Adventure-Comedy 'TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL' to Premiere in New York

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William Russ and Tina Fabrique star in Nate Neal's 16mm film at Village East by Angelika.

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Lost Reel Productions and award-winning filmmaker/cartoonist Nate Neal ("Chet and Elzie Go Cartooning") will present his latest feature film, the adventure-comedy love letter to classic cinema and early animated cartoons, TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL, set to hold its World Premiere at Big Apple Film Festival on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 9:30pm at the Village East by Angelika.

Shot entirely on Kodak Super 16mm film, TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL stars William Russ ("Boy Meets World", "American History X"), delivering a chilling turn as a dapper corporate assassin willing to kill to protect the copyright of a cartoon character-underscoring his status as one of the most underrated actors of his generation. Alongside Russ, TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL stars Sean Shannon, standup comedian Katie Hannigan, Kevin R. Free , Martin Barabas, and features a special guest appearance by Tina Fabrique ("Reading Rainbow").

TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL parodies Indiana Jones-style adventure in its story of a desperate search for a long-lost animated reel that a powerful corporation will stop at nothing to erase. Blending thrilling escapism with sharp satirical commentary, TREASURE OF THE LOST REEL explores copyright, cultural erasure, and a deep, abiding love for film, animation, and the artists behind them. Most notably, the film features painstakingly crafted original animations by Nate Neal and Erim "Xolo" Çetinel, designed to authentically evoke the look and feel of 1930s-era cartoons, while boldly interrogating the racism embedded in early animation and restoring the legacy of a fictional Black creator.

"I wanted to make a big adventure movie, but we didn't have enough money--so we made a sort of parody of an adventure movie instead", said Neal. "Instead of traveling from Nepal to Cairo, our guy travels from Brooklyn to Staten Island. Instead of being chased by the Hovitos tribe through a Peruvian jungle, our guy is chased by irritated Amish farmers in upstate New York. Our hero is not a two-fisted badass, but a clumsy geek who dreams of being a two-fisted badass."

The film begins with professor and wannabe adventurer Hector "Heck" Burrows, who disappears from Pimento University to hunt down rare animated films one time too many and gets himself fired. While eking out a living screening films from his private collection in his tiny Brooklyn apartment, his estranged ex-girlfriend and American Classic Movie Channel TV host Laurel Marsh shows up to seek his help.

She's on the trail of a film reel that, as legend has it, can invalidate media giant Pinnacle Pictures' ownership of its 95-year-old flagship cartoon character, "Boffo." Laurel hopes to use the film to boost her show's ratings and restore the character's rights to the reluctant descendant of Boffo's original creator.

Heck believes the film will restore his reputation-and his professorship. The race is on, but it's a whole new ballgame when they bump into Mr. Fixit, Pinnacle Pictures' ultra-loyal, murderous septuagenarian fixer who's been sent to destroy the film and anybody who tries to stop him.

The film is written and directed by Nate Neal, produced by Virginia Lloyd , with cinematography by Daniel Seth Pagel, original music by Joel Pierson (The Queen's Cartoonists), and edited by Nate Neal.

"We wanted to make a film that paid tribute to screwball comedies and romantic adventure movies, while also staying grounded in a contemporary story about the serious misdeeds of a corporate giant", said Lloyd. "We shot the film almost entirely in New York, so we are thrilled to premiere here at the Big Apple Film Festival."

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/TREASURE-OF-THE-LOST-REEL-to-World-Premiere-at-Big-Apple-Film-Festival-in-NY-20260505)._