NOFX are taking their career-spanning documentary project a step further by pairing it with an official soundtrack and original score. The band’s feature film, _40 Years Of F*in’ Up_**, is currently in post-production and will be released in theaters in 2026, with the soundtrack and score forming part of the experience around the film.
The documentary was announced by Fat Mike on January 16, 2026, during the Punk Rock Museum’s NOFX exhibit. The film was described by the band as “This Is Spinal Tap, but real,” and it is set to tell the full story of NOFX’s rise from “untalented drug-addled teenage punks” to one of the most successful independent bands in history.
According to the announcement, the film features Fat Mike, El Hefe, Eric Melvin, and Smelly, with direction from James Buddy Day. Fat Mike is producing the project, while the score is being handled by Fat Mike and Matt Nasir. The team also confirmed that the documentary will include several unreleased NOFX songs, but only for people who attend showings of the film.
Fat Mike has made it clear that the documentary is not being sanitized. He said most people would not be comfortable releasing a film that includes footage of their drug use, dungeon scenes, or other highly personal material, but added that he is “not like most people.” That blunt attitude matches the rest of the band’s approach to the project: unfiltered, self-aware, and fully committed to showing the chaos instead of hiding it.
Director James Buddy Day said working with Fat Mike and the rest of the NOFX crew was unlike anything he had experienced before. He described the band as the “punkest” he has ever worked with and said their story is exactly as wild as people would expect — funny, painful, reckless, and deeply human. He added that the honesty he found in years of footage is what makes the film essential.
The rollout for the film is also built to feel like a punk event rather than a standard documentary release. NOFX plans to “crash” SXSW with sneak-peek screenings in Austin, Texas, even though the film was not submitted in time to be part of the official festival lineup. Those Austin screenings are scheduled for March 15 and March 16 at Brushy Street Commons, with 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. showtimes and surprise Q&A guests. Tickets for those screenings go on sale February 20.
The official film website also makes one thing very clear: this movie will not be streaming. It will play only in theaters, with an initial theater run and additional curated screenings around the world beginning in April 2026. The site also notes that the project is being handled as a theater-first event, with tickets and merch tied directly to the film rollout.
That makes the soundtrack and score even more important. Since fans will not be able to stream the movie, the music attached to it becomes a rare part of the experience, especially with unreleased NOFX songs locked to in-theater screenings. For a band known for doing things their own way, the release strategy fits perfectly: make the film an event, make the music exclusive, and keep the whole thing unmistakably NOFX.
