Bold is a sharp workplace comedy about a graphic designer trapped in a feedback meeting gone wrong. The short film is featured in UBC Okanagan’s Humans in Motion festival.
A monster raises an orphaned child. A 107-year-old woman hits the road. An advertisement from the future. Three kids encountering death on a summer afternoon.
All are the subjects of short films coming to Kelowna this fall. And all of them are made by people. Humans in Motion is a short film festival curated by local artist and Associate Professor of Teaching Myron Campbell in collaboration with students from the Bachelor of Media Studies (BMS) program at UBC Okanagan.
“Are we anti-AI? No, but we are interested in human stories made by human beings. That is all,” Campbell says.
The films for Humans in Motion celebrate a range of storytelling, from quiet intimacy to pointed social critique, spanning genres and challenging expectations.
“What has always drawn me to short films is the tension built into the form itself. You have so little time to tell a meaningful story, which makes it genuinely difficult. But that same constraint opens the door to real risk-taking,” explains Campbell.
Media studies students Calum Keys and Will Thompson are working with Campbell on festival planning.
“We’re working to create a sense of community in the BMS program, so hopefully the festival will bring people together,” says Thompson, president of the BMS Course Union.
Keys is preparing all the design and branding for the festival.
“I love film and graphic design, so when Myron approached me to create the branding and design for the event, I thought, ‘Why not mix the two in a fun summer project?’” he says. “I’m focused on many things in the program but recently pivoted to graphic design, and I really love it. I’m hoping to continue with that direction in my studies.”
The selection of films from Canada and the United States spans a range of human experience, from absurdist comedy to quiet tenderness and even genuine horror. Campbell says that attendees can expect to see a variety of stories being told, but the films are meant for mature audiences. Campbell says that the festival is focused on the human touch in the age of AI.
“We are interested in the point of view of a human, not the point of view of a robot. You’ll also notice that there are ‘Human Made’ logos on all the posters and social media, a well-recognized brand that indicates when a creative initiative is void of AI.”
The inaugural festival will be held at the Mary Irwin Theatre on September 16 at 7 pm as part of the UBCO Weeks of Welcome. Proceeds from this year’s festival will support the UBC Okanagan BMS Course Union.
To learn more, visit: rotarycentreforthearts.com/events/event/humansinmotion26
