Entombed by Bangalow media identity Dr Barry Ferrier wins Best Experimental Film at NY Arthouse Film Festival

A Bangalow filmmaker and former Gold Coast professor has landed a prestigious US award with an unusual AI-generated flick. Watch the trailer and read about how the movie was made.

A still from Entombed, directed by Bangalow’s Barry Ferrier and written by Des Collins. Picture: Supplied

A Byron Shire filmmaker and former Gold Coast multimedia professor has landed a prestigious award with an AI-generated flick titled Entombed.

Dr Barry Ferrier, a musician and multimedia artist from Bangalow in northern NSW recently won Best Experimental Film in the prestigious NY Arthouse Film Festival.

The sci-fi movie by artificially intelligent (AI) generation was also a finalist in the Vancouver Director's Cut International Film Festival and semi-finalist in both the Melbourne independent Film Awards and Hawaii International Film Awards.

Dr Ferrier, a former Bond University, Gold Coast professor, said the success story was pretty simple – a great underlying story drives any great film.

“When I had the idea of making this little film in my spare bedroom/studio a few months back, I had no idea it would lead to a major film award in New York,” he said.

Dr Ferrier said making the movie was just a “fun diversion”.

“I was able to make the film totally on my own without cameras, sound tech, lighting, actors,” he said.

Dr Barry Ferrier, a musician and multimedia artist based in Bangalow.

Based on a short story by Australian writer Des Collins, Dr Ferrier set about directing and producing the 30-minute sci-fi thriller. He also worked on the sound design.

The movie is about an ancient civilisation which built a massive complex underground to escape impending and devastating meteor storms, but is stricken by flooding.

Those who survive start again in a new world and archaeologists eventually uncover remnants and make a shocking discovery about the civilisation.

“I thank Des Collins for providing the inspiration for my film, and I am so proud to have helped Des to finally gain recognition for his writing,” Dr Ferrier said.

“The story is everything in film.

“(Entombed is about) themes of hope in the struggle against adversity, the renewing cycles of life, and humanity pulling together in the face of existential crisis.”

A still from Entombed, directed by Barry Ferrier and written by Des Collins.

Mr Collins and Dr Ferrier have been in talks with producers for a feature-length incarnation and Entombed is not yet publicly available.

He said the focus of his post doctorate was a study on how technology changes and influences art.

“I looked specifically at how digital technology and the computer revolution had the potential for transforming and democratising the major art forms,” he said.

Dr Ferrier said the recent advent of AI into the art world was an exciting development.

“I immediately plunged headlong into experimenting with the possibilities it opened up to create imagery, sound, and human-like voices – exciting tools for sci-fi and fantasy movie making, previously only accessible to those with massive budgets,” he explained.

Film still "First signs" from "Entombed" directed by Barry Ferrier and written by Des Collins.

Dr Ferrier said despite the negatives of AI, humanity was witnessing a revolution he considered as important as the advent of the internet.

“In its potential to transform the way we do things, including the visual arts and filmmaking,” he said.

Dr Ferrier likened AI to the first film camera and said that event spawned the emergence of surrealism, cubism and abstract art – a host of new visionary ways of populating an empty canvas previously undreamed of.

Dr Ferrier was sure AI film making would not replace traditional movie-making – it’s a different thing. Electronic music hasn’t replaced the blues, after all.

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