Escape Velocity 2017: Full Schedule

11:00am PDT

Short Films from the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival - Block 1

Come see a selection of short films curated by the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, the oldest science fiction film festival in the country!

Program:
Real Artists (dir. Cameo Wood)
Olfacotry (dir. Chris Piazza)
The New Adventures of Brobot Johnson (dir. Darian Dauchan)
The Transition of Juan Romero (dir. Whitney Ellis)
Memoir (dir. Alexander Jeffery)
Haskell (dir. James Allen Smith)

Moderators

Garen Daly

Speakers

Darian Dauchan

Series Creator of The New Adventures of Brobot Johnson, Holler Scholar Productions

Actor, Writer, Musician. Brobot Johnson(www.brobotjohnson.com) Sci Fi Hip Hop Afrofuturism

Whitney Ellis

Chris Piazza

Cameo Wood

Donor Circle Bronze, Charming Stranger Films

I'm Cameo Wood, a filmmaker based in San Francisco, California. I'm a full-time filmmaker and you can watch my most recent film "Real Artists" on iTunes/Amazon/Seed&Spark right now. I'm currently working on my first feature. In 2018 I won the AT&T Film Award for best short film awarded... Read More →

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Paul A. Oehlers is most recognized for his “extraordinarily evocative” film scores. (Variety) Films incorporating his music have won the Grand Jury prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Atlanta International Film Festival, and the Indiefest Film Festival. In addition... Read More →

Friday September 1, 2017 11:00am - 12:15pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

12:30pm PDT

Short Films from the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival - Block 2

Runtime: 90 Minutes

Come see a selection of short films curated by the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, the oldest science fiction film festival in the country!

Program:
Embers and Dust (dir. Patrick Biesemans)
Into the Dark (dir. Lukas Hassel)
Cradle (dir. Damon Duncan)
Einstein-Rosen (dir. Olga Olovio)
Ollon (dir. Ryan Balock)
The Call of Charlie (dir Nicholas Spooner)

Moderators

Garen Daly

Speakers

Ryan Balock

Patrick Biesemans

Lukas Hassel

Writer, director, actor

Movie making, screenplay writing, acting.

Olga Olovio

Nick Spooner

Director/Owner, Kid Manning, Inc.

Nick Spooner directs commercials, short films, content and other things, which occasionally win awards. He was President of the Harvard Lampoon, wrote, produced and directed at Comedy Central, and once fronted a humorcore band in New York City. “The Call of Charlie” is his... Read More →

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 12:30pm - 2:00pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

2:15pm PDT

Brute Sanity (2016)

Brute Sanity (2016)
Director: Sam Vanivray
Runtime: 81 Minutes

An FBI-trained neuropsychologist teams up with a thief to find a reality-altering device while her insane ex-boss unleashes bizarre traps to stop her.

Speakers

Sam Vanivray

Director / Writer, Imaginary Danger Productions

As a child Sam Vanivray possessed a few innocent dreams, such as creating robots and making films. After establishing a career in robotics, Sam restarted the filmmaking part of his life. He wrote and starred in the short film "Enough to be Dangerous," which screened in 2015 at Buffalo... Read More →

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 2:15pm - 3:45pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, FILM

Logistics microphone

4:00pm PDT

Song of the Stars (2016)

Song of the Stars (2016)
Director: Paul M. Sutter
Runtime: 55 Minutes

The life stories of the stars above, as told through the beauty, grace, and power of contemporary dance! Song of the Stars features performances by Seven Dance Company under the artistic direction of Cassia Cramer, woven together with a narration by astrophysicist Paul Sutter. In this original fusion of science and dance, you will travel through the vast cosmos, witnessing the first stars sparking a revolution from total darkness, the fatal love of two galaxies, a cataclysmic death that brings hope to a new generation, and so much more.

Moderators

Paul Sutter

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, FILM

Logistics microphone

5:15pm PDT

The Landing (2017)

The Landing (2017)
Director(s): Mark Dodson, David Dodson
Runtime: 83 Minutes

The 1973 controversial Apollo mission is explored with no stone left unturned. In interviews conducted on the 25th anniversary of the incident, witnesses and participants reveal layers of mystery surrounding these little-known events, which few realize almost destroyed NASA.mar

Moderators

David Dodson

Mark Dodson

Don Hannah

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 5:15pm - 6:45pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, FILM

Logistics microphone

7:00pm PDT

Robots in film and popular culture

From Gort to K2SO, the automata of the silver screen, television, comics, and other media have fascinated fans for decades. Come with us on an exploration of the origins, creative inspirations, and engineering designs that brought to life some of the beloved "non-living" characters that grace our pop culture.

Moderators

Despina Kakoudaki

Despina Kakoudaki is Associate Professor of Literature at American University, and director of the Humanities Lab, an interdisciplinary research center in Washington DC. She works on film and media studies, science fiction, cultural studies, literature, and the history of technology... Read More →

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, Pop Culture, Television

Logistics chairs, head table, house sound, microphone, power, Projector, projector screen, table for projector, theatre set up

8:15pm PDT

Magellan (2017)

Magellan (2017)
Director(s): Rob York
Runtime: 103 Minutes

After NASA picks up a trio of mysterious signals from within our own solar system, astronaut Roger Nelson is dispatched on a multi-year solo mission aboard the Magellan spacecraft to investigate the sources.

Speakers

Rob York

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Friday September 1, 2017 8:15pm - 10:00pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

Logistics microphone

12:15am PDT

Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis (1927)
Director: Fritz Lang
Runtime: 147 Minutes

Metropolis is a German silent film produced in 1927 that uses a dystopian society to explore the dangers inherent in capitalism and industrialization. Based on a novel by Thea von Harbou, it was directed by her husband Fritz Lang, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and stars Alfred Abel as Joh Fredersen, Gustav Fröhlich as Freder, Brigitte Helm as both Maria and the Machine-Man, and Rudolf Klein-Rogge as Rotwang the inventor.

The film in its completed form has been lost, but most of Metropolis has been rediscovered, including a most recent addition of 25 minutes of previously missing footage. It holds the distinction of being the most expensive silent film ever made, with a final cost of almost 4.2 million Reichmark, and has become known as one of the most contentious films of the Weimar era.

Moderators

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Speakers

Shannon Lynich

Saturday September 2, 2017 12:15am - 2:45am PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, FILM

Logistics microphone

11:00am PDT

Slightly Off Key: Great Soundtracks in Terrible SF Films

As Tee Morris took us through a history of music in film and video games in THE BIG SCORE, this presentation reaches into the darkest corners of entertainment to bring into the light terrific soundtracks that appear in some cinematic clunkers. Alongside author and horror film critic Nick Kelly, this presentation features incredible musical journeys providing backdrops to cringeworthy productions.

Moderators

Tee Morris

Author

Tee Morris has been writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and non-fiction for over a decade. His first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, became the first novel to be podcast in its entirety, ushering in a new age for authors — podcasting. He went on with... Read More →

Volunteers

Karina DarJuan

Director of Pop Culture, Escape VelocityAssistant Curator, Museum of Science FictionCurrently studying "Film and Fashion Makeup Design" at New Image College, Vancouver BC

Saturday September 2, 2017 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

Logistics microphone, podium, power, house sound, theatre set up

1:30pm PDT

The Big Score: The Evolution of the SF Soundtrack

We always know when Darth Vader is on the way, when James Bond is coming to the rescue, or when you’re entering the city limits of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Music forms an integral part of television and cinema, yet is rarely examined or celebrated. Or are there fans out there that collect soundtracks as some collect cards and comics? What is some of the best music from the genre? Where did soundtracks begin, and where are they headed musically?

Moderators

Tee Morris

Author

Volunteers

Karina DarJuan

Director of Pop Culture, Escape VelocityAssistant Curator, Museum of Science FictionCurrently studying "Film and Fashion Makeup Design" at New Image College, Vancouver BC

Saturday September 2, 2017 1:30pm - 2:45pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

Logistics microphone, podium, power, house sound, theatre set up

3:00pm PDT

Tomorrow Ever After (2016)

Tomorrow Ever After (2016)
Director: Ela Thier
Runtime: 95 Minutes

Screening of the movie followed by a Q&A session with the Director/Actor Ela Thier and Actor Memo

Tomorrow Ever After Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZor1JlAL-E

Shaina is a historian who lives 600 years in the future. War, poverty, pollution, greed, exploitation, depression, loneliness: these are things that she’s read about in history books. When a physics experiment goes awry, she accidentally time-travels and is stranded in our times. Naturally, she assumes everyone around her is honest, generous and caring, as she tries to recruit the help that she needs to get back home.

http://TomorrowEverAfterMovie.com

Winner of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival’s Best American Indie
Winner Best Feature Film, Moondance International Film Festival
Winner Audience Choice, Moondance International Film Festival
Winner Best Director, Flickers Rhode Island Film FestivalNominated Best Comedy and Best Leading Actress in Madrid International Film Festival

"Thier's sensibility offers such a welcome break... inviting audiences to see our modern-day world through fresh eyes." - Variety

In its sweet but pointed way, saying a good deal with relatively little, and in unpredictable ways, the film is also a critique of art as corporate product, especially in the realm of sci-fi franchise extravaganzas.
— The Hollywood Reporter

one of the most entertaining, provocative and original sci-fi films of the year. — NYC Movie Guru

Speakers

Ela Thier

Ela Thier is the writer, director, producer, lead actor, and editor of Tomorrow Ever After. She has been described by industry insiders as a powerful new voice in independent American cinema. Thier is known for creating laugh-out-loud comedies that surprise audiences by evolving into... Read More →

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Still1 jpg

Saturday September 2, 2017 3:00pm - 5:30pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

Logistics microphone

9:15pm PDT

Doctor Whose Line is it Anyway?

Welcome to "Doctor Whose Line Is It Anyway!" This is the show where everything's made up, the points don't matter, and is everything Pop Culture Sci-Fi!

A Class Apart Comedy, a sketch comedy and LP troupe based out of the D.C. area, aims to entertain, enlighten, and examine pop and nerd culture through improv comedy. This performance is an improv comedy "competition" in which four members of ACA will perform various comedic games and sketches.

Moderators

Joseph Statkus

A Class Apart Improv

Speakers

Dan Hepler

Dan has been doing improv comedy consistently for 5 years, and been in an ensemble with this team for most of it! If You like whatbyou see feel free to check out our Youtube Channel: A Class Apart!

D.J. Hinckle

D.J. doesn’t want to provide a bio because it would make it easier for the Lizardmen that control the government to track him. But to counteract this potential, his shoes are lined with aluminum foil (they live underground, after all.)

Charles Kolreg

A Class Apart Improv

Ashley Smrcina

Ashley has been performing Improv since before she even understood what Improv really was! She has studied Improvisation for the Theater at Northern Virginia Community College as well as three semesters at the Washington Improv Theater and plans to move to Chicago within the next... Read More →

Brian Tepe

A Class Apart Improv

Volunteers

Barbara Mabie-McClain

Manager, Pop Culture Programs, The Museum of Science Fiction

Barbara, Is a Master Class costumer that has been sewing small things, crafting, and beading for over 20 years. In 2013 Barb discovered the convention scene while attending her first convention, PaxEast, and fell in love with costuming and cosplay since. She has her Cosmetology license... Read More →

Saturday September 2, 2017 9:15pm - 10:30pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Main Events, Evening, Pop Culture

Logistics microphone x4, open area in middle, wireless microphones

12:00am PDT

Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Director: Jim Sherman
Runtime: 100 Minutes

In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O'Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named "Rocky."

Speakers

Sam Dandwich

Volunteers

Paul Oehlers

Director, Escape Velocity Film Festival, Museum of Science Fiction

Sunday September 3, 2017 12:00am - 1:45am PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, Evening

Logistics stage, 5 microphones, house sound

1:30pm PDT

Artificial Intelligence: How Close Are We...and How SAFE Are We?

When it comes to AI in Science Fiction, it’s a bit of a crap shoot. With movies like Star Wars and video games like Destiny, AIs are the best friends you can ask for; while the Terminator Franchise, the Alien Franchise, 2001, and (again!) Destiny paint AI as intelligence ready to wipe out mankind as we know it. So how close are we to true AI and exactly how safe are we? What are the ethics involved in this science?

Moderators

Tee Morris

Author

Speakers

Josh Baptist

R&D Specialist, eSkin - University of Louisville

Josh is currently a R&D Specialist serving with with Next Generation Systems research group in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Louisville. His work that has been emphasized by research and development of electronic skin technology to improve... Read More →

Joe Haldeman

writer, MIT

Joe Haldeman is an American science fiction author and combat veteran of Vietnam. He is best known for his 1974 novel The Forever War. That novel, and other of his works including, The Hemingway Hoax (1991) and Forever Peace (1997), have won major science fiction awards including... Read More →

Volunteers

Karina DarJuan

Director of Pop Culture, Escape VelocityAssistant Curator, Museum of Science FictionCurrently studying "Film and Fashion Makeup Design" at New Image College, Vancouver BC

Sunday September 3, 2017 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film

Logistics chairs, head table, house sound, microphone, power, theatre set up

2:45pm PDT

History of Science Fiction: Movie Edition

History of Science Fiction as told by iconic films throughout the ages. Brought to you by Geppi's Entertainment Museum

Moderators

Mike Solof

Collections and Exhibits Manager, Geppi's Entertainment Museum

Hi! I'm Michael Solof. I have a B.S. in Journalism from Ohio Univ. I'm Currently work for Geppi’s Entertainment Comic and Pop Culture Museum in Baltimore as their Collection and Exhibits Manager. I'm a huge Beatles fan and I host a weekly internet show about ultra-rare Beatles... Read More →

Volunteers

Karina DarJuan

Director of Pop Culture, Escape VelocityAssistant Curator, Museum of Science FictionCurrently studying "Film and Fashion Makeup Design" at New Image College, Vancouver BC

Sunday September 3, 2017 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT
Coolidge (100)

Film, Partners

Logistics chairs, head table, house sound, microphone x2, power, Projector, projector screen, table for projector