FUTURESTATES: Ten Short Films, Ten Visions of the Future by Ten Diverse Indie Filmmakers to Premiere at SXSW 2011
Series Explores What Will Become of America 20, 30, 50 Years from Today
(San Francisco, CA, February 11, 2011) - What if you were given a glimpse into what America will be like 20, 30, or even 50 years from now? Would it change the way you live today? Now in its second season, the FUTURESTATES series aims to answer these questions through a collection of 10 fictional shorts that explore possible future scenarios through the lens of today's global realities. Produced by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and created by established filmmakers and emerging talents, FUTURESTATES will debut March 13, 2011, exclusively at the SXSW Film Festival in the Short Film program category. Following the SXSW premiere, full episodes of FUTURESTATES will be available on www.futurestates.tv, with subsequent distribution on pbs.org.
FUTURESTATES is a series of fictional, short film features visualizing a new American society, just as we find ourselves at a paradoxical moment with both growing hardships and opportunities. Environmental degradation continues alongside an explosion of new clean and independent energy sources; political polarization and apathy is challenged by participatory technology; globalization both connects and divides us in ways unimaginable just a decade ago. FUTURESTATES aims to tackle these global issues and their implications by fusing an exploration of social issues with elements of speculative and science fiction.
Each episode presents an independent filmmaker's vision of what life might look like in an America of the future.
"When making a film about the future you have to really take stock of what's going on right now," said Barry Jenkins director of Remigration, a short set to debut as part of the series. "In the process of making the film, you begin to try and come up with solutions right now to address these things that you're making the film about."
The first season of FUTURESTATES included contributions from acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani, whose mini-feature entitled Plastic Bag is narrated by the legendary Werner Hertzog, Greg Pak 's Mister Green, and Tze Chun's Silver Sling. Six of the 10 episodes will make their festival debut at SXSW including, Beholder by Nisha Ganatra, Remigration by Barry Jenkins, Asparagus by Robby Henson, White by A. Sayeeda Clarke, The Dig by Bennett Cohen, and That Which Once Was by Kimi Takesue.
For more information about FUTURESTATES, visit www.futurestates.tv/about/
For more information about SXSW, visit www.sxsw.com
For more information about ITVS, visit www.itvs.org
CONTACT Krissy Bailey, ITVS 415-356-8383 x 254 krissy_bailey@itvs.org