On August 4th, Co-Directors Stefan Sagmeister and Hillman Curtis invite you to a the debut screening of an excerpt of "The Happy Film", a documentary feature currently in production. Additionally, the evening will include a Q&A with Hillman Curtis and a 1-hour presentation by Stefan Sagmeister about happiness in design.

What's the film about?

"The Happy Film" takes a look at the strategies serious psychologists recommend to improve one's personal well-being and overall happiness. The questions “Is it possible to train our mind in the same way that we train our bodies?” and “Can we change our behavior to make us happier?” will be answered in this highly visual documentary. Designer Stefan Sagmeister will try out a long list of various strategies – from the sublime to the ridiculous –and report back on the results.  Self-experiments and explorations will be loosely based on Stefan's book "Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far."  The maxims within this book  serve as access points to a larger exploration of happiness, it's cultural significance, our constant pursuit of it, and its uniquely ephemeral nature.

Wait, the film's not done yet?

That's right.  We're still working on it, and we need your help.  This event is a fundraier to help us gather support for our upcoming self-experiments.  We'll tell you all about it on August 4th.  

What's going to happen at the event?

In late 2010, the filmmakers collaborated on a short film modeled after the maxim "Having Guts Always Works Out for Me."  We are excited to publicly debut this short film, which serves as a prelude to our feature length project.  Following the short film, Designer, Co-Director and film subject Stefan Sagmeister will talk about happiness within his design work and the process of this documentary as self-experiment.

Should I expect a late night?

After the screening and talk, we'll be on hand for conversation and perhaps an unofficial happy hour somewhere nearby.  Will you?

How can I get more involved in this film?

Visit our website to learn more about the project and find out how you can be involved: www.thehappyfilm.org.

Wait, who are you guys again?

Stefan Sagmeister is a 2-time Grammy Award winning graphic designer, and founder of the studio Sagmeister Inc. (www.sagmeister.com).  He is co-directing the short with Hillman Curtis ( http://hillmancurtis.com/ ).  Hillman's most recent documentary is "Ride, Rise, Roar", a film about David Byrne.   Ben Nabors is producing the film.  His studio {group theory} (www.group-theory.net) is currently producing / co-directing a "Moving Windmills", a film about William Kamkwamba, a young Malawian who at the age of 14, taught himself how to build a windmill and generate electricity for his village.  Ben Wolf ( http://topiaryproductions.com/ ) is the cinematographer, and the animator is Christoph Niemann (http://www.christophniemann.com/), best known for his New Yorker covers.