC Beyond 'Ne Zha 2': China's Cinematic Revival Takes Shape Oscars 2026 Italy's Oscar Contender 'Familia' Takes a Genre-Bending Deep Dive Into Trauma and Abuse Rotterdam Film Festival Rotterdam Film Fest Adds 'The Misconceived' and Absurdist Musical Road Movie Whose Title Is Way Too Long for This Headline Joaquin Phoenix 'Trillion': What's the Joaquin Phoenix Exec-Produced Film About? You'll Only Find Out at the Very End