The Clause by Jupiter Surprise, a previous submission to the 48-hour Film Challenge
In February, we asked you to send us science-fiction scenarios you’d like to see on the big screen. Now six of your best ideas are all set to inspire this year’s entrants to Sci-Fi-London’s 48-hour Film Challenge, the largest competition of its kind in the world. It tasks teams to come up with a new and original short film, from concept to shooting, editing and delivery, all in the space of a weekend.
Some of the one-liners you sent us really got under our skin. Sandra Sackett wondered what would happen if the common cold was tampered with (and not in a good way); in Klaus Mogensen’s “Young Blood”, meanwhile, unemployed youth of the near future sell their blood to the wealthy and aged, who use it for rejuvenation. (Anyone who thinks that’s far-fetched needs to read more medical history.)
Artificial intelligences continue to charm us and chill us in about equal measure. Johann Chipol asks whether, in a world where everyone has their own AI assistant, one of these could be smart enough to do something terrible, like cover up a murder?
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According to Jane Bromley, though, if the AI really was smart, it would probably find better things to do. Her film idea has a robot with deep learning software guiding visitors around a gallery by day and, inspired by its day job, making its own art at night.
We asked for solid scientific ideas – and Terence Kuch proved rather good at slipping magic past us, with an idea about a technology that allows you to medically “un-remember” an event, but leaves the unwanted memories orphaned and looking for a home.
No one could beat Melissa Sterry for sheer eeriness, though. Her scenario involves a child bringing home an innocuous-looking egg, which turns out to contain a new kind of human.
Our six finalists will receive an invitation to this year’s 48-hour Film Challenge awards ceremony on 4 May at Stratford Picturehouse. Jane Bromley’s optimistic (and very filmable) take on AI made her our overall winner; she also wins two tickets to New Scientist Live, our festival of ideas and discovery, at ExCeL London from 22 to 25 September.
