Sundance Documentary Competition Title ‘Joybubbles’ Heading To EFM With Visit Films

EXCLUSIVE: Visit Films has acquired international sales rights to the feature Joybubbles, which debuted in the U.S. Documentary Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. 

Directed by Rachael J. Morrison, the film will be introduced to international buyers at the European Film Market.

The film is produced by Sarah Winshall (Good One), Annie Marr (Thaw), and Will Butler. 

The synopsis reads: Joybubbles follows the story of a boy who discovers, in the 1950s, that he can control the global telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and hungry for connection, his early obsession with the telephone sparks a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and modern technology. The film chronicles what begins as a spontaneous, deeply personal response to loneliness, and unexpectedly gives rise to modern hacking culture and an overlooked chapter in tech history. 

Rachael Morrison is a documentary filmmaker and archival producer. Her short documentary, Elvers, premiered at the 2019 Camden International Film Festival and is featured online as part of The Atlantic Selects. She has worked as an archival producer on documentary series and feature films for HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and FX.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Visit Films to introduce Joybubbles to audiences around the world,” Morrison said in a statement. “Their track record of bringing festival favorites to the international stage makes them a perfect fit for the film.”

Visit’s President Ryan Kampe added: “As someone who hacked his middle school payphone with Joybubbles’ technique, I can’t imagine a more relevant and fitting documentary to work on and bring to an international audience. Rachael has done a phenomenal job capturing a moment, a movement, and an individual with an immeasurable impact.”