Cuarto Oscuro

Self Portraits or: How to talk endearingly to possible victims(en)

Quinn is a grade school teacher who is exploited by a group of memoryless individuals who reeducate his long-term partner Amy.

154(it)

The prototype [TEST TYPE • 154] is a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence, which is capable of autonomously acquiring notions from its surroundings and - eventually - developing autonomy of thought. Given the nearly human nature of its learning capabilities, the laboratory that programmed it hires a kindergarten teacher, asking him to instruct the machine as if it were a newborn child. The learning process - which spans 7 days - becomes increasingly insidious in the long run, posing a peculiar yet crucial problem: can there be a form of autonomous thinking that excludes emotions?

Smash Cuts! Super Sci-Fi Shorts Fest(en)

Host Scott Forrest presents a curated compilation of eight independent short films in this rapid-fire science-fiction feature. Genres collide, narratives twist, aesthetics clash, and even humor, both campy and dystopian, showcase the vast creative possibilities of each story's individual world, offering the viewer a brief glimpse into the lives of every character's attempt to survive the otherworldly chaos around them. Released in 2001, the selected shorts span original creation dates of 1997 to 2001; most of the featured filmmakers also appear as themselves in short video interviews to talk about their inspirations, creative process and motivations while working on their individual shorts.

Robotopia(xx)

A dystopian society ruled by machines where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Caterpillar(ja)

A half-hour experimental film that shows Fukui moving towards cyberpunk imagery in a manner similar to Tsukamoto, featuring industrial locations, a malfunctioning cyborg/android and a hulking metallic ‘caterpillar’ that stalks characters.

Cookie Logic(en)

A young scientist studies the mechanics of time travel by having a conversation with a group of her future selves.

Liminal Space(en)

Deep in an ocean facility, Aryanna, must face the unknown, as drips from water-tight air vents and scratches from within empty cells drive her to the brink of madness.

Three Mirrors Creature's Flashes of Flesh(it)

In the aftermath of an emotional shock, a ruthless high-class manager faces her own abyss, becomes pervaded by a sensory spirit and undertakes a purifying voyage.

The Peter Weyland Files: 'Prometheus' Transmission(en)

The transmission consists primarily of examples of human culture and knowledge, including geometric renderings, language data, mathematical formulae, footage of various Earth environments and examples of music, art, fashion, technology, dance and social cultures from around the planet and across human history. Interspersed with these more abstract clips is footage of several members of the Prometheus crew preparing for their mission into deep space, either being fitted for their space suits or undergoing rigorous physical training. Among the crew featured are Captain Janek, who is generally disinterested and belligerent, Charlie Holloway, who is cocky and eager to get underway, and David, who is efficient and brief. The video also includes a message from Elizabeth Shaw, who extends a personal greeting the Engineers she hopes will be receiving the transmission and shares her desire to establish contact with extraterrestrial life.

Friend of the World(en)

After a catastrophic global war, a young filmmaker awakens in the carnage and seeks refuge in the only other survivor: an eccentric, ideologically opposed figure of the United States military. Together, they brave the toxic landscape in search of safety... and answers.

HYPERSONIC Music Club(ja)

In 2017, a short anime film called Hypersonic Music Club was produced in Japan. It was directed and written by Osamu Kobayashi, a veteran of the industry who passed away in April 2021. For various reasons, this short anime was never released. It was made public on August 1, 2023.

Acoustic Ocean(en)

Acoustic Ocean is an artistic exploration of the sonic ecology of marine life in the North Atlantic. Located on the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway, the video centers on the performance of a marine-biologist diver who is using a life-size model of a submersible equipped with all sorts of hydrophones and recording devices. In this science-fictional quest, her task is to sense the submarine space for acoustic and bioluminescent forms of expression.

115(en)

A girl trapped in a time loop leaves an AI replica to relive her final days. Glitches and burned-in subtitles reveal the machine’s fractured view, until the loop shifts to the real her — blurring the line between memory, code, and consciousness. "Told from the memory stream of a trapped A.I., the film visually glitches as it attempts to 'escape,' including encoded flashes of an 'ESC' key."

Moving Matter I(en)

Moving Matter is the culmination of a material-led process with artists from dance, costume design and film that began with a study of old kitchen flooring about to be discarded. This flax-based material enters our orbit in the 1950s, where a measured homelife and prescribed domesticity offered a reassuring antidote to bomb scares, political turmoil, and paranormativity. Stability topples as the flooring becomes entangled in the lives of those who don the material as garments and shelters. This film was made through Moving Matter, a long-term research-creation project that offers a methodology for rethinking the dynamism between raw materials, garments, and the body. Moving Matter steers the locus of choreography and wearable design away from human hierarchy to instead support truer collaboration amongst all moving materials, both human and non-human, in this case… linoleum.

Borealis(en)

After the mysterious death of his father, Aaron O'Donnell, a ruthless capitalist, decides to take the reins as the leader of Borealis. However, his brother Andrew sets out to hijack his dictatorship and warn not only the residents of Borealis, but all future visitors of the danger Aaron poses.

KT4RS3(pt)

Orbit(xx)

The sun’s energy circulates throughout the earth, feeding the cycle of life. Everything is connected in a natural loop, which repeats, like the circular discs of magical optical toys. This perfectly balanced rhythm is disrupted by human excess, throwing the cycle out of orbit and temporarily stopping the circulation of energy in nature.

Desinteligência Natural(pt)

Glimpses of the Outskirts(es)

In an alternate reality where the decline of nations has given rise to corporatist regimes, any trace of culture or tradition is suppressed by these new leaders to prevent the masses from reclaiming a national identity. However, rebel cells have emerged to counteract this agenda.

Rubicon(en)

A stunning, sweeping technohistory, tracing the human race from birth to obsolescence. Sacred geometry and ominous CGI intertwine with a retelling of the story of Noah to illuminate the illusion of authority and the nature of autonomy in the contemporary digital sphere. Featuring parking meters by master animator Jeremy Fernsler and a breathtaking score by Edward Kurland. The DVD version of Rubicon contains additional interactive material in the audio and subtitle tracks. Selected Screenings: Athens International Film and Video Festival, UFVA 2004 (Honorable Mention), Dallas Video Festival, NewFilmmakers at Anthology Film Archives