Indie Science Fiction Cinema Today : Conversations with 21st Century Filmmakers

Much of 20th century science fiction foretold technological and social developments beyond the year 2000. Since then, a key theme has been: what happens when the future no one anticipated arrives faster than anyone expected? Focusing on 21st century independent science fiction films, the author describes a seismic shift in subject matter as society moves into a new technological age. Independent films since the millennium are more daring, incisive and even plausible in their depiction of possible futures than blockbuster films of the same period. Twenty-one chapters break down today's subgenres, featuring interviews with the filmmakers who created them. Cover Table of Contents Introduction 1. Extraterrestrial Encounters Jamie Nash (Altered) • Daniel Myrick (The Objective) • Clay Liford (Earthling) 2. Surviving the Mysterious Event Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Resolution) • Michael J. Kospiah (The Suicide Theory) 3. The Shifting Sands of Time Merlin Dervisevic (Cruel & Unusual) • B.P. Cooper (Time Lapse) • Kurt Kuenne (Shuffle) 4. Experiencing a World Not Our Own Gerald McMorrow (Franklyn) • Darren Paul Fisher (Frequencies) • Craig Goodwill (Patch Town) • Juan Solanas (Upside Down) 5. An Infinity of Alternate Dimensions Jeff Waltrowski (It Came from Yesterday) • James Ward Byrkit (Coherence) • Jason Thomas Scott (Tympanum) 6. The History of Alternate Histories Richard Raaphorst (Frankenstein’s Army) • Timo Vuorensola (Iron Sky) • Anouk Whissell (Turbo Kid) 7. New Inventions and Technologies Ben Carland (Shadows on the Wall) • Timothy Lanzone (Travelling Salesman) • Brett Ryan Bonowicz (The Perfect 46) 8. Journeys Through an Endless Cosmos Geoff Marslett (Mars) • Chance Shirley (Interplanetary) • Clive Dawson (The Last Days on Mars) 9. The Enemy Within Neil McEnery-West (Containment) • Tony Burgess (Pontypool) 10. DealIng With Artificial IntellIgence Shane Acker (9) • Christopher Ford (Robot & Frank) • James Felix McKenney (Automatons) 11. The Fall, and What Comes After Paul S. Myers (5 Shells) • Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings) • Harry Ralston (The Last Man) • Jim Mickle (Stake Land) 12. There Can Be Only One Paul Hough (The Human Race) • Ben Carland (Sol) • Stuart Hazeldine (Exam) • Mario Miscione (Circle) 13. Dystopian Futures Brandon Drake (Visioneers) • Josh Feldman (Senn) • Justin Trefgarne (Narcopolis) 14. Alongside the Secret Society Jeff Pointer (Ink) • Tom Woodruff, Jr. (Fire City: End of Days) • Jennifer Liao (End of Days, Inc.) 15. Unnatural Selection Alec Gillis (Harbinger Down) • Oklahoma Ward (Crawl or Die) 16. ConfrontIng Global Disasters Todd Berger (It’s a Disaster) • Sophia Cacciola (Magnetic) 17. The Rise of Superpowers Andrew Droz Palermo (One & Two) 18. Science Fiction and Fake Documentaries Karl Mueller (Mr. Jones) • Philip Gelatt (Europa Report) 19. The Fantastical Worlds of Musicals Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut) • Paul Bunnell (The Ghastly Love of Johnny X) • Rod Bingaman (Ripped!) 20. The Romance of Science Fiction Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring) • Brian Ackley (Alienated) • Tom Large (Beyond) 21. The Future of Our Cinematic Futures Further Reading Index "Focusing on 21st century independent science fiction films, the author describes a shift in subject matter as society moves into a new technological age. Independent films since the millennium are more daring, incisive and plausible in their depiction of possible futures than blockbuster films of the same period. The text features interviews with the filmmakers who created them"-- Provided by publisher