'ARTIE' is our latest Film of the Month

We are thrilled to share that our latest Film of the Month winner is ARTIE, made by Anna, aged 18, from London. And our Special Mention this month goes to Coming Home by Gabe, aged 17, from Claybrooke Magna in Leicestershire.

ARTIE follows two students who are out of ideas for a high-stakes art project due in the morning, only to find a mysterious floppy disk containing ‘Artie': a "creative assistant" that makes fascinating art based on prompts. Will Artie save their project or ruin the friendship, which is already falling apart? This incredibly stylistic and colourful film explores the ethics of AI in creativity.

Watch ARTIE above, and read on to hear from Anna, the filmmaker behind this brilliant film.

How does it feel to win Film of the Month?

Very exciting! I do not have much experience winning festivals or competitions, as it is only my first year of film college, but ARTIE is the film I am most proud of, and I cannot believe I get to see it out in the wild! This film means a lot to me personally, combining not only my favourite aesthetics (glitchcore and vaporwave) but also exploring an issue I feel it is my duty as an artist to speak out on: the ethics of AI in creativity.

Who or what are your filmmaking inspirations?

Other people. Anyone I work with, or make a film with, gives me an insight into their creative perspective of the world, which fascinates me. And I think that the best way to grow as filmmakers is to tell original, challenging stories. If I had to pick a person though, it is my geography teacher, who saw my potential in film before I did and helped me develop it. It all started with a homework project of making a timelapse about London. I did not know that that was only to be the first of many short films I have edited!

What were the challenges in making this film, and how did you overcome them?

Where do I begin… from gels burning, to cameras overheating, technical issues were a big part of the process! On the first day, we found out that our mics were unusable, so the sound for all wide shots was picked up straight by the recorder! Even in post, I found that half of the footage was out of focus, so I had to organise an unplanned reshoot. What a time. 

Thankfully, I had the best team of people working with me, who not only calmed me down when I was on the verge of giving up, but also came up with such creative solutions that, honestly, the film would have just not happened without these guys. 

Another big challenge was making sure I represented the art community and the value of art, while also acknowledging the presence of AI, weighing my passion with reality and showing how those can co-exist.

What was your filmmaking process? How did you go about creating this film?

The film took about 10 weeks to make: six weeks to plan, three days to shoot and three weeks to edit and do VFX. As this was a college diploma film, I had to go through the production process from the perspective of several roles: director, writer, cinematographer, production designer, and editor. As I was writing the script, I also had to source props (this is a no-budget film), which was a very original experience for me, and definitely gave me a taste for the indie filmmaker life!

What did you enjoy most about making the film?

Despite my answer to question 3 [about the problems encountered making the film], I most enjoyed the shooting days. There was something about the chaos that was fuelling me. I felt alive knowing that I am spending the weekend with my friends, all the pre-production work is paying off, and only in the other room there is a table full of snacks. Plus, knowing that I am addressing such a prominent and important issue, I felt a rush of adrenaline from the knowledge that these few days would define the statement that I put out there. 

Looking through the camera to see the my production design illuminated by my friend's lighting and brought to life by my actors, all framed by a camera for me to edit later, was such an awe-inspiring moment for me. The stress was definitely worth it.

What would you do differently next time?

Despite getting a great insight into multiple departments, I learnt that multitasking on a production IS NOT a good idea. It was pretty stressful, and I wish I'd had more time and energy to invest into each role separately. I definitely want to get on another production as just the director next time, as I realised I enjoy leading a team towards my creative vision and seeing it come to life.

What message would you like audiences to take from watching this film?

Stay creative: AI cannot defeat us! My message was not to deter people from using AI, because - let's face it - it is an undeniable part of our life now. But just like many other parts, it is a tool and it is our job as humanity to use it responsibly. As an artist, I want to learn to adapt to this world and its technologies by weighing its ethical and environmental implications each time. 

Generating a whole project from scratch would be unfair, but relying solely on your idea-deprived brain will also get you nowhere - what is the middle ground? The film urges artists, students - anyone - to communicate with each other and work collaboratively to find a common ground for teamwork, because the tools will be there, but it is about how we use them as people to make meaningful projects.

What are you working on next?

I am now in my final year of college, specialising in animation and working towards a short hybrid animation film in honour of a family cat. 

Outside of school, I am almost done editing a short horror comedy called Tea: potentially the most strange, funny and "posh" film I have worked on so far! 

My main focus at the moment is university applications for fine art and gathering all my creative projects to send off portfolios! When college is over, I plan to apply my film and collaboration skills to the workplace by doing an internship or freelance running over the summer. And of course, making more passion projects with my friends, because c'mon, what could be a better way to spend the summer? 

Special Mention - Coming Home

Every month, we select another film we feel deserves to be celebrated alongside the winner. This month, we are delighted to give our Special Mention to Coming Home, a moody and captivating black and white thriller, directed by Gabe, aged 17, from Claybrooke Magna in Leicestershire.

"I created this film solely on my own as a 17 year old creative, with occasional assistance from my Dad serving as a Grip when necessary. Due to my being a one-man band, almost all sound design had to be created by myself using Foley. I edited and recorded the entire film and was also in charge of costume, prop and prop design."

Content Advisory

This film has been created by young filmmakers and may contain material that some viewers find sensitive. As with all films and content, we advise pre-watching to ensure specific suitability for the audience you are sharing with.

Themes in this film: [alcohol use, dangerous driving]