Wow! So there’s a pinch-me moment going on today! I won BEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAY at the 12th The Philip K Dick Festival last weekend, with my feature script, THE BOY WHO FOUND INFINITY This is really super news and hopefully can become another key step towards getting the project into production Thanks so much to the judges for connecting with the script. It means a lot!!!

Here’s the logline: After the death of his mentor grandfather, a 13-year-old boy genius convinces his reckless uncle to help him build a machine to find eternity.

We’re delighted to share that the online premiere of SOULMATE is now available to watch for FREE courtesy of those lovely folk at DUST Sci-Fi The YouTube direct link is here. I will do my best to reply to everyone’s comments or questions!

We very much hope you enjoy the film if you’ve not seen it yet. DUST, alongside festivals like The Philip K Dick Festival, Boston Sci-Fi and SCI-FI London  were our dream when we started looking for our audience, and they have all happened, which we feel VERY blessed about. With DUST, we couldn’t ask for a better launch platform to premiere SOULMATE to a worldwide audience.

As always, thank you to everyone who had a part to play in making SOULMATE happen. Full credits for the film are towards the bottom of the SOULMATE page on this site.

We’ve now finished our festival run for SOULMATE What a truly life-affirming 18 months! 56 Festivals, 45+ Nominations, 14 awards. All the BIFA qualifying fests we could have wished for (8 I think) and all the major sci-fi fests checked off too (except for one, who we’ll be having stern words with, afterwards!)

On Feb 24th, we will be announcing our free-to-view online premiere of SOULMATE. This is very exciting and we hope you will enjoy the chance to watch the film at your leisure.

“Where cutting-edge tech meets raw emotion, Soulmate delivers a gripping and unforgettable love story.”

Short Films Matter

Anna, a lonely computer coder, has been nurturing an illegal romance with an AI in a computer simulation for the past six months. When her company uncovers the affair, she’s forced into a desperate battle to save her precious relationship.

We’re always a little biased with Sci-Fi films being the best genre, and it’s because of films like writer/director Richard Fenwick’s Soulmate that we think so. With the rapid surge of AI technology in everyday life, it’s only fitting to tell such a story with dramatic consequences. Fenwick’s clear vision and meticulous attention to detail crafts a superb film with captivating results.

We’re delighted to see Mandeep Dhillon (CSI: Vegas, Avoidance, Afterlife) in a lead role where she can expand on her talent as an actress. Dhillon plays the role of Anna Hayes who is already quite far down the rabbit hole as the film begins and we soon learn of her motivations as we’re introduced to Neil played by Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones, Love, Death & Robots, This is England ’86 & ’90). Both Dhillon and Dempsie have immediate chemistry onscreen and was a solid casting choice. Nothing feels forced between them and comes across as a well nurtured and genuine relationship with plenty of history. It’s an great foundation to raise the stakes of the film and get us invested in Anna’ journey to hold on to who she loves.

The VFX and infographics used throughout the film are of a high standard and well thought out, creating a sense of realism needed for the film to work. David Wright’ cinematography keeps up with the high concept story and top level performances, making full use of the locations and distinct theme. Subtle references to the overarching Synaptic: Beyond AI company helps to place us into the not so distant future. The world Fenwick has created is clear and well fleshed out.

What’s also impressive is the script as it has many twists and turns as well as a few nail biting moments. Fenwick drops us into the story almost midway through which is a great way for making the audience guess. Purposeful dialogue and lack of needless exposition help to craft a dynamic story you pay attention to. The film manages to do a lot with very little, focussing on just two principle cast yet still builds a vast environment.
Whilst many audiences think Sci-Fi is nothing but spaceship battles set on far off planets, Soulmate is an excellent example of the pure magic the genre has to offer and what stories can come from it…

— APEX Film Awards

With the sound mix finished last week, I’m now excited to share that SOULMATE is finally complete! Phew, that was one helluva journey… and we’re so glad to have reached the finish line!!!

We now have a ProRes4444 master and a Cinema DCP in our possession, so that feels super good.

Let the lottery of the festival circuit begin in earnest!

Top Image Copyright: Rob Sheridan

My new sci-fi short film, SOULMATE, is currently in production. Here’s the logline: When a lonely computer coder’s illicit romance with an AI is uncovered in her tech company’s simulation, she’s forced into a tense and desperate battle to save her precious relationship.

Here’s some reference imagery for the production design.

SOULMATE is related to one of my sci-fi feature films, LIFELIKE. Both films revolve around a future where AIs are closing in on becoming sentient. Wrapped up as thrillers, they take a look at the deeper issues surrounding the rights of entities that may develop feelings and emotions.

“A.C.Evans’ sci-fi poetry “Space Opera”; A distorted sequence poem about miscommunication on board a deep space spacecraft.”

My piece filters the distressed murmurings of A.C. Evans’ sci-fi poetry “Space Opera” (1997); a distorted sequence poem about miscommunication on board a deep space spacecraft. The sound was by my good friend Anschul Brandt – a very talented music experimenter at the time (and hopefully still is!)

Thanks also to Hannah McParlin at the Tyneside Cinema for helping to bring the film back to the digital realm.