No matter how old we are, some of us will never get over our high school years, for better or for worst. In their sophomore year at Tides High, Dash (Jason Schwartzman) and Assaf (Creative Control’s Reggie Watts) are journalists for the high school newspaper. When the editor Verti (Maya Rudolph) offers a solo assignment to his best pal, Dash makes up a story about him having erectile dysfunction and publishes out of spite a fallacious paper about it in the journal. Obviously, he gets caught by the principal, who punishes him. In the meantime, he finds a report in the school archives adverting that their brand new auditorium doesn’t comply with the seismic codes and safety standards.
For his first animated feature, graphic novelist Dash Shaw (Bottomless Belly Button, New School) created this wacky and quirky disaster movie with kaleidoscopic colours and a surreal, dreamlike feel. The (anti-)heroes of My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea end up facing the actual sinking of their school while fighting to keep their friendship afloat. Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham, Reggie Watts, Maya Rodolfo, Susan Sarandon and Alex Karpovsky voice the animated characters in this highly creative and fascinating piece of art that was presented at the Berlinale just two weeks before its screening at Americana Film Festival.
2017: Berlinale (Generation)
2016: AFI Fest
2016: Indiewire Critic’s Poll: Best Undistributed Film (3rd place)