This weekend, the 13th edition of Future Gate will reach its climax at Lucerna. The programme is packed with great films and guests from around the world. Saturday’s programme begins with a screening of the family film Arco. The sequel to the festival hit Freaks returns with its dark take on the lives of superheroes in an authoritarian society. This will be only the second screening in the world following its world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival. The documentary Bot Love opens a door into a world where AI is no longer merely a technology, but becomes our companion, lover and confidant. The screening will be followed by a discussion with AI expert Zlatko Pastor. The documentary Panspermia by our favourite filmmaker John D. Boswell will once again be followed by a discussion with scientist Martin Ferus. At 8:00 PM, we will find out who will receive the awards in the main film competition and the student competition. This will be followed by one of the highlights of the festival: a screening of Arrival attended by Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker, who will receive the festival’s award for his contribution to the genre before the screening. Saturday’s programme will come to a stylish close with a special screening of the Czech short action sci-fi film Disconnected attended by members of its creative team.
The final day of the festival is dedicated primarily to Star Trek fans. This year, the phenomenon celebrates the 60th anniversary of the original television series. As a special gift to fans, the festival will screen one of the most acclaimed films in the saga, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The screening will be attended in person by director and screenwriter of the Star Trek films Nicholas Meyer. He will receive the festival’s award for his contribution to the sci-fi genre. The final screening of this year’s festival will be the documentary Digital Tsunami. The film takes us into today’s digital world, a mixture of artificial intelligence, state and corporate surveillance, and social media addiction driven by powerful algorithms.
