Charlie Kaufman’s New Film Premieres Free on Kanopy—All You Need Is a Library Card

If you’re a fan of offbeat movies, here’s some exciting news: Charlie Kaufman’s next film, How to Shoot a Ghost, is skipping the usual streaming giants and heading straight to Kanopy, the streaming service you can access with a library card. Yes, really—your local library is about to become your new movie theater. The short film will premiere first at the Venice Film Festival in September, and then it will land on Kanopy for anyone with access to the service.

• • Charlie Kaufman’s new film is called How to Shoot a Ghost

• It will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1
• After Venice, it will be available on Kanopy, a streaming service tied to libraries
• The film was written by poet Eva HD, not Kaufman himself
• Rufus and Martha Wainwright recorded a cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” for the soundtrack

What’s the Movie About?

Instead of writing this one himself, Kaufman teamed up with poet Eva HD, who previously worked with him on the short film Jackals & Fireflies. How to Shoot a Ghost tells the story of two young people who have just died and meet in the streets of Athens. One is a translator and the other is a photographer. Both felt like outsiders in life, and now, as ghosts, they wander Athens together, dealing with their past regrets and searching for meaning after death. According to Kanopy’s release, they “find consolation in the rugged beauty of existence and its aftermath.”

Why Kanopy?

In a move that fits right in with Kaufman’s unconventional style, the film will skip Netflix and other big-name streamers. Instead, it’s headed to Kanopy, a service that works with public and academic libraries to offer free movies to anyone with a library card. Kaufman said in a statement, “Given the crisis of education in this country, it remains as important as ever for citizens to continue to have barrier-free access to the wealth of free resources that libraries have always offered. Kanopy’s partnership with universities and public libraries ensures that a rich digital archive of cinematic work from all over the world — from the newest documentaries to the collected adventures of Buster Keaton — will be available to a new generation of cinephiles.”

Soundtrack and Release Date

Adding to the film’s unique vibe, musicians Rufus and Martha Wainwright recorded a new version of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” for the soundtrack. As for when you can watch it, Kanopy hasn’t set a specific release date yet, but the film will make its debut at the Venice Film Festival on September 1.

Producers Isabelle Deluce and Emily McCann Lesser said, “What makes this partnership particularly meaningful is knowing our film can now reach wide and diverse audiences, especially underserved communities, through public and academic libraries nationwide. The idea that viewers can be transported to Athens in under 30 minutes through their local library feels like a small miracle. We couldn’t imagine a more perfect partner for bringing this story to film lovers everywhere.”

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