Japanese filmmaker Yusuke Nakamae talks about making a sci-fi film about the future of AI. FYI: It’s not going to go well. But he has to make an anti AI film using AI.
The Third World War has left Earth’s resources depleted, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. Learning from the repeated mistakes of history, humanity turns to the advanced decision-making capabilities of AI to find a path forward. The solution proposed by the AI is an ambitious plan: transporting energy from outer space back to Earth.
The release of ChatGPT in 2022 really sparked something in me.As a UX designer at Hulu Japan, I’ve always been close to technology and digital experiences—but that moment made me seriously reflect on what creativity means in an age where AI can generate content.That question became the seed of ECHOES.The sci-fi setting naturally came from my own personal taste and the kinds of stories I love to watch and tell.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was deeply moved and surprised by how many people picked up on the symbolism and emotional undertones. Seeing that the themes I care about resonated across borders and cultures was incredibly rewarding.
This is a story about a woman named Sarika, my mother – “the lady who records”… “Addicted” to documenting her life in photos and video, and to the memories they bring up for her, over and over again. This is a personal, Israeli and human story told through the dialogues with her daughters and grandchildren. And it shares the human phenomena of – the reduction of memory and sometimes even its loss. Sarika teaches us to document the memories, which give meaning to our lives and to the future generations.
Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
The feature, Sarika, is a true walk down memory lane. It is a joy to meet this senior Israeli woman as she reveals a multitude of archival materials she has collected over the years. The production is a labour of love, as her family and friends come together to reminisce about many years of experiences and familiar locations. While Sarika initially acknowledges that her short-term memory is diminished due to aging, it is her consistent effort to write down her thoughts and feelings and her long-term habit of labelling all her photos from her past that provide her with excitement.
It is particularly touching when she is shown with younger members of her family and imparts her wisdom and memories to them. It is also sweet to hear her sing familiar songs with some of her relatives, friends and neighbours. Another moving element is getting to witness an interview with her and her three siblings who are all still alive and thriving and living in the same area together – – it is lovely seeing old photos of the four of them when they were all young and vibrant, despite some socio-political tensions of the time.
The cinematography is fabulous when it captures expressions of the various people she meets, in addition to zooming in on her face to see how she reacts when she hears stories from those she knew long ago. The subtle soundtrack never overwhelms – – a gentle acoustic guitar strums below this project of moving sentiment. Intimate moments are sometimes painful to watch as participants relay how much they miss their loved ones who have long since passed on, but the project also provides the viewer with optimism. Sarika promises to provide further insights in a future book and walk down yet another path of memory and revelation.
From winning screenwriter Ama Adair, ORIGIN STORY is about a woman, Elyse Tyson, who wakes from a coma to find herself in prison with no memory. Everything that made her who she was is gone; her life turned into a living nightmare. And she’s still responsible for what she did. She’s a serial killer. Or at least she was. We follow Elyse as she tries to piece together who she is now by delving into her past, even if that means losing herself again.
The vicious attack that almost killed her erased all that she was. But not what she did. Elyse Tysoni s shocked to learn her taped confessions remove any hope of escaping her nightmare. Desperate for a lifeline, her only option is to be studied by Doctor Steve Bennett, a psychologist who specializes in psychopaths, to prove she is no longer a threat. But as the study progresses, it’sclearthere’smore to herstory than anyone knew.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
ORIGIN STORY is about a woman, Elyse Tyson, who wakes from a coma to find herself in prison with no memory. Everything that made her who she was is gone; her life turned into a living nightmare. And she’s still responsible for what she did. She’s a serial killer. Or at least she was. We follow Elyse as she tries to piece together who she is now by delving into her past, even if that means losing herself again.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Psychological Thriller
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Beyond immersing the audience in a thrilling journey into the dark recesses of the human mind, ORIGIN STORY explores what makes us who we are and the meaning of justice. By putting those concepts to the test in a scenario that is an extreme contrast to what most of us experience, it makes difficult subjects easier to digest and provokes discussion.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Relentless suspense
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
It’s a toss-up between Terminator 2 and The Princess Bride.
Singer/Songwriter Olivia Millin and her team decided to shoot part of their music video in the heart of Times Square in New York City. Conversation about how they pulled it off. When you decide to shoot somewhere without a permit in one of the busiest areas in the world, people will let you do it!!!
Conversation with Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Milessis Braga on making his horror film and deciding to make it a Black & White film. Gabriel chats about the perspective of the audience seeing a film not in colour and the context of that choice.
After collapsing at the altar, Elise awakens inside an old church, and something inside her has changed. Guided by a mysterious man who seems to understand her condition, she begins to confront a new, terrifying hunger. The First Night is a gothic meditation on becoming, resistance, and the quiet seduction of darkness in our lifes.
Terrence and Aisha hesitate to forfeit aspects of their relationship after a recent breakup. As their continued bond begins to threaten new relationships, they are forced to confront their willingness to move forward.
What motivated you to make this film? I originally wrote and directed the first edition of “When It’s Over” in 2019. While that short film was semi-autobiographical, I was intrigued by the idea of a narrative that focuses on how the characters deal with the aftermath of a relationship. With that central idea in mind, I crafted this version of the film to explore what happens when two exes refuse to cut ties completely and the different ways their decision could affect both them and the people around them.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I began plotting out the idea and characters in late 2018, and the film premiered in 2022.
How would you describe your film in two words!? Sneaky Familiarity…
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? During post-production, I almost lost the entire film when the drive holding all of my files suddenly crashed. I was on the verge of a panic attack, as I was worried that all of the work I had done over the course of 4 years was swirling down the drain (not to mention all of the amazing contributions from the actors!). Luckily, I was able to salvage all of the files with the gracious support of the good folks at Best Buy’s Geek Squad! In general, post-production and editing was by far the biggest challenge. The writing came naturally, and directing was fun because I already had a pretty clear vision in mind. Putting all the pieces together in post was taxing not only because it’s tedious work, but because I felt a lot of pressure to get it right for the sake of all the work I’d already invested in making the film. In the end, though, a valuable lesson was learned: make sure you back up every file!
A woman who loves eggs but one day, she is haunted by an egg monster.
1. What motivated you to make this film?
My name is Bao and Eggsecution is a film born out of my love for eggs and eating eggs. My grandmother has always berated me for eating way too many eggs a human being could handle and often chided me for doing so, warning that one day i would gain an allergy from doing so. When i moved here to the states from Singapore, i was given free liberty to eat all the eggs i wanted since i was no longer living with my family. in that way, i was unleashed. But there was always a nagging feeling at the back of my head telling me that maybe theres some wrong in eating so many eggs a day. Hence, this film was born from that fear that was ingrained in me since young. And because I love horror and genre so much, i decided to put a fun twist into both the visuals and story of this film.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The film roughly had a timeline of 6 to 8 months. Because of the support from American Film Institute., I was allowed access to shoot on 35mm film – the Panavision Millennium xl2, 3 perf and in addition, with the support and generous donation from Kodak, we shot on 50D celluloid film – which was an amazing opportunity. My facility head and mentors, Stephen Lighthill, Sandra Valde-Handsen and Sara Ross Samko were very supportive of the original pitch for my visual essay and we eventually had to tailor it down to smaller ideas and smaller spaces due to budgetary and location restraints. But i am still extremely proud of the team that managed to make this happen! Thank you for selecting Eggsecution as part of your line up in the Experimental Film Festival!
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Disgusting and Delicious!
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
One of the biggest obstacles i faced was budgetary restraints. Because this film was self funded and i knew i was not working at that time, i had to save and set aside a workable budget for my film. Though equipment was provided by AFI, it was still a big project considering that i wanted to use SFX and practical effects and costume changes, along with the build of the monster in the film. My costume designer – Kai Burns and my SFX artist – Daniel Sukara were the MVPs, coming down to AFI to do countless tests to make sure the colours of the wigs, gooey, eggs and monsters were of the right shades of colour and effects could work seamlessly.
5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.
What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process? Being a DP, the favourite part of filmmaking definitely has to be the production phase of it . “egg-secution” of it. get it. hah. but yea preproduction also comes really close but nothing beats the adrenaline rush of making things come alive after you have painfully prepped for a long time!
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I initially started photography as a passion. my dad passed me my first camera when i was 6 years old. It was only in university where i made a shitty Blair Witch Project copy trailer with my friends that i had discovered the thrill and fun of collaborating with people to make something together! ever since then, 8 or 10 years have passed and here i am, still making films! haha.
7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
I’ve probably seen Hereditary as well as Ratatouille an unhealthy amount of times. haha.
8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
In a perfect world, i would really like to collaborate with Ari Aster, one of my all time favourite directors. I would also love to work on an animated film because i feel there is such a strong amount of craft in visual storytelling there that is unsaid and yet to be uncovered!
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
The experience so far has been really really smooth!
10. What is your favorite meal?
My favourite meal is without a doubt- anything with eggs. haha.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
I’m currently writing a short and applying for a grant in Singapore. I’m also in talks with a few directors about shooting a short or two 🙂 excited to explore more in LA and gain more great experiences and collaborators in filmmaking!
Always and Forever, 22min., USA Directed by Johnny Thames An obsessive, controlling teenager kidnaps her boyfriend to play a bizarre, self destructive game. But things become complicated when the boy demands a stop. The film comments on how trauma if not confronted and resolved will lead to co-dependent and potentially destructive results, while providing enough empathy toward accountability.
In all honesty, it was a couple of things: the main reason was the way we perceive trauma survivors and the way media depicts these types of stories. We either view them as calm and composed or emotional messes.
Additionally, many stories often depict survivors as infantilized victims needing help or as inherent monsters. The point of the film was to show it’s not black and white, it’s usually somewhere in the middle of all of this.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
From development to post-production, about a year and a half on and off.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Empathetic critique
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle was the casting of Jennifer Baufour as Janice: When I first saw her tape, it stood out to me; I thought she understood the character, so I opted to cast her. The only issue was that the role wasn’t fully realized.
In response, I wrote the epilogue that plays over the credits, leaning into the nuance the film was going for. Writing the monologue was almost instantaneous, showcasing a woman who had gone through the effects of unresolved trauma and was now trying to make up for the consequences while being the parent she should’ve been years ago.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was ecstatic to see people recognize the themes of the film, yet also surprised that people didn’t realize that Sarah had taken the first step toward breaking the cycle of abuse. When she breaks the mirror, she makes a conscious choice to not be like her mother and accept how her actions impact others. While she won’t have any children, she has the chance to heal after years of holding on to her trauma while simultaneously denying its impact on her.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I was a kid. I was obsessed with movies, specifically Spielberg and old Disney films. Instantaneously, I wanted to be a director, though I did diversify into theatre (and take a break from filmmaking) after realizing how strenuous it could be. However, it always stuck with me: In middle school, I was writing scripts and wanting to direct plays. As a teenager, I would spend hours writing (thankfully) unrealized materials for film and theatre.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Blazing Saddles, The Producers, Hundreds of Beavers, The End of Evangelion, Man of La Mancha, and Peter Pan
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Following the screenings, I think it would be interesting to have the filmmakers answer any questions audience members have in a follow-up video. This would show how each filmmaker interacts with their audience and build camaraderie and community.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Pretty easy, I’ve been using the site both as a former programmer for The Syracuse International Film Festival (shout out to Michelle DiBernardo for being an amazing boss!) and as a filmmaker for about seven months now. There was a bit of a learning curve from a programming perspective, but overall, using the site has been like shopping on Amazon.
10. What is your favorite meal?
Pad Thai, Porkchops, Salmon.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Quite a lot! I’m currently a casting director for a feature film and two MFA Thesis Films for my producer, Luisa Bott.
I’m also founding a film studio with Luisa, Anthony Cuomo, and Ying Su, in preproduction on a fantasy short about a young girl who finds herself in a magical world of discourse and in development on a surreal satirical dark comedy-drama feature.
Two intertwined stories of cause, and effect. A story highlighting the deep-rooted issues of silence, complicity, negligence, and unchecked cruelty that lead to a vicious cycle of violence doomed to repeat itself.
Get to know Producer Mark Hulsewe:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
I am tired of witnessing endless school shootings with leaders and politicians not acknowledging why this is happening. Kids and teenagers brutally humiliate and abuse each other with it being dismissed as kids being kids or boys will be boys.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Five years
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Inconvenient truth
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Finding a school that would allow us to replicate a shooting on property
5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development.
What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
Right now seeking distribution because I am seeing the impact it has having on audiences.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When Covid shut the world down
7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
Inception
8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
Selena Gomez due to her stance on mental health advocacy
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Positive
10. What is your favorite meal?
Baked potato soup
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Turning this short into a feature or TV series. Also creating a documentary exposing Columbine High School for it’s brutal environment that created the conditions for the most infamous school shooting in history.
A delightful blend of adventure and emotional depth, reminiscent of films like “Finding Nemo,” where the bond between characters drives the narrative through perilous waters. I thought of “The Shape of Water” as well, with its unique exploration of relationships between humans and extraordinary creatures, creating a sense of wonder and connection. Additionally, “A Monster Calls” came to mind, as it beautifully intertwines fantastical elements
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
The screenplay is about Gilly, a decades old, extremely intelligent Giant Pacific Octopus who lives in the Mermaid’s Cave in Oahu where she has been gifted an information hub by her marine biologist friend. As time passes, Gilly enhances her ability to shape shift and learns how to communicate. In present day, she saves a government agent who is drowning in the ocean. Their relationship is at the center of the character driven story which unfolds like a chaotic, humorous, fast paced rollercoaster. It climaxes with Gilly and her new found friends saving the Arizona Memorial from attack from North Korea’s marine biology program.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
My story fits the following genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thriller, Comedy, with slight traces of Horror. It is suitable for all ages. It can be animated, use live actors, or be a combination of both.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I have received extremely positive feedback from multiple industry evaluators. I will use the review by the International Screenwriters’ Association to answer this question. “The project presents a distinctive blend of science fiction and emotional drama, anchored by the unlikely relationship between Slip, a disillusioned former agent, and an intelligent, shapeshifting octopus named Gilly. Their connection provides both the narrative’s emotional center and its conceptual novelty, exploring trust, survival, and empathy in an unconventional yet interesting context.
The tone operates in a deliberately hybrid register, merging high-concept science fiction with a light, often self-aware humor. In its best moments, this tonal elasticity creates a sense of discovery and curiosity, it allows for levity in scenes that might otherwise risk melodrama. The concept itself, an intelligent, shapeshifting octopus that engages with humanity, is imaginative and commercially distinctive, particularly in a cinematic landscape with familiar properties. What makes it notable is not simply its novelty but its potential for visual and tonal contrast, the serene oceanic imagery juxtaposed with covert operations, and the organic intelligence of a sea creature contrasted with human technology.
Overall, this screenplay’s originality and emotional core position it as a distinctive and engaging piece with strong cinematic potential.”
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Summer Blockbuster.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Three Amigos or Jesus Christ Superstar.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I began in the fall of 2024 and have made some changes based on feedback that has strengthened my product in the areas of formatting, character depth and a more complete and satisfying ending, the last of which I just recently included. I visited Hawaii in December of 2024 to help me with creativity and authenticity. In late December, I completed and copyrighted my screenplay.
7. How many stories have you written?
In university, I wrote two plays, I Meet My Creator and The Man Who Hated Everything, both comedies, both sellouts. The Man Who hated Everything received an award for best play. Over the past five years, I have written The Octopus’s Garden and The Dreamcatcher of Rehoboth Beach, a character driven historical fantasy. Both are in screenplay and novel format. The Dreamcatcher was number 3 in Fantasy on Coverfly’s Red List in October of 2022.
8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I watched My Octopus Teacher and a National Geographic documentary on octopuses. I then imagined an octopus who is decades old and highly intelligent. My original concept was to write a horror screenplay based on a scene where the octopus visits a sushi bar and destroys the place after seeing octopus sushi being served. I was telling my golf friends about the idea since they loved The Dreamcatcher, and they sent me some pictures that motivated the characters Slip and Admiral Hess. The picture of Admiral Hess changed my approach to a fast-paced comedy. Adding a baby to the sushi scene and a bug riddled robot dog provided tools for comedic moments. I also wanted to leverage some of Leo Gorcey’s, aka Slip Mahoney’s, creative use of language, which I instilled in Alana. There are other references to comedies of the past scattered through. That is how I settled on the name Gilly. I made her clumsy enough to earn that name. It is funny and warm that she loves those old comedy shows.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Proof reading is hard work.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I like nature, golf, sports, delicious food and trying to find the humor in everything.
11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
. I enjoyed the YouTube reading and would like to explore that some more, perhaps picking a more robust scene and developing a visual for Gilly.
Festival Reviews 