Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

‘Burton's first feature revels in the weird, the unpredictable, the infantile and the absurd. A dazzling debut.’

Before Beetlejuice, Batman and Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton was a relatively unknown director with a background in animation, which included working at Disney. Paul Reubens was a comedian whose childlike character Pee-wee Herman had appeared in a popular HBO special, and would go on to have his own TV show. Together, Burton and Reubens created this funny, anarchic and sweetly innocent cross-country adventure film that at times feels more like a live action cartoon.

When Pee-wee Herman's idyllic world falls apart after the theft of his red bicycle, the childlike adult sets out on a manic odyssey to recover his most valued possession.

Director Tim Burton, one of Hollywood’s most eccentric filmmakers, makes his feature-film debut with this comic masterpiece. CHIFF is excited to present his singular vision for our 2025 edition, 40 years after it first premiered in cinemas.