Kate Armstrong
Kate Armstrong is a Vancouver-based writer, artist, and curator with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of art and technology. Her interdisciplinary practice spans participatory work, generative text systems, video, and experimental narratives, with exhibitions featured globally, including at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius, ISEA 2006 in San Jose, and the Yerba Buena Centre in San Francisco. Armstrong has also made significant contributions as a curator, founding Upgrade Vancouver and the Goethe Satellite, and serving as Artistic Director of ISEA2015, which brought together over 150 artists in partnership with major Vancouver galleries.
In addition to her curatorial work, Armstrong has been involved in numerous organizations, serving as past President of the Western Front and on boards like BC Artscape and the Vancouver Art Gallery, where she currently chairs the Acquisitions Committee. She also founded Startland, supporting free training for immigrants entering the tech sector, and the Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship at Emily Carr University, fostering emerging artists. Armstrong's written contributions span publications such as *P.S.1/MoMa* and *Blackflash*, with her works held in collections like the Whitney Museum and Cornell University. She currently serves as Director of Living Labs at Emily Carr University and Co-Director of AI Futures for Art + Design.
10:00-10:20 Welcome
Pacific future: AI & Film Event Pacific Future: AI & Film Event
Welcome
Kate Armstrong and Michael Tippett welcome all guests and speakers to the event.
10:20 - 10:50 - AI Film Screening Session 1
Pacific future: AI & Film Event Pacific Future: AI & Film Event
AI Film Screening Session 1
Robort by Nobody & The Computer:
Set in a future where robots have taken over significant roles in society, this film centers on Robert, a former aspiring singer who has settled into life as an accountant. With robots increasingly integrated into everyday life, Robert loses his job, girlfriend, and band. The film explores themes of resilience, identity, and the human spirit amidst the rise of technology..
Lapse by YZA Voku:
A reflection on how the passing of time makes you belong nowhere, as if you were just another tune in the middle of a set of stations. Winner of the "Best Craft" award in the 2nd edition of the AI Short Film Competition GEN:48 at RunwayML..
My Inner Child by Julie Wieland:
A deep dive into the psyche of Ronald as he explores the labyrinth of his mind. This piece is about self-reflection and confronting the often unsettling voices within. I used a melancholic and somewhat strange visual style to represent the cluttered chaos and unkind reality that Ronald experiences. The aim was to capture the feeling of being lost in one's own thoughts, like a child running wild in a maze. The imagery and lyrics work together to create a surreal and introspective atmosphere, inviting viewers to connect with their own inner child and the complexities of navigating adult life..
Thought Landscape by Maria Pokrovskaya:
This film is a poetic attempt to reflect on the nature of imagination, which today materializes at an unprecedented speed, literally at the speed of thought. What exactly is a thought itself? Сan AI think?.
How to Poison Art. A Step-by-Step Guide, by Mindeye:
This AI film is a humorous guide on how to 'destroy' art with all means possible or impossible. Shortlisted in Runway's GEN:48 Competition and AI Film Academy Awards..
EP08 - Mystères Amers - Les Mystiques by Ethereal Moon:
"Mystères Amers" pays tribute to LeMoon’s childhood and culture. The inspiration was taken from a French mystery book she knew and loved growing up, based on real-life mysteries often without resolution. The videos reflect themes of love, loss, and mysteries beyond our comprehension..
Soft Creatures by BORA:
A multi-sensory entity exploring love, hope, identity, and intimacy through an audiovisual quest. The project explores imaginary landscapes as a way of manifesting reality with joy as a form of revolt. It aims to create tender portals, accompanied by a wish to queer futures and representations where intimacy is political..
Delivery Included by Leilanni Todd:
Delivery Included is a film that imagines a fictional ad for a puffer jacket, with a playful twist on the term "delivery included." The film features drone-to-doorstep delivery, even if that doorstep is perched high up in a canyon. Created using Runway's Gen-3 Early Access Text to Video and relying solely on text prompts, the film explores cloth simulations, weightlessness, and tests how the new model handles 3D textured letters.Everyone is Chair by Leilanni Todd:
Everyone Is Chair is a short film about a woman whose obsession with inflatable chairs leads to a bizarre phenomenon..
Navigating through the Mid-Size World of Matter by Stacie Ant & Guile Twardowski
An experimental multi-media animation that takes viewers on a journey into the microcosm of the human body. Inspired by Richard Dawkins' insights into life's complexity, the piece presents a unique exploration of our internal world.
11:15 - 12:15 Aesthetics, Processes and Impacts
Pacific future: AI & Film Event Pacific Future: AI & Film Event
Panel 1: New AI Filmmakers and Creators: Aesthetics, Processes, and Impacts
Panelists will explore how AI is reshaping aesthetics and challenging traditional visual norms and forms. Topics will include the practical impacts of AI-enabled tools on creative workflows and capabilities, highlighting what artists and filmmakers can now achieve, and how AI is democratizing filmmaking by lowering barriers and empowering new voices, leading to innovative forms of expression, distribution methods, and emerging creative communities. Featuring Manuel Sainsily, Stacie Ant, and Loretta Todd. Moderated by Kate Armstrong.
14:40 - 15:10 AI Film Screening Session 2
Pacific future: AI & Film Event Pacific Future: AI & Film Event
AI Film Screening Session 2
Protopica by Manuel Sainsily & Will Selviz:
An impressionistic film with voiceover in Guadeloupean Creole, created in collaboration with Open AI..
Hardcore 94 by Dave Clark:
Inspired by 90s Compton life, the film combines elements of hip hop, horror, zombies, and aliens, drawing from Clark’s childhood and a feature film in development..
Creature by The Reel Robot:
When a rogue scientist's synthetic creature escapes captivity, it unveils a sinister medical secret and unleashes a vengeful rampage in a modern twist on Frankenstein..
Open Source by Metapuppet:
A thrilling narrative where Dave discovers he's living in a simulated universe and faces a race against time to save his existence by escaping into a decentralized digital world..
Capitol of Conformity by Aze Alter:
Set in a retro-futuristic metropolis, the film explores a world where the pursuit of joy has hidden costs..
The Prometheus Expedition by Abel Art:
A haunting exploration of the unknown, following an expedition through eerie landscapes where reality blurs with the unimaginable.
16:45 - 17:00 Closing Reflections
Pacific future: AI & Film Event Pacific Future: AI & Film Event
Closing Reflections