NOAH WAGNER - Director | Writer

A DUST / GUNPOWDER & SKY EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE

WINNER
Jury Award - Best Dramatic Short - Sonoma International Film Festival
Cthulhu Award for Best Sci-Fi Film - FilmQuest
Gold Award - Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Queen Palm Film Festival
Best Director - Cordillera International Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Cleveland International Film Festival (Oscar-Qualifier)
Hollyshorts Film Festival (Oscar-Qualifier)
Sci-Fi London Film Festival
Lower East Side Film Festival
Sidewalk Film Festival
Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival
Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival
FilmQuest
Norwalk Film Festival
Deep Focus Film Festival
Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival
Queen Palm Film Festival

Featuring
Nate | MAMOUDOU ATHIE
Kate | NATALIE PAUL
Bernie | JACOB BATALON
Chloe | ALICE KREMELBERG
Larry | GARY TEITELBAUM

Director | NOAH WAGNER
Writer | MICHAEL KOEHLER
Producers | JULIA ELAINE MILLS, MIKE KANEY II & SCOTT AMENTA
Executive Producers | DAVID SHELDON HICKS & JOSH KOEHLER

Casting | MATTHEW GLASNER
Director of Photography | NICK WALKER
Production Design | NICHOLAS TONG
Art Director | DANIEL KOENIG PORTER
Costume Design, Hair & Make Up | CHRISTINE SCIORTINO

Sound Design & Mix | RIC SCHNUPP
Music | MIKE WITZER
Editor | NOAH WAGNER
Visual Effects | TERRITORY STUDIO

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

08/03/2016

While Watch Room might be considered both science and fiction, its core concerns are far more rooted in the former. Luminaries across scientific disciplines have warned of the perils inherent in developing AI. The trouble is, I think humans tend to be more reactive than proactive when it comes to abstract issues, and moreover, have more immediate concerns - like paying rent and putting food on the table. And to make matters worse, I know I’m no exception myself -- this flaw is a part of my own hard-wiring.

Therein lies the crux of why I was driven to make this film. Despite an evolving canon of grounded AI material, the way AI has typically been portrayed on-screen has become synonymous with artificially-conscious androids rebelling against their human masters. That makes for great entertainment, but it clouds the issue and hyperbolizes the reality of it. There is certainly risk, but I remain cautiously optimistic as long as we’re responsible “parents”. Just as in any parent-child dynamic, the child inevitably surpasses the parent’s capabilities. How that child behaves once it gains independence, however, is greatly influenced by how it was raised and what it was taught. To me, the precious dynamic of that relationship – between Nate and Kate – is at the heart of this film.

In consulting with leading AI scientists, we sought to create a more nuanced portrayal of the spirit behind the conversations happening in research labs around the world today. With this in mind, we hope audiences come away from this film with a renewed sense of curiosity for the subject and a cautiously optimistic attitude toward our future.

A Work of Ark Production


OFFICIAL TRAILER

ORIGINAL KICKSTARTER PROMO