Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Past Lives was named best feature at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica.
In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.
Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.
American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.
May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.
On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...
In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.
Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.
American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.
May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.
On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The best in independent film and television were honored at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards!
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.
Best Feature
“Past Lives”
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
“All of Us Strangers”
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
“American Fiction”
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
“May December”
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
“Passages”
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
“We Grown Now”
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
Best Lead Performance
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman, “May December”
Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”
Franz Rogowski, “Passages”
Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Teyana Taylor,...
Best Feature
“Past Lives”
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
“All of Us Strangers”
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
“American Fiction”
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
“May December”
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
“Passages”
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
“We Grown Now”
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
Best Lead Performance
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman, “May December”
Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”
Franz Rogowski, “Passages”
Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Teyana Taylor,...
- 2/25/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Following a turbulent year marked by dueling industry strikes and the violent contraction–if not yet full pop–of the streaming bubble, 2024 has thus far been pretty good to Hollywood. It certainly helps that we’re in the middle of awards season, which for cineastes amounts to a three-month holiday largely characterized by voluminous binge-watching. And not just binge-watching of the year’s top films. For the curious, the season also offers up a smuggler’s bounty full of talking special post-screening Q&As, roundtables, filmmaker panels, celebratory cocktail receptions and more.
Traditionally Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up series has been a little bit of all of the above, presenting behind-the-scenes insight into the year’s most important works of cinema, straight from the mouths and brains of filmmakers themselves. As the virtual portion of this year’s programming winds down (see below), we’re looking ahead now to our...
Traditionally Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up series has been a little bit of all of the above, presenting behind-the-scenes insight into the year’s most important works of cinema, straight from the mouths and brains of filmmakers themselves. As the virtual portion of this year’s programming winds down (see below), we’re looking ahead now to our...
- 2/7/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
It’s been a robust year for genre film. Horror’s continued dominance at the box office has effectively spilled over into fantasy, thrillers, and sci-fi in ways that defy easy classification. So much so that it’s difficult to overlook the 2023 genre movies that employ horror techniques, draw inspiration from our favorite genre, or simply dabble in it.
These horror adjacent movies may not fully plunge into the genre, but they’re also not afraid to wear their horror influences on their sleeves, whether through style or bloodletting.
Here are the top ten best horror adjacent movies of 2023.
10. A Haunting in Venice
Director and star Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot gets reeled into another whodunnit, but this time Branagh leans into the Halloween setting with stunning style to infuse this murder mystery with atmospheric mood. A Haunting in Venice looks and feels like a vintage ghost story, complete with nods to Edgar Allan Poe.
These horror adjacent movies may not fully plunge into the genre, but they’re also not afraid to wear their horror influences on their sleeves, whether through style or bloodletting.
Here are the top ten best horror adjacent movies of 2023.
10. A Haunting in Venice
Director and star Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot gets reeled into another whodunnit, but this time Branagh leans into the Halloween setting with stunning style to infuse this murder mystery with atmospheric mood. A Haunting in Venice looks and feels like a vintage ghost story, complete with nods to Edgar Allan Poe.
- 12/24/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
While the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Moon will likely battle it out at the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards is putting the spotlight on the indie productions of the year, with budget ranges from $10,000 to $28 million. May December, Past Lives, and American Fiction lead the nominations for the 39th ceremony, each taking five nods.
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
- 12/5/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in ‘American Fiction’ (Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC)
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
- 12/5/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Ceremony to take place on Santa Monica Beach on February 25, 2024.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and there were three for All Of Us Strangers – winner of seven Bifas at the weekend – as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All Of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are...
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and there were three for All Of Us Strangers – winner of seven Bifas at the weekend – as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All Of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are...
- 12/5/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The full list of nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards has been announced!
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
American Fiction, May December and Past Lives lead the nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were were announced Tuesday morning.
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an early Festivus bounty of news (very exciting!) about the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which are happening once again on February 25, back on the beach in Santa Monica. Last week brought tell of our incomparable new Spirit Awards host: SNL funnywoman and Emmy-nominated streaming series auteur Aidy Bryant. Now, the nondenominational secular-humanist Holiday Gnomes have brought us something potentially even more exciting… the nominees!
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
- 12/5/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” dominated the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Tuesday, picking up five nods apiece. The three movies are all up for best feature, where they will battle it out against “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.”
The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.
That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...
The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.
That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...
- 12/5/2023
- by Brent Lang and Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
On Friday, July 7th, the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival announced the winners of this year's feature competition section during the closing ceremony at the 500 plus seats Main Theater inside Bucheon City Hall. The ceremony was followed by the screening of the festival's closing film “Sana” by Japanese horror master Shimizu Takashi, a world premiere.
Bucheon Choice: Features
Best of Bucheon Krw – 20,000,000
Sorcery by Christopher Murray
Best Director Choice – Krw 5,000,000
Superposition by Karoline Lyngbye
Jury's Choice – Krw 5,000,000
The Artifice Girl by Franklin Ritch
Audience Award
The Artifice Girl by Franklin Ritch
Korean Fantastic: Features
Best Korean Fantastic Film – 20,000,000
Iron Mask by Kim Sung Hwan
Film Review: Iron Mask (2023) by Kim Sung-hwan
Korean Fantastic Best Director – Krw 5,000,000
Risk Society by Kim Byung Jun
Film Review: Risk Society (2023) by Kim Byung-jun
Korean Fantastic Actors:
Jung E-seo in Her Hobby
Jang Seongbeom in Abroad
Korean Fantastic Audience Award
Abroad by Giovanni Fumu...
Bucheon Choice: Features
Best of Bucheon Krw – 20,000,000
Sorcery by Christopher Murray
Best Director Choice – Krw 5,000,000
Superposition by Karoline Lyngbye
Jury's Choice – Krw 5,000,000
The Artifice Girl by Franklin Ritch
Audience Award
The Artifice Girl by Franklin Ritch
Korean Fantastic: Features
Best Korean Fantastic Film – 20,000,000
Iron Mask by Kim Sung Hwan
Film Review: Iron Mask (2023) by Kim Sung-hwan
Korean Fantastic Best Director – Krw 5,000,000
Risk Society by Kim Byung Jun
Film Review: Risk Society (2023) by Kim Byung-jun
Korean Fantastic Actors:
Jung E-seo in Her Hobby
Jang Seongbeom in Abroad
Korean Fantastic Audience Award
Abroad by Giovanni Fumu...
- 7/7/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The great Choi Min-sik was on hand to take early headlines at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan).
Described somewhat blandly as “a highly reliable performer” by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), Choi is not only the star of Korea’s top grossing film of all time “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” he continues to be available for work of all different levels. He appears in no less than ten titles that played at the festival this week.
The festival also does reliable — in its own way – as it plays up to its “stay strange” mantra, cooperates with other festivals of a similar fantasy leaning and sidesteps the political infighting that currently bedevil Korea’s best-known festivals.
The selection runs from a documentary about Korean reunification to Anurag Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” a crime drama in which former adult movie star Sunny Leone gets to show that she has evolved into a versatile and confident actor.
Described somewhat blandly as “a highly reliable performer” by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), Choi is not only the star of Korea’s top grossing film of all time “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” he continues to be available for work of all different levels. He appears in no less than ten titles that played at the festival this week.
The festival also does reliable — in its own way – as it plays up to its “stay strange” mantra, cooperates with other festivals of a similar fantasy leaning and sidesteps the political infighting that currently bedevil Korea’s best-known festivals.
The selection runs from a documentary about Korean reunification to Anurag Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” a crime drama in which former adult movie star Sunny Leone gets to show that she has evolved into a versatile and confident actor.
- 7/7/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Franklin Ritch has been throwing audiences into existential turmoil with his debut feature, "The Artifice Girl," a character-driven film in three parts that centers on the ethics behind the humans creating and helping evolve AI-generated, responsive personalities. The film is by no means the first to tackle the ever-expanding landscape of artificial intelligence, but rather than take an action-packed approach like "I, Robot," his intimate piece of speculative fiction is far more interested in the ways our humanity is reflected by AI, for better and worse.
The Best International Feature Audience Award at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival feels like a spiritual successor to Philip K. Dick's dystopian science-fiction novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which became the basis for Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," mixed with the intimate tension of "12 Angry Men." Ironically, there's a "Juror #8" joke in "The Artifice Girl," a clear sign that Ritch was...
The Best International Feature Audience Award at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival feels like a spiritual successor to Philip K. Dick's dystopian science-fiction novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which became the basis for Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," mixed with the intimate tension of "12 Angry Men." Ironically, there's a "Juror #8" joke in "The Artifice Girl," a clear sign that Ritch was...
- 5/30/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
International sales talks underway on Croisette.
Jackrabbit Media has closed a North American deal with Level 33 on Oscar winner Tom Schulman’s high stakes gambling drama Double Down South and will continue talks with international buyers in Cannes this week.
The feature stars Lili Simmons as Diana, whose plan to win at gambling takes a dangerous turn when a local kingpin wants her to be the new attraction at his illegal gambling den. Kim Coates from Sons Of Anarchy also stars and the feature shot on location in Georgia.
Schulman, who won the original screenplay Oscar for Dead Poets Society,...
Jackrabbit Media has closed a North American deal with Level 33 on Oscar winner Tom Schulman’s high stakes gambling drama Double Down South and will continue talks with international buyers in Cannes this week.
The feature stars Lili Simmons as Diana, whose plan to win at gambling takes a dangerous turn when a local kingpin wants her to be the new attraction at his illegal gambling den. Kim Coates from Sons Of Anarchy also stars and the feature shot on location in Georgia.
Schulman, who won the original screenplay Oscar for Dead Poets Society,...
- 5/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Stars: Sinda Nichols, David Girard, Franklin Ritch, Tatum Matthews, Lance Henriksen | Written and Directed by Franklin Ritch
The press release and IMDb page for The Artifice Girl describe it like this “ A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.” It’s also tagged “Mystery” “Sci-Fi” and “Thriller”. Sounds like a potentially exciting crime film with some topical AI elements, right? Not exactly.
Deena is asking Siri the difference between right and wrong. Unsurprisingly her virtual assistant doesn’t have an answer. Her partner Amos arrives with Gareth, played by The Artifice Girl’s writer/director Franklin Ritch. It seems the two agents want to ask him some questions about some pictures found on his computer.
That’s when he drops a bombshell on them.
The press release and IMDb page for The Artifice Girl describe it like this “ A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.” It’s also tagged “Mystery” “Sci-Fi” and “Thriller”. Sounds like a potentially exciting crime film with some topical AI elements, right? Not exactly.
Deena is asking Siri the difference between right and wrong. Unsurprisingly her virtual assistant doesn’t have an answer. Her partner Amos arrives with Gareth, played by The Artifice Girl’s writer/director Franklin Ritch. It seems the two agents want to ask him some questions about some pictures found on his computer.
That’s when he drops a bombshell on them.
- 5/11/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Franklin Ritch’s AI Sci-Fi, The Artifice Girl, doesn’t just make do with the unbelievably small budget; it soars overhead anything the bigwig names and a grand production could’ve ever aspired to put together. What plays out more as a stage play and makes its limitations spring up as boons is at its most impressive when it grapples with the irony of its own device—the irony being how transcendentally existential and grounded the tension is while the subject matter punches the wall and demands more adrenaline. It’s almost as though it were Joyce’s ‘Araby’ when it comes to the disillusionment of stakes, taking nothing away from the bigger conflicts at hand while prioritizing the more philosophical disputes where ethics and rationalizations of motives are submerged in an ongoing battle. The Artifice Girl, while celebrating the phenomenal performances of each actor involved, finds its footing in...
- 5/1/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
All These Sons
With his first documentary Minding the Gap, Bing Liu turned the lens on himself and his friends to examine the domestic violence around them. One of the more human documentaries of the last decade, Liu’s film looked at Rockford, Illinois, and the racial and social elements that affect young men and women in this decent-sized city. With his newest effort, All These Sons, Liu and collaborator Joshua Altman focus on Chicago’s South and West Sides, following young Black men at Iman and Maafa, two community organizations aiming to keep these men away from the gun violence that surrounds them. Once again the resulting film bursts with empathy, built-in trauma, and forgiveness. – John F. (full review)
Where to...
All These Sons
With his first documentary Minding the Gap, Bing Liu turned the lens on himself and his friends to examine the domestic violence around them. One of the more human documentaries of the last decade, Liu’s film looked at Rockford, Illinois, and the racial and social elements that affect young men and women in this decent-sized city. With his newest effort, All These Sons, Liu and collaborator Joshua Altman focus on Chicago’s South and West Sides, following young Black men at Iman and Maafa, two community organizations aiming to keep these men away from the gun violence that surrounds them. Once again the resulting film bursts with empathy, built-in trauma, and forgiveness. – John F. (full review)
Where to...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The horror movie to go see in theaters right now is Evil Dead Rise, but a brand new horror movie is being unleashed in theaters this week to give the franchise a little genre competition.
And it’s one of Seven new horror movies releasing this week…
Here’s all the new horror releasing April 25 – April 30, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
After scaring up $168 million worldwide, Scream VI just arrived for purchase on Digital Today, and Bloody Disgusting has also learned this week that Scream VI will be unleashed on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 11, 2023.
Meagan wrote in her review of Scream VI, “This slasher sequel lets a ruthless Ghostface loose in the city, slicing up an intense, flawless entry that continues the streak of insightful introspection while escalating the thrills, kills, humor, and heart to a breathless degree.
And it’s one of Seven new horror movies releasing this week…
Here’s all the new horror releasing April 25 – April 30, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
After scaring up $168 million worldwide, Scream VI just arrived for purchase on Digital Today, and Bloody Disgusting has also learned this week that Scream VI will be unleashed on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 11, 2023.
Meagan wrote in her review of Scream VI, “This slasher sequel lets a ruthless Ghostface loose in the city, slicing up an intense, flawless entry that continues the streak of insightful introspection while escalating the thrills, kills, humor, and heart to a breathless degree.
- 4/25/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
This debut feature dissects the ethical dilemmas that arise when an AI is used to entrap paedophiles, but it fails to translate its ideas into a cogent argument
Probing the ethical implications surrounding the use of AI, Franklin Ritch’s debut feature hinges on a high-concept premise: an entirely digital avatar of a young girl named Cherry (Tatum Matthews) is used as bait to trap paedophiles in online chatrooms. Without the signature spectacle of the sci-fi genre, The Artifice Girl is a markedly low-key and small-scale endeavour, steeped in philosophical musings that ultimately seem stagey rather than cinematic.
Divided into three chapters spanning decades, the film moves through a series of single locations. It starts in a police interrogation room where Ritch’s Gareth, Cherry’s creator, is questioned by Deena (Sinda Nichols) and Amos (David Girard), members of a taskforce combatting child sexual abuse. Once Gareth reveals Cherry is a virtual being,...
Probing the ethical implications surrounding the use of AI, Franklin Ritch’s debut feature hinges on a high-concept premise: an entirely digital avatar of a young girl named Cherry (Tatum Matthews) is used as bait to trap paedophiles in online chatrooms. Without the signature spectacle of the sci-fi genre, The Artifice Girl is a markedly low-key and small-scale endeavour, steeped in philosophical musings that ultimately seem stagey rather than cinematic.
Divided into three chapters spanning decades, the film moves through a series of single locations. It starts in a police interrogation room where Ritch’s Gareth, Cherry’s creator, is questioned by Deena (Sinda Nichols) and Amos (David Girard), members of a taskforce combatting child sexual abuse. Once Gareth reveals Cherry is a virtual being,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
‘The Artifice Girl’ Review: A Thought-Provoking Speculative Drama About AI Bait For Online Predators
Artificial Intelligence has been increasingly in the news of late, with observers worried that it will soon become difficult for teachers to tell if students actually completed a project themselves (or a program did it for them), for anyone to recognize whether a supposed breaking evidential video is in fact a deepfake, and so forth. “The Artifice Girl,” however, frames the problems raised by ever-growing technological sophistication in a familiar narrative framework: that of the machine intelligence that begins to surpass its human “masters.”
Unlike portrayals from “2001” to “Ex Machina” and beyond, however, Franklin Ritch’s debut feature does not treat that dynamic in thriller terms, as a hostile takeover. Instead, this smaller-scaled speculative fiction is more concerned with ethics, as pondered in a series of dialogue sequences that aren’t static but might also have worked on stage, and require nothing in the way of FX. The results may...
Unlike portrayals from “2001” to “Ex Machina” and beyond, however, Franklin Ritch’s debut feature does not treat that dynamic in thriller terms, as a hostile takeover. Instead, this smaller-scaled speculative fiction is more concerned with ethics, as pondered in a series of dialogue sequences that aren’t static but might also have worked on stage, and require nothing in the way of FX. The results may...
- 4/24/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Multi-hyphenate writer, director, and star Franklin Ritch introduces a science fiction chamber piece in The Artifice Girl, a heady thriller centered around advanced tech. The inciting mystery initially presents as a high-concept thriller but soon gives way to a deceptively complex and affecting sci-fi parable. It’s in the measured layering of complicated character work and ethical conundrums that Ritch’s feature eventually finds its magic.
The Artifice Girl begins as a contained crime thriller set in an interrogation room. Within, special agents Deena (Sinda Nichols) and Amos (David Girard) aggressively cross examine their suspect, Gareth (Ritch), about both his career and online activities. The interrogation leads the agents to deduce the savvy tech guru Gareth of dabbling in pedophilia, specifically in monitoring and baiting predators with a young preteen girl named Cherry (Tatum Matthews). It turns out they’re not too far off; Gareth is indeed using Cherry as...
The Artifice Girl begins as a contained crime thriller set in an interrogation room. Within, special agents Deena (Sinda Nichols) and Amos (David Girard) aggressively cross examine their suspect, Gareth (Ritch), about both his career and online activities. The interrogation leads the agents to deduce the savvy tech guru Gareth of dabbling in pedophilia, specifically in monitoring and baiting predators with a young preteen girl named Cherry (Tatum Matthews). It turns out they’re not too far off; Gareth is indeed using Cherry as...
- 4/20/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Universal Pictures will Release Blumhouse’s Five Nights At Freddy’S on Friday, October 27, 2023: "Can you survive five nights?
The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse— the producer of M3GAN, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man—joins forces with legendary game creator Scott Cawthon for Five Nights at Freddy’s.
The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.
Starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, Kat Conner Sterling, Piper Rubio and Mary Stuart Masterson. Five Nights at Freddy’s is directed by Emma Tammi and is written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi and Seth Cuddeback.
The film’s iconic animatronic characters will be created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.Five Nights...
The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse— the producer of M3GAN, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man—joins forces with legendary game creator Scott Cawthon for Five Nights at Freddy’s.
The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.
Starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, Kat Conner Sterling, Piper Rubio and Mary Stuart Masterson. Five Nights at Freddy’s is directed by Emma Tammi and is written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi and Seth Cuddeback.
The film’s iconic animatronic characters will be created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.Five Nights...
- 4/7/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
"She's one of the most complex A.I.s that's ever been created." XYZ Films has unveiled an official trailer for The Artifice Girl, an indie sci-fi thriller by filmmaker Franklin Ritch making his feature directorial debut. This premiered at the 2022 Fantastic Film Festival last year, and stopped by SXSW and Glasgow last month, with a release set for the end of April. "The Artifice Girl delivers a tense and morally cryptic experience that will leave a microchip-shaped imprint on your brain." A group of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program that uses Artificial Intelligence to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program's troubled developer, they soon find that the program is advancing much faster than they could have imagined, resulting in unsettling consequences for the future of technology and mankind. "While this is a wildly ambitious science fiction, it was important for us...
- 4/4/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
She’s not real. She’s more than that. Winner of “Best International Feature” at Fantasia Film Festival 2022, the sci-fi movie The Artifice Girl will be releasing at home later this month.
The film comes to theaters, On Demand and Digital on April 27, 2023.
Meet The Artifice Girl in the official trailer below.
Franklin Ritch wrote the directed the acclaimed sci-fi thriller.
In the film, “A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.”
Tatum Matthews, David Girard, Sinda Nichols, Franklin Ritch, and Lance Henriksen star.
The post ‘The Artifice Girl’ Trailer – Award-Winning Science Fiction Movie Looks Like a Darker Version of ‘M3GAN’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The film comes to theaters, On Demand and Digital on April 27, 2023.
Meet The Artifice Girl in the official trailer below.
Franklin Ritch wrote the directed the acclaimed sci-fi thriller.
In the film, “A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.”
Tatum Matthews, David Girard, Sinda Nichols, Franklin Ritch, and Lance Henriksen star.
The post ‘The Artifice Girl’ Trailer – Award-Winning Science Fiction Movie Looks Like a Darker Version of ‘M3GAN’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 4/4/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Lance Henriksen-Starrer “The Artifice Girl” Lands Acquisition XYZ Films has acquired the AI Sci-Fi film following its SXSW debut with plans for an immediate theatrical and digital release this spring Los Angeles, CA – It was announced today that XYZ Films has acquired North American rights to Franklin Ritch’s critically acclaimed sci-fi …
The post Lance Henriksen-Starrer “The Artifice Girl” Lands Acquisition With Xyz Films appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Lance Henriksen-Starrer “The Artifice Girl” Lands Acquisition With Xyz Films appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 3/16/2023
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Exclusive: XYZ Films has claimed North American rights to the sci-fi pic The Artifice Girl, starring Tatum Matthews (The Waltons: Homecoming) and Lance Henriksen (Aliens), which this past weekend had its U.S. premiere at SXSW after world premiering to critical acclaim at Fantasia Film Festival.
The film marking the feature debut of writer-director Franklin Ritch — which like Uni’s horror hit M3GAN, looks at the increasingly top-of-mind subject of AI through a genre prism — is slated for a theatrical release in 15+ U.S. Markets, as well as an accompanying digital debut this spring.
Related Story Oliver Stone Documentary ‘Nuclear Now’ Acquired By Abramorama, Giant Pictures Related Story Netflix Hops On 'Run Rabbit Run', Acquires XYZ Films Sundance Midnight Title Starring Sarah Snook Related Story Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead's Rustic Films Teams With V Channels & XYZ On Genre Slate
The Artifice Girl follows a small team of...
The film marking the feature debut of writer-director Franklin Ritch — which like Uni’s horror hit M3GAN, looks at the increasingly top-of-mind subject of AI through a genre prism — is slated for a theatrical release in 15+ U.S. Markets, as well as an accompanying digital debut this spring.
Related Story Oliver Stone Documentary ‘Nuclear Now’ Acquired By Abramorama, Giant Pictures Related Story Netflix Hops On 'Run Rabbit Run', Acquires XYZ Films Sundance Midnight Title Starring Sarah Snook Related Story Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead's Rustic Films Teams With V Channels & XYZ On Genre Slate
The Artifice Girl follows a small team of...
- 3/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Holy hell this year’s SXSW Film Festival really isn’t messing around.
The previous announcement unveiled a stacked horror lineup that includes headiners Evil Dead Rise and opener Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
In addition, they revealed several prominent horror titles that will premiere as part of the Midnighters program, including the Sundance hit Talk to Me and the surprise sequel to Becky, The Wrath of Becky.
It turns out, the programming team isn’t finished!
SXSW announced another wave of film programming today, including an eighth Midnighter.
“Midnighters don’t need to be exclusively horror films, they just need to perk you up and get your blood pumping,” said Peter Hall, Film & TV Festival Programmer. “That’s why this year’s SXSW Midnighters class is a mix of horror, bone-crunching action, and mind-melting genre hybrids. Some of them introduce new, terrifying lore to the canon of suburban horror movies,...
The previous announcement unveiled a stacked horror lineup that includes headiners Evil Dead Rise and opener Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
In addition, they revealed several prominent horror titles that will premiere as part of the Midnighters program, including the Sundance hit Talk to Me and the surprise sequel to Becky, The Wrath of Becky.
It turns out, the programming team isn’t finished!
SXSW announced another wave of film programming today, including an eighth Midnighter.
“Midnighters don’t need to be exclusively horror films, they just need to perk you up and get your blood pumping,” said Peter Hall, Film & TV Festival Programmer. “That’s why this year’s SXSW Midnighters class is a mix of horror, bone-crunching action, and mind-melting genre hybrids. Some of them introduce new, terrifying lore to the canon of suburban horror movies,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Festival runs in Austin, Texas, from March 10-19.
Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring Taron Egerton are among the second wave of SXSW unveiled on Wednesday.
Festival organisers announced all selections in Visions, Global presented by Mubi, 24 Beats, and Festival Favorites as well as additions to Headliners, TV Premieres, Narrative and Documentary Spotlight.
New to Headliners are world premieres of Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms which follows two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation; and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring...
Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring Taron Egerton are among the second wave of SXSW unveiled on Wednesday.
Festival organisers announced all selections in Visions, Global presented by Mubi, 24 Beats, and Festival Favorites as well as additions to Headliners, TV Premieres, Narrative and Documentary Spotlight.
New to Headliners are world premieres of Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms which follows two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation; and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Roster includes Follow Her, The Artifice Girl, The Mental State.
US-based Jackrabbit Media is engaging with AFM buyers on a slate of six genre features including festival winners from Portugal’s Fantasporto Film Festival and Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal.
Sylvia Caminer’s psychological thriller Follow Her won best film at Fantasporto in April and centres on a live streamer who accepts an invitation to go to a remote cabin and finds herself in the middle of a twisted revenge plot. Dani Barker wrote the screenplay.
Fantasia international feature winner The Artifice Girl follows an internet vigilante who develops a...
US-based Jackrabbit Media is engaging with AFM buyers on a slate of six genre features including festival winners from Portugal’s Fantasporto Film Festival and Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal.
Sylvia Caminer’s psychological thriller Follow Her won best film at Fantasporto in April and centres on a live streamer who accepts an invitation to go to a remote cabin and finds herself in the middle of a twisted revenge plot. Dani Barker wrote the screenplay.
Fantasia international feature winner The Artifice Girl follows an internet vigilante who develops a...
- 11/3/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Roundup
The full list of Audience Awards from this year's Fantasia International Film Festival was revealed today, with the top prize going to Franklin Ritch's smart science fiction drama The Artifice Girl, while South Korean hit The Roundup won Best Asian Feature/film]. French fairy tale Princesse Dragon came top in the animation category, and Alexandre Leblanc's rambling shaggy dog story Les Pas D'Allure won on home soil, receiving the Best Quebec Feature prize.
The festival came to a close on Wednesday with a screening of July Jung's Next Sohee, and next year's dates have yet to be announced.
Those awards in full:-
Best International Feature Gold: The Artifice Girl Silver: La Pieta Bronze: Deadstream
Best Asian Feature Gold: The Roundup Silver: Next Sohee Bronze: One For The Road (Hong Kong/Thailand, d. Baz...
The full list of Audience Awards from this year's Fantasia International Film Festival was revealed today, with the top prize going to Franklin Ritch's smart science fiction drama The Artifice Girl, while South Korean hit The Roundup won Best Asian Feature/film]. French fairy tale Princesse Dragon came top in the animation category, and Alexandre Leblanc's rambling shaggy dog story Les Pas D'Allure won on home soil, receiving the Best Quebec Feature prize.
The festival came to a close on Wednesday with a screening of July Jung's Next Sohee, and next year's dates have yet to be announced.
Those awards in full:-
Best International Feature Gold: The Artifice Girl Silver: La Pieta Bronze: Deadstream
Best Asian Feature Gold: The Roundup Silver: Next Sohee Bronze: One For The Road (Hong Kong/Thailand, d. Baz...
- 8/5/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The festival wrapped up its 26th edition on August 3.
Korean action film The Roundup and US sci-fi The Artifice Girl won the gold awards for best Asian feature and best international feature, respectively, at the audience awards for the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, which wrapped its 26th edition on August 3.
Starring Eternals and Train To Busan’s Done Lee as a ‘best of a cop’, The Roundup is directed by Lee Sang-yong and acts as a sequel to 2017’s The Outlaws. The gold winner was also a box office hit in South Korea, recording over 12.5 million admissions (as...
Korean action film The Roundup and US sci-fi The Artifice Girl won the gold awards for best Asian feature and best international feature, respectively, at the audience awards for the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, which wrapped its 26th edition on August 3.
Starring Eternals and Train To Busan’s Done Lee as a ‘best of a cop’, The Roundup is directed by Lee Sang-yong and acts as a sequel to 2017’s The Outlaws. The gold winner was also a box office hit in South Korea, recording over 12.5 million admissions (as...
- 8/5/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The Artifice Girl Photo: Courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival
The Fantasia International Film Festival has long had a reputation for supporting thoughtful, intelligent science fiction, and this year The Artifice Girl is one of the standouts in that area. It’s directed by Florida filmmaker Franklin Ritch, who also stars as Gareth, a computer programmer who sets out to create an artificial intelligence capable of hunting for child molesters online. When his project attracts the attention of the authorities, Gareth is forced to make compromises, but what really complicates matters is the process of change going on within the AI itself, which raises a series of difficult ethical questions.
The film is split into three acts, the first of which takes place in a single, dimly lit room, beginning as an interrogation and gradually morphing into a negotiation. It’s the sort of scene which is really tough for...
The Fantasia International Film Festival has long had a reputation for supporting thoughtful, intelligent science fiction, and this year The Artifice Girl is one of the standouts in that area. It’s directed by Florida filmmaker Franklin Ritch, who also stars as Gareth, a computer programmer who sets out to create an artificial intelligence capable of hunting for child molesters online. When his project attracts the attention of the authorities, Gareth is forced to make compromises, but what really complicates matters is the process of change going on within the AI itself, which raises a series of difficult ethical questions.
The film is split into three acts, the first of which takes place in a single, dimly lit room, beginning as an interrogation and gradually morphing into a negotiation. It’s the sort of scene which is really tough for...
- 7/30/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Amidst all the high-concept computer-programming speak and moral / ethical implications surrounding the creation of artificial life, the smartest line of dialogue in Franklin Ritch’s The Artifice Girl is when Gareth (Ritch) admits “I honestly don’t know how I did it.” Not only does it absolve the filmmaker of having to make something up to justify the complex progression of his sci-fi premise; it also speaks to the reality that technological innovation often occurs accidentally. We can’t therefore know what we don’t know or predict every positive or negative that may result from an invention built to approach its own autonomy. Some things are simply out of our control, and that which seem like solutions today might not tomorrow—if we’re enlightened enough to acknowledge the difference.
It’s why a story of this nature requires time to breathe—in this case fifty years from the...
It’s why a story of this nature requires time to breathe—in this case fifty years from the...
- 7/25/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The popular image of science fiction or speculative fiction is often one filled with whiz-bang gadgets, flying cars, futuristic shapes, and neon lights illuminating a dystopian world-yet-to-be. However, when you get down to the nitty gritty of it all, that’s window dressing on a genre of stories that require only an idea and a vision for a future filled with possibility. This is where Franklin Ritch’s The Artifice Girl truly understands the nature of the story it seeks to tell; a simple, contained story of good intentions gone rogue. Without the bells and whistles the story becomes the star, and this one shines far brighter than any dumb laser sword. Garreth (director/star Franklin Ritch) is in trouble, he thinks. Yanked into a sparse basement office...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/24/2022
- Screen Anarchy
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, uses machines, especially computer systems, to simulate human intelligence. AI is used to create extremely lifelike interactions online and in video games. Ethical issues sometimes arise with the use of AI because of concerns about informed consent to use data, safety and transparency, and data privacy. But what if AI could be used to track down criminals like child predators? Writer/director Franklin Ritch explores the use of AI to pursue child predators online and the ethical and moral questions that may come up in The Artifice Girl, which had its World Premiere at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival and was produced by Paper Street Pictures. With The Artifice Girl, Ritch has created an impressive debut feature film which presents an AI that has been developed to hunt pedophiles online. When the creator of the AI teams up with Special Agents to capture child...
- 7/24/2022
- by Michelle Swope
- DailyDead
Variety debuted the trailer for The Artifice Girl, the first sci-fi feature film from writer-director Franklin Ritch. The key art for the sci-fi flick was also released. “The Artifice Girl” follows the punishing interrogation of a rogue tech wizard responsible for creating an elaborate AI program to lure child predators and abate human trafficking. As the tech grows sentient and develops its own moral code, the characters are caught in the cross-hairs as they debate authoritative overstep, boundaries and abuse of power while questioning the fate of anonymity and autonomy. “The Artifice Girl” casts memorable up-and-comers David Girard (“Teardrop Goodbye”) and Sinda Nichols (“That Abandoned Place”) as special agents Amos McCullough and Dena Helms, and Tatum Matthews (“The Waltons: Homecoming”) as Cherry, along...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/12/2022
- Screen Anarchy
"It's because she's not real. She's not a real human being..." A festival teaser trailer has debuted for an indie sci-fi film titled The Artifice Girl, from director Franklin Ritch making his feature debut. It's premiering at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival this month - they explain: "The Artifice Girl delivers a tense and morally cryptic experience that will leave a microchip-shaped imprint on your brain." When an internet vigilante develops a revolutionary new computer program to combat online predators, its rapid advancement leads to serious questions of autonomy, oppression, and what it really means to be human. The film is a tech thriller about A.I. and how far it can go. "While this is a wildly ambitious science fiction, it was important for us to ground the story in technical veracity and thoughtful characters. It becomes a compelling mystery that will hopefully incite ethical and philosophical discussion." Starring David Girard,...
- 7/11/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ahead of its world premiere in competition at Montreal’s Fantasia, writer-director Franklin Ritch has provided Variety exclusive access to the trailer and poster for his first sci-fi feature, “The Artifice Girl.”
The film will premiere within the Cheval Noir strand, among a line-up of equally unconventional narratives brought to the screen by fresh and established global talents. Ritch is no stranger to the festival, having debuted his buzzy short film “Bedridden” there in 2018.
Produced by Paper Street Pictures (“The Pale Door”), Blood Oath (“Extra Ordinary”), and Ritch’s Last Resort Ideas, “The Artifice Girl” follows the punishing interrogation of a rogue tech wizard responsible for creating an elaborate AI program to lure child predators and abate human trafficking.
As the tech grows sentient and develops its own moral code, the characters are caught in the cross-hairs as they debate authoritative overstep, boundaries and abuse of power while questioning the fate of anonymity and autonomy.
The film will premiere within the Cheval Noir strand, among a line-up of equally unconventional narratives brought to the screen by fresh and established global talents. Ritch is no stranger to the festival, having debuted his buzzy short film “Bedridden” there in 2018.
Produced by Paper Street Pictures (“The Pale Door”), Blood Oath (“Extra Ordinary”), and Ritch’s Last Resort Ideas, “The Artifice Girl” follows the punishing interrogation of a rogue tech wizard responsible for creating an elaborate AI program to lure child predators and abate human trafficking.
As the tech grows sentient and develops its own moral code, the characters are caught in the cross-hairs as they debate authoritative overstep, boundaries and abuse of power while questioning the fate of anonymity and autonomy.
- 7/11/2022
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Montreal event to run 14 to August 3.
Organisers at the 26th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival have announced that the world premiere of K.C. Carthew’s Polaris will open the Montreal festival, set to run from July 14 to August 3.
The eco action fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world is distributed in Canada by Filmoption International and is among the second wave of titles and events announced on Thursday (June 2). They include a spotlight on queer cinema and new work from Neil Labute, Patrice Leconte and Shinichiro Ueda.
Labute’s horror-comedy House Of Darkness gets its international premiere and stars Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.
Organisers at the 26th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival have announced that the world premiere of K.C. Carthew’s Polaris will open the Montreal festival, set to run from July 14 to August 3.
The eco action fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world is distributed in Canada by Filmoption International and is among the second wave of titles and events announced on Thursday (June 2). They include a spotlight on queer cinema and new work from Neil Labute, Patrice Leconte and Shinichiro Ueda.
Labute’s horror-comedy House Of Darkness gets its international premiere and stars Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.
- 6/2/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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