Charles Burnett’s Lost Comedy ‘The Annihilation of Fish’ Lands 4K Theatrical Release — Watch the Trailer
Acclaimed director Charles Burnett is finally getting the proper release for his lost feature “The Annihilation of Fish.”
IndieWire can announce that the 1999 film has landed a 4K restoration and theatrical release. “The Annihilation of Fish” first screened at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired for distribution; however, the distributor canceled the film’s release after one bad review in Variety. “The Annihilation of Fish” has never been available on all media anywhere for almost 30 years.
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“The Annihilation of Fish” stars Lynn Redgrave as Poinsettia, a former housewife with an imagined lover in the form of 19th-century composer Giacomo Puccini. She moves into a Los Angeles boarding house with an energetic landlady (Margot Kidder) where she meets a Jamaican widower, Fish (James Earl Jones), who has recently been released from a mental institution despite his continued battles against unseen demons. In the face of personal challenges and differences, the couple grows together and begins to discover new things about themselves and the nuances of love and happiness.
The feature is adapted from a short story by Anthony C. Winkler, and billed as a “tender comedy that gracefully tackles such issues as race, mental illness, and aging with anarchic humor and energy.”
The 4K restoration of “The Annihilation of Fish” debuted in 2024 as part of the UCLA Festival of Preservation. Burnett reflected on the “difficult” journey to get the film a wide release.
“I’m curious, because it’s been locked away for a very long time for all sort of reasons and you sort of wonder if it’s still relevant, how audiences are going to take it,” Burnett told IndieWire. “Everyone I know who is an independent filmmaker is having similar problems in many ways, trying to get films made and trying to get them distributed, so you don’t really feel like an exception.”
He added, “I’m just sorry that Lynn Redgrave isn’t here to get her reward, so to speak, for working with us and getting the film made, and having faith and confidence in us to make a good film. Same thing with James Earl Jones, and Paul Heller, who worked so hard on everything, and [author/screenwriter] Tony Winkler, all good people, and they should be here enjoying this moment, and I’m sad about that.”
Burnett previously received a Governor’s Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017, and is considered one of the most celebrated independent filmmakers. “The Annihilation of Fish” was his first comedy.
The restoration was by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation in collaboration with Milestone Films, with funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. “The Annihilation of Fish” was restored from the 35mm original picture negative and 35mm optical track negative by UCLA restorationist Jillian Borders; the laboratory services were by Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., FotoKem, Audio Mechanics, and Simon Daniel Sound.
“The Annihilation of Fish” was written by Anthony Winkler, produced by Paul Heller and Kris Dodge, edited by Nancy Richardson, cinematography by John Demps, Jr., sound by Veda Campbell, music by Laura Karpman, production designer Nina Ruscio, and had production supervisor Ed Santiago.
“There are so many people whom I have to thank who worked over the years to get ‘The Annihilation of Fish’ restored and released,” Burnett said in a press statement. “Releasing the film conveys a great deal to everyone involved, particularly the cast and crew, especially the late Paul Heller, who spent ten years producing the film. I want to thank Milestone Films, UCLA Film & Television Archive, The Film Foundation, and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, who found the funding to restore and release it so that cinema lovers can enjoy this story about two distinctly different, lonely people who find love in the crazy world while still holding on to their bizarre outlooks on life.”
Milestone Films and Kino Lorber are releasing the restoration to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary and the 80th birthday of director Burnett.
“The Annihilation of Fish” in 4K premieres in theaters February 14 at BAM. Check out the trailer below.
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