hi, how are you daniel johnston?
narrative short
Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston? is a 15-minute psychedelic short film made by Regenerate Films alongside Daniel Johnston himself.
Johnston was a lo-fi outsider pioneer. He spent decades sharing his heartrending tales of unrequited love, cosmic mishaps, and existential torment with an ever-growing international cult audience. He was hailed as an American original in the tradition of bluesman Robert Johnson and country legend Hank Williams, and Kurt Cobain was often photographed wearing Johnston's iconic Hi, How Are You tee. In 2006, he was the subject of the acclaimed Sundance documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston.
This short film approaches Daniel differently – not as subject, but as collaborator. We began with a simple outline: an intimate interview between Daniel and his younger self, addressing his most prolific and turbulent era. What unfolded during production exceeded anything our crew anticipated. Daniel opened up and shared stories none of us had ever heard. He embraced and relished the idea of speaking with his younger self, gifting advice and warnings to director Gabriel Sunday, who co-stars as young Daniel from 1983.
As shooting continued, Daniel interacted with imaginary creatures from his Spirit World like Jeremiah the Innocent and Joe the Boxer while French actress and musician Soko played Daniel’s long-lost love, Laurie. The result is something that speaks not only to Daniel fans, but to any artist trying to find their way.
Festival honors
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Winner
Bohemian Rhapsody Award
Berlin International Film Festival -
Honorable Mention
Anarchy Short
Slamdance Film Festival -
Honorable Mention
Short Film
Byron Bay International Film Festival -
Official Selection
New Visions
Doclisboa International Film Festival -
Staff Picks
Best of the Year
Vimeo
Press
Funded by Fans
The film's post-production was funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with rapper Mac Miller and singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey each contributing $10,000. Lana became deeply involved, recording a cover of Johnston's Some Things Last a Long Time for the soundtrack. Mac's connection to the film also lived on posthumously—he can be heard playing the chord organ from the short film's set in his track DJ's Chord Organ with SZA.
Our campaign raised $57,185 against a $35,000 goal from 613 backers, reaching its target in just five days. It showed the depth of Daniel Johnston's fanbase and the belief his community placed in Gabriel Sunday's vision to honor him.
Film Premiere
Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston? premiered at MAMA Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. The screening was more like a living art installation than a traditional film premiere. Guests entered a gallery where Johnston's drawings and paintings, spanning decades of his work, lined the walls.
From there, everyone moved into an installation recreation of Daniel's 1983 bedroom, where the film projected on the wall and Daniel watched it alongside the audience. Afterward, Daniel performed a set of his classic songs with backing musicians in the main gallery.
