ARTIFICIAL - A Technofeudalist Short Film

In a near-future, an boundariesless worker in AR marketing is pushed to compete with a generative AI system that threatens her job, her creativity, and her sanity. “Artificial” is a sci-fi short film about burnout, identity, and the cost of surviving the future of work. Winner of Best Narrative at Workers Unite Film Festival (NYC) and Envision Award Winner at ARFF Barcelona. If you like stories about AI, augmented reality, and the pressure to stay human in a world optimized for attention, this film is for you. Rhode Island International Film Festival - Semi-Finalist Madrid International Film Festival - Official Selection CAST Alex- Julia Crowley Josef - Drew Gardner Boss - Esteban Creste Mia - Lis Russo Iris - Shira Solomon ABOUT THE FILM “Artificial” was created as a reaction to the accelerating pressure of automation, generative AI, and the feeling of being constantly optimized. Set in a near-future version of New York, the film follows Alex, an overwhelmed worker trapped between her corporate AR job and a new AI tool—Focus IO—that analyzes her eye data and measures her every second. When the system begins to push her beyond her limits, she spirals into a fractured reality. A chance encounter with her tech-free friend Josef forces her to question what she values: productivity at all costs, or the creative life she left behind. Shot on a small self-funded budget, the film blends sci-fi, psychological tension, and a grounded emotional story about staying human in a world built for metrics. CREW Producers - Alek Barbour, Mishell Cardenas DP - Kevin Kim Executive producer - Jeffrey Carrillo Assistant Director, DIT, Script Supervisor - Rachel Rojas Sound - Christian Guinanzaca Art and set production - Andrea Leon Gaffers - Jode Sparks, Nate Pfingst Make Up - Erica Long Wardrobe - Stefany Silva Editors - Jeffrey Carrillo, Isabella Vidal, Rachel Rojas Graphic Design - Mishell Cardenas, Jeffrey Carrillo, Andrea Leon, Kevin Hernández Sound Post-Production - Rocio Morgenstern Sound Design - Rocio Morgenstern, Jeffrey Carrillo Music Composer - Shira Solomon Motion Graphics - Juan Bayas, Jeffrey Carrillo, Martin Torres, Kevin Hernández Compositing - Martin Torres, Juan Bayas, Juan Diego Enriquez, Kevin Urbina 3D animation - Martin Torres Colorization - Jeffrey Carrillo, Juan Diego Enriquez Production Assistants - Yilan Liu, Andrea Leon, Rachel Rojas, Brendan Mark, Darek Dylo, Kimani Worghs, BTS Photography - Brendan Mark Extras Zach Stoner, Michelle Gailhac, Tamanna Chabra, Twinkle Khanna, Hans Dolce, Audri Chagoya, Alek Barbour, Andrea Leon, Ariella Bana, Jordan Eidisz, Special thanks to Dan Orwig Sam Katz and Ellen Askey