Past Film/Video | Documentaries | Series & Festivals

Grand Theft Hamlet

(Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, 2024)

Midwest Premiere

Still from Grand Theft Auto, two characters stand on a limo, an alien is in the air, one man holds a gun.

Two stage actors attempt to stage a performance of Hamlet entirely within the notoriously violent world of Grand Theft Auto—what could go wrong?

January 2021. The UK is in its third lockdown and all entertainment venues remain closed. For stage actors Sam and Mark, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on, Mark—single and childless—is increasingly 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 theater, they suddenly have an idea to mount a full production of Hamlet within the game. This film charts their ridiculous, hilarious, and moving adventure as they battle violent gamers who are intentionally trying to disrupt the performance. Together, they discover surprising truths about life, friendship, and the enduring power of Shakespeare. Winner of the 2024 South by Southwest Jury Award for Best Feature Documentary. (89 mins., DCP)

See the complete Unorthodocs 2024 lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
Grand Theft Hamlet, courtesy of Altitude Films.

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"Hilarious and unexpectedly poignant."
David Ehrlich, IndieWire

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Unorthodocs 2024 is part of the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial: backstories.

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY 
National Endowment for the Arts 
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY 
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY 
Greater Columbus Arts Council
 
The Wexner Family 
Institute of Museum and Library Services
 
Mellon Foundation 
Every Page Foundation 
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts 
CampusParc 
Nationwide Foundation 
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme 
The Columbus Foundation 
Axium Packaging

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY 
Ohio State Energy Partners 
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection 
David Crane and Elizabeth Dang 
Melissa Gilliam and William Grobman 
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle

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Past Film/Video

Grand Theft Hamlet