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Joel Potrykus

Joel Potrykus resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he works with a filmmaking band, Sob Noisse, including long-time collaborator Joshua Burge. His latest feature, Vulcanizadora, makes its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024. His films Ape, Buzzard, The Alchemist Cookbook and Relaxer have premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, and have screened at the Lincoln Center and the MoMa. He teaches filmmaking at Grand Valley State University.

Revisited: Filmmaking and Fatherhood: Five Years Later

Writer-director Joel Potrykus, whose film Vulcanizadora premiered at Tribeca 2024, on life with his son, Solo.

January 14, 2025

Filmmaking and Fatherhood: Five Years Later

Writer-director Joel Potrykus, whose new film Vulcanizadora premieres at Tribeca next month, on life with his son, Solo.

May 10, 2024

Underrated/Overlooked: Joel Potrykus on Dragged Across Concrete

It's not exactly fashionable to love S. Craig Zahler's movies, but dammit if Joel Potrykus doesn't walk to the beat of his own drum.

January 28, 2020

Filmmaking and Fatherhood: Year One

Last year, Joel Potrykus' son, Solo, was born 10 days before his new film premiered. As Relaxer hits theaters, he takes stock of where he's at.

March 21, 2019

“It Got One Star, for the Cat”: Filmmakers Choose More of Their Favorite Negative User Reviews

It's no fun to read a major critic tear down your vision, but it's sometimes a different matter when the writer is a trolling internet commenter...

Joel Potrykus (Buzzard) Talks David Gelb’s The Lazarus Effect

The latest Blumhouse production is a film 14-year-old Joel Potrykus would’ve loved as much as Mountain Dew. But Potrykus isn't a teenager anymore.

March 4, 2015