CLEVELAND, Aug. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kanopy announced today that it is signing on as a producer and distributor of Charlie Kaufman’s new short film “How to Shoot a Ghost” in advance of its premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. Kanopy will collaborate with the film’s producers and other partners to ensure the broadest possible access for audiences, serving as the exclusive public library and educational streaming home.
The film follows two newly deceased young people who meet in the streets of Athens, amid the pulsing cityscape and the ghosts of its history. One is a translator, the other a photographer; they were outsiders in life, and in death, they struggle with the residue of their longings and mistakes. They wander the city together, finding consolation in the rugged beauty of existence and its aftermath.
The script is written by Greek/Canadian poet Eva HD, who previously collaborated with Kaufman on the short film “Jackals & Fireflies”. Michał Dymek, recipient of the Golden Frog at Camerimage for his work on ‘The Girl with the Needle’, serves as cinematographer on the film. In addition to the Kanopy Originals producing team, notable executive producers include Halsey and Afroditi Panagiotakou (Onassis Stegi). Rufus & Martha Wainwright have recorded a new cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” for the film.
Charlie Kaufman is the writer of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Being John Malkovich”, and “Adaptation”. He is the writer/director of “Synecdoche, New York”, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”, and “Anomalisa”. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Academy Award for his original screenplay for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.
“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,” said director Kaufman.
Kanopy GM, and Executive Producer of the film, Jason Tyrrell, said, “Kanopy is proud to continue our work of supporting impactful artists with ‘How to Shoot a Ghost’. We are thrilled to join this incredible producing team and help bring an exciting new cinematic vision to Kanopy audiences via our extensive streaming platform. Charlie’s love of film craft and singular storytelling sensibilities, coupled with Eva’s elegant poetry, weave together into a richly historical and literary work that deserves to be platformed. We are eager to share this project with Kanopy’s patrons and educators.”
"We're thrilled to not only partner with Kanopy but also express our admiration for them, not just as a platform, but as a service whose mission we fundamentally align with," said producers Isabelle Deluce and Emily McCann Lesser. "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."
Credits
The Kanopy Originals Producing Team includes Executive Producer Jason Tyrrell and Associate Producers Courtney Kyer and Matthew Pifko. How to Shoot a Ghost was produced by Isabelle Deluce and Emily McCann Lesser. The film is a production of Unmade, Soft Focus Films, and Monarch Kaleidoscope, co-produced with Green Olive Films, in association with Nightjar Films and Liaison Pictures, with the support of Onassis Stegi, and the participation of the Athens Film Office and the Municipality of Athens.
The film is lensed by Michał Dymek, production designed by Kim Jennings, costume designed by Choe Karmin, second unit cinematography by Yorgos Koutsaliaris, and edited by Rob Frazen and Jon Daniel. EPs on “How to Shoot a Ghost” are Halsey, Anthony Li, Avan Jogia, Nathan Mardis, Matt Hartly, Afroditi Panagiotakou, Franklin P. Laviola, Nicholas Laviola, Elli Papadiamanti, John Henry Hinkel, Andrew Ostapchenko, Fil Ieropoulos, Foivos Dousos, and Kyle Mann. George Nounessis serves as Line Producer, Simos Manganis serves as Co-Producer/Executive Producer, and Daniel Lugo serves as Co-Producer.
About Kanopy
Kanopy is the leading video streaming service that allows everyone to Stream Smarter with access to thousands of films for free, thanks to the generous support of public libraries or universities. Kanopy has 30,000+ films in its catalog. Partnering with filmmakers, film and video distributors, Kanopy offers access to a wide range of engaging narratives, insightful documentaries, and riveting television and instructional content. Suppliers include BBC, Criterion, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn, HISTORY, A&E, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, A24, and IFC Films. Kanopy's ad-free platform is available via browser and on iOS, Android, and all major streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV. OverDrive's acquisition of Kanopy in 2021 brought together the largest catalog of premium eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video content for thousands of public libraries, colleges, and universities. www.kanopy.com
Film assets available HERE
Madison Stoneburner OverDrive 2165736886 mstoneburner@overdrive.com Susan Roth McGriffin Media 202-997-5672 Susan@mcgriffinmedia.com Nicole Kerr Kerr Communications 706-577-3287 nicole@nkerrcommunications.com
