Amazing Live Sea Monkeys (2026) Documentary
Amazing Live Sea Monkeys is a 2026 American documentary directed by Mark Becker and Aaron Shock.
This documentary, which had been in production for about ten years, had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026. An early work-in-progress cut, with a longer runtime, was shown at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival under its working title Instant Life.
Synopsis
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut is engaged in a David-and-Goliath battle to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea Monkeys! back from the corporate men who she insists stole them from her. Harold von Braunhut and Yolanda Signorelli worked together for forty years before Harold – a genius magician, scientist and inventor – passed away and left his iconic novelty toy in Yolanda’s care. Yolanda alone possesses the true Sea-Monkeys secret formula and she alone must free them, not only from their captors, but also from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy.
Screenings
SXSW 2026 | March 13th-15th, 2026 @ Alamo Lamar
Mendocino Film Festival 2026 | May 30th, 2026 @ Crown Hall
San Francisco Documentary Festival 2026 | May 31st, 2026 @ Vogue Theater
DC/DOX 2026 | June 14th, 2026 @ Regal Gallery Place
Credits
Featuring
Yolanda Sigonrelli
Directed by
Mark Becker & Aaron Schock
Executive Producers
Ben Cotner
Emily Osborne
Joe Caterini
Logan Snyder
Co-Executive Producer
Marissa Torres Ericson
Producers
Mark Becker & Aaron Schock
Directors of Photography
Mark Becker & Aaron Schock
Editor
Mark Becker
Supervising Editor
Richard Hankin
Co-Editor
Julie Gaynin
Associate Editor
Ha Vo
Archival Producer
Aaron Schock
Line Producer
Steve Bennett
Consulting Producer
Jennifer Grausmann
Co-Producer
Julie Gaynin
Associate Producer
Shauna Ricketts
Music by
Nathan Larson
Max Avery Lichtenstein
Comic Book Art
Nicholas Bertozzi
Motion Graphics
Barry Thompson
Casey Friedman
Additional Editor
Michael Peterson
Conform Editor
David Scherker
Assistant Editors
Ina Ho
Alan Wertz
Music Supervisor
Joe Rudge
Music Coordinator
Cheryl Wang
Music Consultant
Giancarlo Vulcano
Sound Recordist
Julie Gaynin
Art Assistant
Casper Manning
Archival Researcher
Chris Cliadakis
Historical Research
Bill Morlin
Delivery Coordinator
Laura Schaffer
Color and Finishing
RCO
Supervising Colorist
Seth Ricart
Colorist
Natasha Wong
Conform and Color Assistant
Rachel Dwornick
Color and Finishing Producer
Sheina Dao
Audio Post Facilities
String and Can
Supervising Sound Editor & Re-Recording Mixer
Patrick Donahue
Sound Edit and Design
Randy Matuszewski
Legal Services
Jonathan Gray, Gray Schwartz LLP
Diana Palacios & Nicolas Jampol,
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Insurance
DeWitt Stern Group Inc
Taylor & Taylor, Ltd
Production Accountant
Michelle Jacoby
Production companies:
IAC Films
Fortune Favor Films
Meteor Films
Hecho A Mano Films
Year:
2026
Runtime:
99 minutes
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Related Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sea.monkeys.film/
Catapult Film Fund: https://catapultfilmfund.org/films/InstantLife/
Mark Becker’s website: https://www.meteorfilms.org/sea-monkeys
Aaron Shock’s website: https://hechoamanofilms.net/amazing-live-sea-monkeys
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39368463/
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/amazing-live-sea-monkeys/
Sundance 2022 Highlight: https://www.sundance.org/blogs/swim-with-amazing-live-sea-monkeys-in-the-aquarium-of-instant-life/