Grand Jury Award Winner - Slamdance 2023 Jury's notes: “With idiosyncratic music choices, sibling chemistry out the wazoo, and a philosophical Brooklynite as the series lead (played by Howard Lester in his introductory role), Theodore Collatos’s Palookaville explores the surreal existence of JoJo, a man victimized by a random act of violence who now thinks he’s the famous defunct boxer/anti-fascist, Joe Louis. Will you believe that JoJo’s become the Brown Bomber? Doesn’t matter, because you will believe in Palookaville.”

When Matt, a suddenly divorced and unemployed schlub of a gay man, overdoses on psychedelics, he reconnects with his late Uncle Larry, who died of AIDS in the ’90s — possibly the only person who can get Matt’s life back on track.