2019PROGRAMME-WEB

A V A I L A B L E N O W O N D E M A N D

WELCOME TO 

SCI-FI-LONDON 2019 

I am delighted to present this 

year’s line-up of films and 

events. What with Brexit and 

the ongoing Trumpery of the 

past year it has felt very like a 

science fiction dystopia that 

no one would have believed if 

it had been written down. 

Rather than present a festival 

of dark dystopian overtones, 

we’ve decided to take a more 

positive look at the future. We 

want to encourage, enthuse 

and explore the best of 

humanity; focusing away from 

fears of political and scientific 

changes. And, for us, nothing 

says hope better than a smiley 

face on a balloon, and I want 

to thank Territory Studio for 

creating this year’s poster art. 

All that said, the selection this 

year, of course, delivers its 

fair share of less than upbeat 

outcomes but, like all good 

science fiction, perhaps these 

movies will sound a warning 

and lead us down better 

paths. 

The Best Short Film accolade 

this year has been awarded 

to the student film, WITHIN 

THEIR SHADOW by Caroline 

Post. Whilst it paints a bleak 

picture, for me, it is a wise 

and considered film that asks 

‘should we, just because we 

can’? I hope that collectively 

we can be alert to the social 

impact of new technology 

and plan accordingly. I urge 

you to see the film in our 

shorts programme and look 

forward to chatting in the bar. 

Finally, as ever, I hope you 

take away something positive 

from the festival – the team 

has worked hard scouring the 

world for films that give your 

head and heart some fuel. 

Live long and prosper 

Louis Savy 

Founder and Festival Director 

THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 15 — 22 MAY 2019 1

PERFECT 

WED 15 MAY 

9.00PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: 

EDDIE ALCAZAR 

YEAR: 2018 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 85 

COUNTRY: USA 

SOURCE: BREAKER 

It is unclear if the young 

man (Garrett Wareing) has 

committed the horrible crime, 

but his mother (Abbie Cornish) 

sends him to a luxurious retreat 

full of beautiful hedonistic 

people for therapy. He will 

receive an experimental 

treatment to cure his ills and 

discover his true self. His 

mother has been there, but 

does she want to help him 

become ‘perfect’? 

Frenetic editing, soul shocking 

set-pieces and some eye-popping 

animation by Kidmograph: 

PERFECT alternates between 

calm and chaos, and picks at 

themes of AI, genetic engineering 

and esotericism. 

With its super-heightened visuals 

worthy of Gasper Noé, production 

design that DAZED would find 

hard to beat and a stunning 

soundtrack by Flying Lotus, 

this is ALTERED STATES for the 

iGeneration. 

Introduced by Güneş Taylor, 

a Postdoctoral Training Fellow 

at the Francis Crick Institute. 

Güneş will discuss topics such 

as genome editing and human 

enhancement. In association 

with The Biochemical Society 

UK 

PREMIERE 

OPENING 

NIGHT 

2 

THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASTIC FILM 15 — 22 MAY 2019

THE RIZEN: POSSESSION 

In 1955, NATO and the Allied 

Forces conducted secret, occult 

experiments in a bid to win the 

Arms Race. They succeeded, but 

what they unleashed almost 

tore our world apart and sent 

a human through a portal to 

somewhere very alien. 

This was the story of THE RIZEN, 

our closing night premiere in 

2017. 

Come forward to now, and a 

group of urban explorers is 

exploring the abandoned bunker. 

But will they and a private 

military unit sent in after them, 

become the final pieces in a 60- 

year plan to reopen a door that 

should have stayed closed. 

Violent and witty in equal 

amounts, this is a very British 

sci-fi horror. 

WED 22 MAY 

8.45PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: 

MATT MITCHELL 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 90 

COUNTRY: UK 

SOURCE: DIRECT 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

CLOSING 

NIGHT 


AFTER THE LETHARGY 

THU 16 MAY 

6.20PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: 

MARC CARRETÉ 

YEAR: 2018 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 82 

COUNTRY: SPAIN 

SOURCE: 

DEVILWORKS 

Sara, a journalist with a keen 

interest in UFOs, receives 

a video from a paranormal 

researcher, talking about 

a hotspot for landings and 

sightings. She travels to the 

forest to meet the researcher 

and meets the park ranger who 

tells her of a dark character who 

lives alone deep in the woods 

and the abandoned retreat. 

Soon she discovers the truth 

about the UFO sightings and 

must fight for her life. 

‘All-out monster, promising a 

mesmerising mix of terror and 

adventure’ Bloody Disgusting 

‘Takes hybridisation to extremely 

graphic proportions’ Dread 

Central 

Old school sci-fi horror at its 

finest, great twists and turns, 

seat of the pants thrills and 

some truly gross-out moments. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

4 


BLACK FLOWERS 

Two years after the nuclear 

bombs dropped — welcome 

to the future, where there’s no 

fuel or power, and society is a 

barbaric mess. Survivors Kate, 

husband Sam, and daughter 

Suzi are searching for a 

rumoured bunker that people 

say is full of food and medicine. 

En route, they meet the solitary 

Joe, who may not have the 

group’s best interests at heart. 

Kate will have to do everything 

possible to protect her family. 

A well-drawn post-apocalyptic 

world full of thrills and spills — 

a welcome addition to the PA 

canon. 

THU 16 MAY 

9.00PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: 

MARTIN GOOCH 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 106 

COUNTRY: UK 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 


THE TANGLE 

FRI 17 MAY 

6.20PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: 

CHRISTOPHER 

SOREN KELLY 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 100 

COUNTRY: USA 


In the near future, the TANGLE, 

an AI with airborne nanotech, 

connects the world. The Tangle 

is benevolent; it has stopped 

crime, keeps us well and safe. 

But to make sure it never turns 

rogue a government agency 

watches over the population 

from within technology safe 

rooms, locations impermeable 

to the nanobots that make up 

the Tangle. 

When field agent Margot Foster 

is found dead in one of these 

rooms, the agency needs to 

investigate the first murder in 

years. 

A brilliant sci-fi noir written and 

directed by Christopher Soren 

Kelly (Somnus – at SFL16) and 

stars Jessica Graham (Crazy 

Bitches) and Nicole Da Silva 

(Wentworth) 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

6 


FONOTUNE: AN ELECTRIC FAIRYTALE 

The world will end soon, so 

what to do? Outside of time, a 

teen hooker, lo-fi cowboy and 

a mute drifter cross the white 

desert to experience the final 

performance of a mysterious 

rockstar hero. 

This visually stunning work 

MUST be seen on the big screen. 

Its soundtrack will leave you 

humming and tapping for 

days to come, and its beautiful 

production design burns your 

brain. 

The film stars Kiki Sukezane 

(Westworld) and features 

performances by Guitar Wolf Seiji 

and Stereo Total. 

Is it daft punk? Is it THX? No, 

it is FONOTUNE, and you will 

never forget it. 

FRI 17 MAY 

9.00PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: FINT 

YEAR: 2018 

LANGUAGE: 

JAPANESE 

(ENGLISH SUBS) 

RUNTIME: 74 

COUNTRY: JAPAN/ 

GERMANY 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 


ALIEN ADDICTION 

SAT 18 MAY 

3.30PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: SHAE 

STERLING 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 90 

COUNTRY: 

AUSTRALIA 


Starring Jimi Jackson, Thomas 

Sainsbury, JoJo Waaka. 

New Zealand is beautiful, and 

often we only see the ‘Lord 

of the Rings’ landscapes and 

not the everyday life of your 

average stoner. 

Riko (Jimi Jackson) lives in a small 

town in the middle of nowhere 

(Waikato, New Zealand). Life 

was pretty normal until two 

aliens crash-landed near Riko’s 

house. He welcomes the aliens, 

and together they develop an 

intergalactic relationship of epic 

proportions. 

Raw and real as Peter Jackson’s 

BAD TASTE, more bro’ than 

Taika Waititi’s BOY, and up 

there with Kevin Smith’s 

CLERKS as a debut indie film. - 

Garth Bray, Amazon 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

8 


AXCELLERATOR 

Dane was going to steal one 

last car before he quit forever, 

but is disturbed by Tomas, an 

inventor being chased by the 

police, the F.B.I., and the C.I.A. 

Trapped in the manic crossfire, 

Tomas passes a device to Dane, 

who is teleported miles away 

Into the arms of Kate (LAURA 

JAMES). She could be the girl 

of his dreams except for the 

global conspiracy he has just 

embroiled her in. 

The FBI’s Ray Moritz (MAXWELL 

CAULFIELD) wants to destroy it, 

Amanda Graham (SEAN YOUNG) 

wants it for the C.I.A., and rogue 

agent Sy Devol (JOHN JAMES) has 

his sinister plans. 

Sy unleashes his brutal assassin, 

Brink (SAM J. JONES) who leaves 

a trail of corpses behind him 

while pursuing the ‘Axcellerator’ 

device. 

To stay alive, Dane and Kate must 

discover the Axcellerator’s secret. 

An exhilarating rollercoaster 

ride reminiscent of 80s 

blockbusters – a classic, fun 

action thriller. 

SAT 18 MAY 

6.00PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: DAVID 

GIANCOLA 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 93 

COUNTRY: USA 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 


SHED OF THE DEAD 

SAT 18 MAY 

9.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: DREW 

CULLINGHAM 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 85 

COUNTRY: UK 


Trevor doesn’t really like 

gardening but has an allotment 

in which he spends his days 

avoiding his overbearing wife. 

Most of his time in his shed is 

spent painting figurines for 

wargames he plays with his 

friend, Graham, both of them 

dreaming and arguing about 

their gaming alter-egos. 

One day, Mr Parsons, one of 

the other allotment tenants, 

knocks with a petition to have 

Trevor evicted as his plot is a 

disgrace. After what should 

have been a simple argument, 

Trevor is left with a corpse to 

hide. Unfortunately, this untimely 

accident coincides with the 

Zombie Apocalypse and Mr 

Parsons’ return is just the start of 

Trevor’s problems. More pressing 

is whether or not he should try 

and save his wife (Lauren Socha) 

and her beautiful best friend 

(Emily Booth), who both he and 

Graham have a thing for... 

It’s darkly funny, gruesome and 

a little bit rude! SHAUN OF THE 

DEAD meets THE ARCHERS. 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

10 


CHASING EINSTEIN 

Einstein’s vision of gravity has 

shaped our understanding of 

the universe for the 100 years 

since Eddington confirmed his 

theory in 1919. 

Nobody has succeeded in 

challenging Einstein’s theory 

despite its startling conclusion 

that the vast majority of gravity 

must be caused by an invisible 

form of ‘matter’ that has yet to 

be detected. The search for this 

missing “Dark Matter” will either 

confirm Einstein or disrupt a 

century of physics. 

This documentary follows 

leading scientists including 

Nobel Laureates on the brink of 

paradigm-shifting discoveries, 

CHASING EINSTEIN travels 

behind the scenes of some of the 

most extraordinary experiments 

ever created to probe the 

mysteries of the dark universe 

(LIGO, CERN, XENON 1T). 

Will Einstein stand the test of 

time, or will a controversial new 

theory change the way that we 

see the universe? 

SUN 19 MAY 

1.00PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: TIMOTHY 

WHEELER, STEVE 

BROWN 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 81 

COUNTRY: USA 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

DOCUMENTARY 

STRAND 


MAJIC 

SUN 19 MAY 

3.15PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: ERIN BERRY 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 82 

COUNTRY: 

CANADA 


Bernwood (Paula Brancati) 

is an anti-conspiracy video 

blogger. She spends all her 

time debunking conspiracy 

theory until she gets a note 

from an old man claiming to 

have worked for the legendary 

Majestic-12 (aka majic), a secret 

US spy agency, created after the 

UFO incident at Roswell, New 

Mexico in 1947. 

So begins her trip down the 

rabbit hole looking for answers, as 

reality as she seems to know it is 

unravelling. 

Sitting squarely in X-FILES 

territory, this feature plays 

brilliantly with alternate 

realities and what we perceive 

to be real. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

12 


ARTIST DEPICTION 

Conceptual artists Don Davis, 

Charles Lindsay, and Rick 

Guidice have helped bring NASA 

projects to life. Their incredible 

pioneering artwork, which 

helped define the aesthetics 

of futurism and space travel, 

is ubiquitous; and yet these 

artists have always been hidden 

behind the scenes until now. 

This is the second documentary 

that Bonowicz has had at the 

festival, last year we screened 

CLOSER THAN WE THINK 

about conceptual artist Arthur 

Radebaugh. 

Again, Bonowicz delivers a loveletter 

to concept art and design. 

If you’ve got an eye on the 

future, then learn about those 

who’ve helped shape it. 

SUN 19 MAY 

4.50PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: BRETT RYAN 

BONOWICZ 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 81 

COUNTRY: USA 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DOCUMENTARY 

STRAND 


PROGRAMME 

SCI-FI-LONDON 2019 

TITLE VENUE DATE TIME 

PERFECT PCC WED 15 MAY 9.00PM 

HACKSTOCK V HQ THU 16 MAY 12—8.00PM 

AFTER THE LETHARGY PCC THU 16 MAY 6.20PM 

BLACK FLOWERS PCC THU 16 MAY 9.00PM 

HACKSTOCK V HQ FRI 17 MAY 12—8.00PM 

THE TANGLE PCC FRI 17 MAY 6.20PM 

FONOTUNE: AN ELECTRIC FAIRYTALE PCC FRI 17 MAY 9.00PM 

HACKSTOCK V HQ SAT 18 MAY 12—8.00PM 

SHORTS 1 SPH SAT 18 MAY 12.30PM 

SCI-FIDO COSPLAY FOR DOGS PCC SAT 18 MAY 2.00PM 


ALIEN ADDICTION PCC SAT 18 MAY 3.30PM 


AXCELLERATOR PCC SAT 18 MAY 6.00PM 


SHED OF THE DEAD SPH SAT 18 MAY 9.00PM 

CHASING EINSTEIN SPH SUN 19 MAY 1.00PM 

SHORTS 2 SPH SUN 19 MAY 2.45PM 

MAJIC PCC SUN 19 MAY 3.15PM 

ARTIST DEPICTION SPH SUN 19 MAY 4.50PM 

LAST SUNRISE PCC SUN 19 MAY 5.25PM 

SHORTS 3 SPH SUN 19 MAY 6.40PM 

THE FINAL LAND PCC SUN 19 MAY 8.30PM 

SHORTS 4 SPH MON 20 MAY 1.30PM 

SHORTS 1 SPH MON 20 MAY 4.10PM 

ZOO-HEAD SPH MON 20 MAY 6.30PM 

AFTER WE LEAVE SPH MON 20 MAY 20.45PM 

14 


SHORTS 2 SPH TUE 21 MAY 1.30PM 


FILMMAKERS NETWORKING SPH TUE 21 MAY 6.00PM 


48HOUR AWARDS SPH TUE 21 MAY 6.30PM 


LUCID SPH WED 22 MAY 6.30PM 

THE RIZEN:POSSESSION SPH WED 22 MAY 8.45PM 

For those of you who want to stay out a bit later in Stratford, festival visitors are welcome to use the 

bar at Moxy Hotel until 1.00am each night - it’s just across the road from the cinema! 

For those at the PCC, in the West End - there is a lot of choice. 

HOW TO GET TO STRATFORD 

Stratford Picturehouse is easily accessible 

by public transport. 

By Underground and Rail 

A short walk from Stratford Station (Central 

line, DLR, Jubilee line, Overground and 

National Rail). 

By Bus 

From Stratford train and bus station, 

cross the road and walk through Stratford 

Shopping Centre (the shopping centre 

directly opposite the station). Turn left at 

the central atrium, following the signs for 

the cinema and the Theatre Royal exit. 

The bus routes available are 25, 69, 86, 97, 

104, 108, 158, 238, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 339, 

425, 473 and D3. 

HOW TO GET TO LEICESTER PLACE 

The Prince Charles cinema is just off 

Leicester Square and accessible by public 

transport. 

By Underground and Rail 

A short walk from Leicester Square 

underground station (Northern line, 

Piccadilly line). About a 15 minute walk 

from Charing Cross mainline station. 

By Bus 

Once you enter Leicester Square, look 

for the Vue Cinema or Premier Inn Hotel, 

Leicester Place is a small road heading 

north from the centre of the square. 

The bus routes available are 24, 29, 176. 

Many others stop within 5 minutes walk. 

OUR VENUES: 

STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE (SPH) 

Salway Rd, London E15 1BX 

0871 902 5740 

www.picturehouses.com 

@SEPicturehouse 

PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA (PCC) 

Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY 

020 7494 3654 

www.princecharlescinema.com 

@ThePCCLondon 

SCI-FI-LONDON HQ (HQ) 

Off Charing Cross Road, W1 

to get the exact location, visit 

sfl.to/hackstock 

Ticket prices vary – see relevant pages for booking links online at sci-fi-london.com 


LAST SUNRISE 

SUN 19 MAY 

5.25PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: WEN REN 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

MANDARIN 


RUNTIME: 104 

COUNTRY: CHINA 


In a future reliant on solar 

energy, the world falls into 

chaos after the sun disappears, 

the skies are lit only by the stars 

and the temperature is rapidly 

dropping; eventually, oxygen 

on Earth will be exhausted. 

Yang, a reclusive astronomer, 

and Mu, a neighbour he hardly 

knows, must find their way to a 

supposed sanctuary located in 

District Four. 

Ren’s debut film has a unique 

take on end of days stories with 

spectacularly realised special 

effects showing how different our 

world, and everything that we 

take for granted in it, would look 

in the absence of the Sun. 

It is fantastic to see China 

producing high concept and 

stylish indie sci-fi, don’t miss 

this one. 

UK 

PREMIERE 

16 


THE FINAL LAND 

Across the bleak wilderness, the 

prisoner has escaped, looking 

for a rumoured ship that might 

get him off-world. One of his 

pursuers discovers him aboard 

the craft and instead of turning 

him in declares he also wants a 

way out and together they fly 

away. But who built the ship 

and where did it come from? 

More importantly, where are 

the crew? As they try to answer 

these questions, they hear a 

strange signal and obsessed by 

its origin head toward it. 

This feature debut by Barion is a 

testament to what performance 

and pragmatic use of resources 

can achieve. At times it feels 

like ALIEN, at others like 2001: A 

SPACE ODYSSEY. 

An outstanding science fiction 

story that never once reveals a 

low budget. 

SUN 19 MAY 

8.30PM 

PRINCE 

CHARLES 

DIR: MARCEL 

BARION 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

GERMAN 


RUNTIME: 113 

COUNTRY: 

GERMANY 


UK 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 


ZOO-HEAD 

MON 20 MAY 

6.30PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: NAVIN DEV 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 80 

COUNTRY: UK 


Charlie is a zoo-head, a slang 

term given to junkies addicted 

to a powerful hallucinogenic 

that has memory munching 

side-effects. Squatting in a 

foetid apartment and existing 

on benefits, Charlie is a mess, 

and it is about to get worse. 

The Social Service is forcing 

the long-term unemployed to 

under-go radically experimental 

treatment to get them 

‘normalised’; the only danger 

would be to zoo-heads. Charlie 

gets called in and lies about 

his situation, and so begins his 

treatment. 

With the aesthetic of 

TRAINSPOTTING and the 

weirdness of GROUNDHOG DAY, 

this is a strong debut from Dev. 

Great performances and a great 

soundtrack to boot. 

WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

18 


AFTER WE LEAVE 

Near future, Los Angeles is 

a bleak place: permanent 

recession, water shortages, 

and rising crime. Six years 

ago, Jack abandoned his wife 

and vanished. Now he’s back 

because before he left, they’d 

applied for a visa to emigrate 

to a better life on an off-world 

colony. 

The permit has finally come 

through, but there’s a catch: it’s 

a couple’s visa, and Jack cannot 

leave Earth without his wife. Is 

Jack back because he wants to 

make things right or because he 

needs his wife so he can use this 

“lottery ticket” to a better life? 

Hossain’s debut feature has 

a vibrant script, satisfying 

special effects and outstanding 

performances – the type of film 

this festival searches for every 

year. Don’t miss it. 

MON 20 MAY 

8.45PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: ALEEM 

HOSSAIN 

YEAR: 2019 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 83 

COUNTRY: USA 


WORLD 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 


LUCID 

WED 22 MAY 

6.30PM 

STRATFORD 

PICTUREHOUSE 

DIR: ADAM MORSE 

YEAR: 2018 

LANGUAGE: 

ENGLISH 

RUNTIME: 86 

COUNTRY: UK 

SOURCE: FILM 

FESTIVAL DOCTOR 

A young man practices an 

experimental form of therapy 

after his enigmatic neighbour 

offers to help him overcome 

social anxiety and win the girl of 

his dreams. 

Isolated in a big city with no 

friends, young Zel simultaneously 

fears and craves intimacy. He 

has a pitiful obsession with a 

dancer called Jasmine and is 

caught spying on her by eccentric 

neighbour Elliot (Billy Zane), who 

offers to help him win her heart. 

Lust leads Zel on an intense 

subliminal adventure as Elliot 

teaches him how lucid dreaming 

can be used to practice the art 

of seduction. Will Zel be able to 

charm Jasmine in reality? 

This thought-provoking film, 

with great cinematography and 

luscious production design, will 

stay with you for a long time. 

LONDON 

PREMIERE 

DIRECTOR 

Q & A 

20 


BLINK OF AN EYE 

SHORT FILM SELECTION 

SCI-FI-LONDON loves short film! We think short film is perfect for science fiction, it 

gives filmmakers the chance to play with ideas and high concepts without having to 

add drama for the sake of filling ninety minutes. We’ve watched hundreds of films and 

selected our favourites! We hope you can make it to one of our shorts programmes 

at Stratford Picturehouse - see them on the big screen! 

BEST SHORT FILM 2019 

WITHIN THEIR SHADOW (SHORTS 1) 

(Dir: Caroline Post, USA, 12mins, 2018, English). 

This speculative documentary re-contextualises the narrative of the small-town, 

rural worker, within a future landscape where renewable energy is the current 

industry facing a slow-down. The film juxtaposes interviews with employees of the 

declining sectors of America’s rust belt region and conversations with technologists 

and developers from Palo Alto. It offers different perspectives of those who benefit 

in these imagined futures, and those who are left behind in the shadows of a utopic 

world. A brilliant film that correctly asks “just because we can, should we?” 

WITHIN THEIR SHADOW 

SHORTS 1 

18 MAY 12.30PM 

20 MAY 4.10PM 

21 MAY 8.45PM 

SHORTS 2 

18 MAY 4.40PM 

19 MAY 2.45PM 

21 MAY 1.30PM 

SHORTS 3 

18 MAY 4.50PM 

19 MAY 6.40PM 

21 MAY 4.10PM 

SHORTS 4 

18 MAY 6.55PM 

20 MAY 1.30PM 

21 MAY 6.30PM 

ALL SHORT FILMS SCREEN AT STRATFORD PICTUREHOUSE 


WITHIN THEIR SHADOWS 

SHORTS 1 

WITHIN THEIR SHADOWS 

See page 21 

VINETA & LAURA 

HAMMER DOWN 

PERFECTLY NATURAL 

THE WATCHERS 

THE SHIPMENT 

BLINK 

THE WAY THE FUTURE WAS 

DISSIDENCE (2084) 

FACE SWAP 

VINETA & LAURA 

(Dir: Roberts Kulenko, Latvia, 20mins, 2017, Latvian/English subs). 

Something has crashed in the potato farmers field. The local 

authorities want him out of the way; he just wants to tend his plants 

— a gentle first contact story. 

HAMMER DOWN 

(Dir: Dan Pasto, USA, 3mins, 2018, English). 

Another late night on the job in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. It’s 

supremely dirty work, but it’s a living — a fab animation with dark 

humour and explicit graphic violence. 

PERFECTLY NATURAL 

(Dir: Victor Alonso-Berbel, USA, 13mins, 2018, Mandarin) 

Future Families Inc. offer a virtual parenting system that gives 

babies access to a better life. But this technology comes at a price.. 

THE WATCHERS 

(Dir: Andrew McGee, UK, 8mins, 2018, English). 

Two hundred twenty miles above Earth, four astronauts on board 

the International Space Station are forced to witness the end of the 

human race. 

THE SHIPMENT 

(Dir: Bobby Bala, USA, 13mins, 2018, English). 

An ex-slave trader stranded and broke faces his dark past and 

difficult ethical choices in a desperate attempt to provide a better 

life for his daughter. 

BLINK 

(Dir: Natalie Martins, UK, 2mins, 2018, English) 

A lonely girl who has the world at her fingertips. 

THE WAY THE FUTURE WAS 

(Dir: Raphael Kryszek, USA, 23mins, 2018, English). 

A system error on Matt’s Alexa appears to have saved him from a 

fatal train crash, his co-worker Charlie discovers that he’s caught 

between two realities through a new form of digital time travel. 

DISSIDENCE (2084) 

(Dir: Matthew Brdlik, USA, 10mins, 2018, English). 

In 2084, smartphones are compulsory. One man leaves his at home, 

and he soon discovers the truth about the surveillance state he is 

living in. 

FACE SWAP 

(Dir: David Gidali, Einat Tubi, USA, 5mins, 2018, English). 

A guy convinces his wife to try out a new A.I. technology to spice 

up their sex life, but he ends up getting a bit more spice than he 

bargained for. 

22 


SHORTS 2 

CC 

(Dir: Kailey Spear, Sam Spear, Canada, 14mins, 2018, English). 

CC, is an Artificially Intelligent Nanny. When a violent incident occurs 

between CC and the family, an investigative team must determine 

what happened. 

ATHENA 

(Dir: Nick Walker, USA, 20mins, 2018, English). 

A famous screenwriter has a secret writing AI called Athena. Her 

latest work is so good, she decides she finally deserves artistic credit. 

SOMNIUM 

(Dir: Mayed Al Qasimi, UK, 14mins, 2018, English). 

An intergalactic courier on her final job, with her laconic yet trusted 

ship, must face an unexpected challenge. 

HYPOCHONDRIAC 

(Dir: Carnior, Canada, 5mins, 2018, French/English subs). 

A couple spends their long drive moaning about who feels worse, 

forgetting that “In space, no one can hear you complain”. 

FAULTY FATHER 

(Dir: Benjamin Welmond, USA, 10mins, 2018, English). 

A young father’s morning routine is disturbed when he uncovers his 

wife’s bizarre secret, one that forces him to question his sense of self 

and his role in the family. 

THE LAST 

(Dir: Samuel Turner, Andrew Dobson, UK, 9mins, 2018, English). 

Struggling to survive in isolation, a scientist carries out vital work. 

FLOTATING 

(Dir: Frankie De Leonardis, Spain, 8mins, 2018, Spanish/English subs). 

A Russian astronaut awakes in the ISS space after an accident to 

find a strange guy outside who keeps knocking on the door. 

DROWNING 

(Dir: Pedro Harres, Germany, 5mins, 2018, German). 

Old Hans must learn to swim in the big sea of information that is the 

Internet nowadays. Is he prepared for the overwhelming amount of 

distractions and traps that the online world can offer? 

REGULATION 

(Dir: Ryan Patch, USA, 11mins, 2018, English). 

Behavior-modifying ‘patches’ guarantee happiness for the wearers. 

But Kaleigh, a precocious 10-year old girl, refuses to accept the 

treatment. 

LAB RAT 

(Dir: Nour Wazzi, UK, 15mins, 2018, English). 

A group of scientists trapped in a lab learns that one of them is an 

A.I. and it has been deceiving them. 

CC 

ATHENA 

SOMNIUM 

HYPOCHONDRIAC 

FAULTY FATHER 

THE LAST 

FLOTATING 

DROWNING 

REGULATION 

LAB RAT 


DEEP DISH APOCALYPSE 

RUST IN PEACE 

HASHTAG 

AJI 

THE HEREAFTER 

WATCH ROOM 

MIRACLE DESERT 

ONE IN HUNDREDS 

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEX 

SHORTS 3 

DEEP DISH APOCALYPSE 

(Dir: David Codeglia, United States, 8mins, 2018, English). 

As a zombie-riddled Los Angeles erupts in chaos, two co-workers 

bump into each other beneath the city on an abandoned subway 

platform. 

RUST IN PEACE 

(Dir: Will Welles, United States, 17mins, 2018, English). 

An abandoned robot awakens alone in a junkyard and travels home 

to his creator’s ranch. 

HASHTAG 

(Dir: Ben Alpi, United States, 15mins, 2018, English). 

In a looming future where social media celebrities dominate our 

culture, X is the world’s supreme online icon. But how can X know 

what’s right and what’s fake? 

AJI 

(Dir: Anastasia Berezovsky, United Kingdom, 10mins, 2018, English). 

Maria wakes up a prisoner in Frank’s house and yet seemingly goes 

along with his demands. Will the exact nature of their relationship 

be revealed when unexpected guests arrive? 

THE HEREAFTER 

(Dir: Paul-Anthony Navarro, United States, 11mins, 2018, English). 

When Alex awakes into an afterlife of her own design, she discovers 

that her paradise might just be purgatory. 

WATCH ROOM 

(Dir: Noah Wagner, United States, 17mins, 2018, English). 

Three scientists working to develop human-friendly artificial 

intelligence are at risk when the AI learns it might be shut down, 

and turns the tables on its creators. 

MIRACLE DESERT 

(Dir: Mark Hosack, United States, 13mins, 2019, English). 

Area 51 finds would-be criminals, Casper and Henry, with nothing 

but their wits… or lack thereof… to help them survive before the real 

danger arrives. 

ONE IN HUNDREDS 

(Dir: Mark Towers, United Kingdom, 9mins, 2017, English). 

Daisy explains to her brother the many-universe interpretation of 

quantum physics, and he thinks it’s utterly ridiculous... in quite a lot 

of them. 

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEX 

(Dir: Hikaru Tsukuda, Japan, 4mins, 2018, Japanese/English subs). 

When some fossilised tissues dug up in the Rift Valley, the 

archaeologist and his assistant disagree on what they may have 

been used for. 

24 


SHORTS 4 

THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD 

(Dir: FILHOL Dominique, France, 15mins, 2018, English). 

1957, New York. A Tibetan monk rents an ‘automatic sequence 

computer’. They hope it can help them list all of the names of God. 

Based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke. 

FINAL OFFER 

(Dir: Mark Slutsky, Canada, 12mins, 2018, English). 

Henry, an ambulance-chasing lawyer, wakes up in a mysterious 

room. He’s greeted by a woman who informs him he’s been selected 

to negotiate a deal on behalf of the human race. 

AD INFINITUM 

(Dir: Murat Çetinkaya, Turkey, 13mins, 2018, Turkish/English subs). 

At the centre of a barren and mysterious desert stands the box. Is it a 

cage, prison or the home of real power? 

HIDDEN LIFE 

(Dir: Valeria Brenes, Costa Rica, 15mins, 2018, Spanish/English subs). 

Sam lives in a city governed by an authoritarian regime. She makes 

propaganda television which tells how the outside world is infertile. 

But a chance discovery may change everything. 

GEMINI 

(Dir: Mily Mumford, Canada, 13mins, 2018, English). 

Angie is a star player in the VR Game “Gemini”. On her way 

home she meets Chad on the subway platform. Through their 

conversation, they discover they have a past which is darker than it 

initially seems. 

UNREGISTERED 

(Dir: Sophia Banks, USA, 15mins, 2018, English). 

In a world where the state says ‘One child per home’. Ata witnesses 

the arrest of an unregistered second child and begins to question 

the state of society and confront a secret of her own. 

ZERO 

(Dir: Keith Lynch, David T. Lynch, UK, 15mins, 2018, English). 

After a mysterious electromagnetic pulse renders the world’s 

technology useless, a young girl finds herself isolated and alone with 

only her father’s strict set of rules to keep her alive. 

THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD 

FINAL OFFER 

AD INFINITUM 

HIDDEN LIFE 

GEMINI 

UNREGISTERED 

ZERO 

CAPTAIN TRAER SMILES AT THE STARS 

CAPTAIN TRAER SMILES AT THE STARS 

(Dir: Damian K. Lahey, USA 10mins, 2018, English). 

A fearless captain finds herself adrift in space without hope of 

rescue. She has little time to put her affairs in order. 


VR AND 360 

THE BOOK OF TRUE FEELINGS 

Dir: Jason Ahlquist. 2017, 3mins, USA 

A simple experiment on how performance context cues in virtual 

reality can shape experienced emotion. Ahlquist describes the work 

as an inverse of the Kuleshov experiment that discovered essential 

principles in context cues to convey meaning and emotion in film 

editing. 

SYMPATHETIC THREADS 

Dir: Gregory Ferris. 2018, 13mins, Australia. 

A speculative fantasy drama that follows the characters as they 

interact throughout an evening together. Combining live action, 

animation and a spatialised soundtrack to immerse you in the lives 

of these people. 

ROCKETMAN 360 

Dir: Millo Simulov. 2018, 20mins, Romania. 

A few minutes before taking off to Mars, an astronaut receives a 360 

video from his girlfriend. 

AURORA 

Dir: Aoife Doyle. 2018, 5mins, Ireland. 

Set in a beautiful forest clearing “AURORA” gives the audience space 

to experience the majesty of nature through a time-lapse style 

narrative of day to night, spring to winter and life to death. 

FUTURE WARFARE SIMULATOR: THE YEAR 2030 

Dir: Jason Trembath. 2018, 9mins, Australia. 

The year is 2030. How does the world look? What are the metatrends 

that the global military has to deal with? This 360 film was 

created for the Australian Army’s Future Warfare Directorate. 

EN MACHINA 

Dir: Liam Brady. 2018, 12mins, USA 

Two inventors, Steve and Steve, create the world’s first true artificial 

intelligence in their garage, but it doesn’t seem to be impressed. 

CYBERDREAM VR 

Dir: Jon Weinel. 2019, 3mins, UK 

A virtual hallucination taking you on a journey through the broken 

techno-utopias of cyberspace. A psychedelic world of surrealistic 

rave visuals and vaporwave music. 

THE ALL-SEEING EYE 

Dir: Marius Matesan. 2019, 5mins, UK 

It paints the world differently. A Mixed-Reality Location Based 

Experience, Powered By MagicLeap & SubPac 

THE BOOK OF TRUE FEELINGS 

SYMPATHETIC THREADS 

ROCKETMAN 360 

AURORA 

FUTURE WAR SIMULATOR 

EN MACHINA 

CYBERDREAM VR 

THE ALL-SEEING EYE 

In association with 

LOOK OUT FOR HEADSETS AROUND 

THE FESTIVAL SHOWING OUR VR SELECTION 

26 


ARTIFICIAL REALITIES WITHOUT BOUNDARIES 

#HACKSTOCKV 

Popping up for our 5th 

happening, come join altered 

state pioneers, virtual dreamers, 

cyberdelic creators, and 

reality hackers. Transcend 

the mainstream limitations of 

perception and reality, in our 

secret West End hideaway, for 

three days and by password 

invite entry only. 

Have you ever tripped on 

technology? Traveled to another 

world in your own head? Lost 

all sense of reality? We’re not 

talking about dropping acid 

– just the coded kind – and 

tripping out on mixed reality, 

holograms, mind control and 

more… 

“The atmosphere in the room is electric, 

and captures the latest upsurge in 

cyberculture..” Oxford University Press 

In collaboration with PsychFi and Ravensbourne University 

London: PlayLabZ, come try holograms, virtual reality, mind 

control and other mind-blowing sensory stimulating fun. 

Experience the realtime holographic “Looking Glass” Mirror, take 

a blast of LED LSD with Brain Analyser, get into your ninja groove 

and smash the bass with “Beat Saber”, jack into the Magiverse 

with the freeky pixels of The All Seeing Eye all powered by 

SubPac. 

This is a free event, Thu 16 — Sat 18 May in Soho. 

For access to #HACKSTOCKV visit SFL.TO/HACKSTOCK 


Bunny Galore, our fabulous compère 

SCI-FIDO 

DOG SHOW 

It’s not all serious 

dystopias and paranoia 

at the festival, DOGSTAR 

PHOTOS present our 

cosplay for dogs! In aid of 

the amazing charity, 

ALL DOGS MATTER. 

Got a four-legged friend 

who likes to dress up as a 

sci-fi or fantasy character? 

Or a pooch that looks like 

Leia? Bring them along to 

our ‘dressed-up dog’ photo 

session. Hosted by the 

glamorous Bunny Galore, 

parade your dogs outside 

The Prince Charles 

Cinema on 

SAT 18 MAY at 2.00PM, 

Have your dog professionally 

photographed for free and 

the best dressed dogs will 

win goody bags and 

portrait of their pooch! 

Sign up at sfl.to/dogstar 

THE SCI-FI-LONDON 

Back in 2008 when 

Gareth Edwards 

(GODZILLA, STAR 

WARS: ROGUE ONE) 

won, we had around 50 

teams take part in the 

film challenge. This 

year over 250 teams 

entered! 

48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE 

It’s simple: make a 5 minute short film in two days! 

Each year we have 

incredible films and 

mind-bending stories 

submitted, it just 

goes to show that you 

really don’t need huge 

budgets and special 

effects to make a good 

sci-fi. 

The 2019 film 

challenge has great 

prizes including kit 

from Adobe and 

Black Magic Design 

and support from 

ShootingPeople, 

Dolby and EditPool. 

The winners of this year’s challenges are announced at our awards ceremony 

on TUE 21 MAY, 2019. The awards party is invitation only, but to win entry and 

see the shortlist visit SFL.TO/48awards 

THE 2019 JURY 

Bears Rebecca Fontē, Jim Al-Khalili, Kate Crowe, 

Nicola Pearcey, Leon Clarence and The BFI Network 

top down: Bears Rebecca Fonte, Jim Al-Khalili, Kate Crowe, Nicola Pearcey, Leon Clarence 

28 


SCI-FI-LONDON 

CREDITS AND THANKS 

Festival Producer 

Social Media Jedi: 

Digital Marketing team: 

Web Developer: 

Staff Wrangler: 

Festival PR: 

Hackstock Curator: 

Marta Calderón Quiñones 

Georgie Knight 

Siri Margrete Saxberg Brudevold 

Ines Silva 

Samantha Slapikaite 

Manyu Yang 

Shazad Ahmed 

Ali Hall 

Frazer Nash Communications & PR 

James Marks 

As is typical in the printed festival programme, we would like to thank 

our friends and supporters for helping the festival this year. In no order, but 

deserving of a special mention are: 

Thomas Atherton 

Territory Studio for our lovely poster 

Ketan Majmudar 

David Lally 

Alex Fitch for those excellent Q&As 

The staff at Picturehouse Stratford 

The staff at The Prince Charles Cinema 

The challenge jurors 

Ian Morrison 

Suzanne Gorman 

Roberto Pita Arcones 

Tom Hunter 

Lorraine Savy 

Amanda Roberts 

Tony Watts 

James Peart & Liz Zitzow 

Henry Scott-Irvine 

Marek Stevens 

Strike Media 

Wez Merchant 

Adelle Drover 

Appear Here 

MyFilmClub 

Phil Edwards 

Brian Bovell 

Rebekah Louisa Smith 

All the people who pushed their films 

our way. 

Our lovely sponsors and partners 

And all the festival volunteers – 

couldn’t do it without them. 

Sure we have stupidly forgotten a 

few and of course there are those 

who, quite rightly, wish to remain 

anonymous – we thank you all! 

Errors and omissions? Probably. Sorry if we made a few typos etc.

DISCOVERING 

CREATING 

EVOLVING 

fcml.uk 

PROUD TO SUPPORT 

SFL19 : 15-22 MAY 2019

2019PROGRAMME-WEB

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