IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Don Hertzfeldt / 2012 / 62 minutes

DETAILS

  • 62 min
  • Color & B/W
  • 1.85:1

FORMATS

  • DCP

    ME
    Don Hertzfeldt’s newest animated film ME is a 22-minute musical odyssey about trauma, technology, and the retreat of humanity into itself. Indiewire has described it as “soul-shaking” and “a triumph”.

    IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY
    Returning to theaters for the first time since 2012, It’s Such a Beautiful Day has been hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the best animated films of all time.

    Originally released as three short films over the course of six years, the picture was captured entirely in-camera on a 35mm rostrum animation stand. Built in the 1940s and used by Hertzfeldt on all of his animated films since 1999, it was one of the last surviving cameras of its kind still operating in the world, indispensable in creating the story’s unique images and visual effects. It’s Such a Beautiful Day painstakingly blended traditional hand-drawn animation and experimental optical effects with new digital hybrids, printed out one frame at time and placed under the camera. The film’s signature “split screen” effects were achieved by photographing the animation through small holes that were positioned just beneath the camera lens. One area of the film frame would be individually photographed, the film was then rewound, another section of the frame would be exposed through a different hole, and the process repeated until all elements of a scene were composited together. Towards the end of production, the old camera’s motor began to fail and could no longer advance the film properly, riddling the final reels with unintentional light leaks.

    In 2012, the three completed short films about a man named Bill were seamlessly combined to create a new feature film. Upon its original release, It’s Such a Beautiful Day was named by many critics as one of the best films of the year. The L.A. Film Critics Association named it runner-up for “Best Animated Film”.

    In 2014, Time Out New York ranked It’s Such a Beautiful Day #16 on its list of the “100 Best Animated Movies Ever Made”.

    In 2016, The Film Stage’s critics ranked the film #1 on their list of “The 50 Best Animated Films of the 21st Century Thus Far”.

    In 2019, The Wrap named It’s Such a Beautiful Day the #1 “Best Animated Film of the 2010s”.

    The same year, Vulture’s film critics ranked it #12 on their overall list of the “Best Movies of the Decade”.

    In 2021, IGN’s Cinefix placed it #1 on their “Top 10 Animated Films of All Time” list.

    It’s Such a Beautiful Day is currently ranked #67 on Letterboxd’s official list of the top 250 highest-rated narrative feature films of all time.

    A Film by Don Hertzfeldt

    DATESVENUECITYSTATE/COUNTRY
    5-27-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaSan FranciscoCA
    5-30-24
    5-31-24
    Vidiots (plus live Q&A)Los AngelesCA
    5-30-24
    6-1-24
    6-2-24
    The Beverly TheaterLas VegasNV
    5-30-24The ShowRoom CinemaAsbury ParkNJ
    5-31-24Athena CinemaAthensOH
    5-31-24Milwaukee FilmMilwaukeeWI
    5-31-24 to
    6-9-24
    Hippodrome CinemaGainesvilleFL
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaAshburnVA
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, S. LamarAustinTX
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, MuellerAustinTX
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaBostonMA
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaDenverCO
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaHoustonTX
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaLos AngelesCA
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaNew York CityNY
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaRaleighNC
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaSan FranciscoCA
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaSt. LousMO
    5-31-24Alamo Drafthouse CinemaWashingtonD.C.
    5-31-24 to
    6-4-24
    Hollywood TheatrePortlandOR
    6-1-24Carsey-Wolf Center, UCSB (plus live Q&A)Santa BarbaraCA
    6-1-24Cinema ModerneMontrealCanada
    6-1-24
    6-2-24
    New Farm CinemasBrisbaneAustralia
    6-2-24American Cinematheque, Los Feliz 3 (ME with the World of Tomorrow films, plus live Q&A)Los AngelesCA
    6-2-24Mariemont TheatreCincinnatiOH
    6-4-24Philadelphia Film SocietyPhiladelphiaPA
    6-5-24Sun-Ray CinemaJacksonvilleFL
    6-5-24
    6-17-24
    Esquire TheatreCincinnatiOH
    6-6-24Cinema Moderne (ME with the World of Tomorrow films)MontrealCanada
    6-6-24 to
    6-14-24
    Kan-Kan CinemaIndianapolisIN
    6-7-24Mayfair TheatreOttawaCanada
    6-7-24 to
    6-12-24
    Alamo Drafthouse CinemaChicagoIL
    6-7-24 to
    6-10-24
    Denver Film at the SIE Filmcenter (ME with the World of Tomorrow films)DenverCO
    6-7-24Varsity CinemaDes MoinesIA
    6-7-24
    6-9-24
    6-12-24
    Screenland ArmourKansas CityMO
    6-7-24BelcourtNashvilleTN
    6-7-24 to
    6-20-24
    Rodeo CinemaOklahoma CityOK
    6-7-24
    6-9-24
    Portland MOA (ME with the World of Tomorrow films)PortlandME
    6-7-24Strand TheatreRocklandME
    6-7-24Digital GymSan DiegoCA
    6-8-24Roxie (World of Tomorrow program with new short ME)San FranciscoCA
    6-8-24The FridaSanta AnaCA
    6-8-24American Cinematheque, Aero Theater - with live Q&ASanta MonicaCA
    6-8-24
    6-9-24
    The Nightlight CinemaAkronOH
    6-8-24
    6-10-24
    Metro CinemaEdmontonCanada
    6-11-24The Loft CinemaTucsonAZ
    6-11-24
    6-12-24
    6-13-24
    Guild CinemaAlbuquerqueNM
    6-13-24Speed MuseumLouisvilleKY
    6-14-24Art HouseEugeneOR
    6-14-24FilmSceneIowa CityIA
    6-15-24The NeonDaytonOH
    6-15-24 to 6-20-24Alamo Drafthouse Cinema OmahaNE
    6-19-24Kenwood TheatreCincinnatiOH
    6-19-24
    6-23-24
    Golden Age CinemaSydneyAustralia
    6-20-24Picturehouse CentralLondonEngland
    6-21-24 to
    6-27-24
    Pop's Art TheaterRochesterMN
    6-21-24 to
    6-26-24
    The Hollywood Theatre - World of Tomorrow w/MEPortlandOR
    6-21-24 to
    6-27-24
    The Davis TheaterChicagoIL
    6-23-24Harris TheaterPittsburghPA
    6-23-24UCR ARTSRiversideCA
    6-25-24SLFS at the BroadwaySalt Lake CityUT
    6-26-24Finsbury Park PicturehouseLondonEngland
    6-27-24Cinema Arts CentreHuntingtonNY
    6-27-24The RoxyMissoulaMT
    6-29-24EnzianOrlandoFL
    6-30-24Hayden Orpheum Picture PalaceSydneyAustralia
    7-1-24Greenwich PicturehouseLondonEngland
    7-3-24Ealing PicturehouseLondonEngland
    7-4-24The RitzyLondonEngland
    7-4-24Vancouver CinemathequeVancouverCanada
    7-5-24Coral Gables Art CinemaMiamiFL
    7-7-24
    7-11-24
    JUST ADDED
    Metro CinemaEdmontonCanada
    7-7-24
    7-14-24
    7-19-24
    7-24-24
    JUST ADDED
    Philadelphia Film SocietyPhiladelphiaPA
    7-8-24Revue CinemaTorontoCanada
    7-9-24 to
    7-12-24
    Gateway Film CenterColumbusOH
    7-10-24Arts PicturehouseCambridgeEngland
    7-12-24The RossLincolnNE
    7-13-24 to 7-15-24The Guild Cinema - World of Tomorrow w/MEAlbuquerqueNM
    7-14-24The LittleRochesterNY
    7-16-24Paducah Film Society at Maiden Alley CinemaPaducahKY
    7-21-24The CameoEdinburghScotland
    7-22-24The GateLondonEngland
    7-23-24Hackney PicturehouseLondonEngland
    7-24-24
    8-4-24
    8-15-24
    8-23-24
    Prince Charles CinemaLondonEngland
    7-31-24Circle CinemaTulsaOK
    8-2-24 to
    8-4-24
    The Brattle (World of Tomorrow show)BostonMA
    8-6-24Picturehouse @ FACTLiverpoolEngland
    8-7-24Tyneside CinemaNewcastleEngland
    8-14-24Chester PicturehouseChesterEngland
    8-14-24 to
    8-18-24
    Northwest Film ForumSeattleWA
    8-16-24The PlazaAtlantaGA
    8-18-24
    9-2-24
    9-20-24
    Prince Charles Cinema - World of Tomorrow w/MELondonEngland
    8-21-24Cinema CityNorwichEngland
    8-25-24Majestic Theaters TempeTempeAZ
    8-26-24Harbour LightsSouthamptonEngland
    8-28-24Duke's at KomediaBrightonEngland
    8-28-24Midlands Arts CentreBirminghamEngland
    8-30-24 to
    9-5-24
    Pickford Film CenterBellinghamWA
    8-31-24 Austin Film SocietyAustinTX
    8-31-24 Tallahassee Film FestivalTallahasseeFL
    9-5-24Madison CinemathequeMadisonWI
    9-11-24Bryn Mawr Film InstituteBryn MawrPA
    9-19-24 Calgary International Film Festival CalgaryCanada
    11-8-24 to
    11-10-24
    TrylonMinneapolisMN