News

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are honored to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, has won BEST SHORT FILM at the Gen Con Film Festival! Director and co-writer Ben Alpi and producer Jyotika Virmani were on hand to accept the award.

Alpi says, “Many thanks to Festival Director Chuck Budreau, staff, and judges. We are truly honored that Hashtag has won the top short film prize at the Gen Con Film Fest. Science fiction films don’t often win awards outside of their genre so I think this really speaks to the story Kevin Rubio and I wrote, Gigi Edgley and the other actor’s performances, and the craftsmanship of all involved in production and post with making this film a reality.”

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”.

Virmani adds, “We’d also like to thank our wonderful Kickstarter backers! Hashtag would not have been possible without their support. We would also like to thank Gen Con for your support of the film festival.”

Hashtag‘s next screening will be its Hollywood Premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival, at the historic TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on August 11, 2019. Don’t miss it on the big screen!

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are proud to announce the UK premiere of Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, at the Sci-Fi Ball on 10 February 2019 at 1pm. The Sci-Fi Ball, a unique science fiction convention, celebrates its 25th year raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust from 8 10 February 2019 at the stunning Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton. Star Gigi Edgley, director/co-writer Ben Alpi, and producer Jyotika Virmani are attending the sci-fi-filled weekend and will hold a Q&A along with the premiere.

Alpi says, “Last month, I met the fantastic Sci-Fi Ball host Brett Jones and Anne Lindup, the founder and director of Sci-Fi Ball. It was great to meet them, Brett was a concept artist on Hashtag but we had only ever ‘met’ via video conference. I screened the film for them and I’m happy to say they really enjoyed it.”

Hashtag is a thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Edgley), the top online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”, and Simone Alex.

X lives the dream she’s connected, adored, and instantly validated by her hundreds of millions of followers. The ultimate influencer, celebrities like her are all we watch, all we listen to, all we care about. Yet one thoughtless remark can reveal how fragile her tower of public adoration really is.

Lindup comments, “In our 25th year of raising money for charitable causes by celebrating sci-fi, we are delighted to offer our first UK premiere of such a remarkable science fiction short. Furthermore, it feels like we’re supporting our own family as Brett Jones worked on the film. Whilst we have a long history and association with sci-fi of the past, we are always looking to champion new futuristic tales that address vital issues of today.”

The Sci-Fi Ball is held at the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton. Sci-Fi Ball tickets are available on https://scifiball.com/sfb-2019/tickets.

Alpi adds, “We are truly honored to be holding our UK premiere at the Sci-Fi Ball to help raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Its very special for Gigi, Jyotika, and I to be there and to share our film with such sophisticated sci-fi fans in person.”

The UK premiere will take place on Sunday 10 February 2019 at 1pm, the third day of the event, and afterward, special guests Gigi Edgley, Ben Alpi, and Jyotika Virmani will discuss their short film, its themes, and answer questions from attendees.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com//hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

JUST ANNOUNCED: Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are thrilled to announce the World Premiere of Hashtag at Dragon Con!

Accompanied by a panel with star, Gigi Edgley, director/co-writer, Ben Alpi, and producer, Jyotika Virmani, the Kickstarter-funded science fiction short film, Hashtag, will be seen by non-backers for the first time at Dragon Con, one of the largest pop-culture conventions in the US.

The panel is scheduled for Sunday, 2 September at 7pm in Hyatt Regency International Ballroom North.
Dragon Con is August 30 – September 3 in Atlanta, GA. For membership, please visit http://dragoncon.org/!

ABOUT DRAGON CON
Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions’ mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are very happy to release the trailer for their short science fiction film Hashtag.

Hashtag is the latest film from director Ben Alpi. A thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Edgley), the top online celebrity finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”. Alpi co-wrote the script with Kevin Rubio and Jyotika Virmani produced the fifteen minute film.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is currently in post-production. For more about the project, visit https://runicfilms.com//hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions’ mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, Calif.,  Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are proud to announce their first Hashtag convention panel at Dragon Con, the premier pop culture convention held every American Labor Day weekend. Star Gigi Edgley, director/co-writer Ben Alpi, producer Jyotika Virmani will appear on the panel along with composer Joseph Terrana and editor Jeff Handy.

Hashtag is a thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Edgley), the top online celebrity finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”. The panel is Saturday 2 September 2017 at 7pm at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, International Ballroom North. Dragon Con memberships are available on http://dragoncon.org.

At the panel, Gigi, Ben, and Jyotika will reveal how they met at Dragon Con and share their filmmaking journey and, with the help of Joseph and Jeff, will answer questions about fundraising, producing the film, post production, and visual effects. They will also premiere the trailer for the film, which has only ever been seen by members of the cast, crew, and Kickstarter Backers, and will explore the future of social media.

“I’d like to thank our team of tireless artists and craftspeople, including Joseph, for their work helping me put this trailer together,” says Alpi who continues post production on the film itself. “I’m really proud of the work we’re doing and am really glad to get to share a sample with the world.”

Edgley, who is also a co-producer on the project agrees, “I can’t wait to share the teaser! It’s sensational and I can’t think of a better place to premiere it than where it all began, at amazing Dragon Con.”

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our future and that of social media. The short film is currently in post-production. For more about the project, visit https://runicfilms.com//hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions’ mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

Contact:
Robert Alpi
Runic Films
email
Ph: 810-771-8065

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A chance meeting between director Ben Alpi and Anibrain, Los Angeles’ Executive Producer Mark de Sousa has led to some beautiful imagery for Runic Films’ short science fiction film Hashtag.

“Mark and I met on a plane, [laughs]” says Ben Alpi, the director and co-writer of Hashtag, a science fiction short film about “X”, played by Gigi Edgley, a celebrity in the darkening future of social media. The film also stars Ethan Arkin, and Juliet Landau. “I was traveling to Montreal and just happened to sit next to two eminent visual effects artists; one of them was Mark.”

Mark de Sousa is the Los Angeles-based Executive Producer for Anibrain, an award winning visual effects and creative studio specializing in creating stunning visuals for Film, TV, and Mobile.

Mark adds, “What Ben didn’t know was that the flight was filled with attendees for a Visual Effects and Animation conference. [laughs] He told me about Hashtag, which had just finished physical production, and I was immediately drawn to the story. And he said it was full of futuristic visuals so I wanted to see how Anibrain might get involved.”

When they returned to the U.S., the two met with visual effects supervisor Deke Kincaid. “When Ben introduced me to Deke,” says Mark, “we immediately felt a connection and quickly formed a clear understanding about the needs of the film. I was thrilled that Ben had envisioned such a key role for visual effects and that he did not limit himself in order to bring his vision to life.”

Ben adds, “We were impressed with the work Anibrain was doing in feature films and we were hoping they might be interested in tackling one of the more complex sequences in the film.”

Specializing in everything from animals to environmental effects like digital fire, Anibrain was up to the challenge. In less than a decade, the studio has gathered visual effects credits in over 100 international blockbusters, ranging from North American to Asian cinema. Founded in 2006 by leading VFX Supervisor Jesh Krishna Murthy, Anibrain has become a leading destination for high-end global VFX in India.

Jesh, Anibrain’s founder, recalls, “When Mark and I reviewed the various sequences in Hashtag, one sequence popped out as particularly interesting and different where floating robots spray clothing and jewelry onto X. We worked with Ben to flesh out the look of the robots and the effects of all the elements building out.”

And the spectacular results speak for themselves. Check out this visual effects demo put together by Anibrain and Runic Films.

“We could not be happier that Ben invited us to collaborate and help realize his vision for Hashtag,” notes Mark. “He has a great artistic sense and clearly explains his directions. We are looking forward to working with him for many years to come.”

“Anibrain did amazing, detailed work,” Ben says. “These effects help make this film something special for our Kickstarter Backers and viewers around the world. I’m really glad Mark and I sat next to each other. I definitely recommend Anibrain to anyone in need of sophisticated, photo-realistic visual effects.”

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of the future and is currently in post-production. For more about the project, visit https://runicfilms.com//hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.
https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions’ mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

ABOUT ANIBRAIN
Anibrain is an award winning visual and creative studio specializing in creating stunning visuals for Film, TV, Apps, VR, AR and Mobile. No matter how complex the work, we get it done! With credits in over 100 international blockbusters, we are passionate about telling your story through breathtaking visuals that dazzle audiences the world over.
http://anibrain.com/
@anibrainVFX

Contact:
Robert Alpi
Runic Films
email
Ph: 810-771-8065

###

Justin Richards of the British Computer Society talks to Ben Alpi from Runic Films and Andrew Dymond from Filmcell International about visual effects and the way that technology is shaping the film industry.

To learn more about the British Computer Society, visit http://www.bcs.org/

The Foundry has announced the winners of their first NUKE Non-Commercial competition! Many thanks to all who participated. Congratulations to the winners Salvatore Parigi, Ilan Fremder, Miguel Guerrero, Andi Novianto, and Madhuka Gunasekera! It has been a fantastic show of creativity and ingenuity. Contestants were tasked with creating a graphical interface for “X”, played by Gigi Edgley, of Runic Films’ forthcoming short science fiction film Hashtag. An exercise in using NUKE Non-Commercial, The Foundry released a non-commercial learning edition of their awarding winning NUKE software in April 2015. (Read our announcement back in July HERE.)

Check out the winning entries below and congratulate the winners in The Community forum.

Salvatore Parigi

Best Sequence 
The Foundry: Salvatore’s unique design and interaction between X and the HUD elements as well as the creative workflow and problem solving in the project scripts really impressed the judges. Salvatore took a different approach to the challenge and the result is a beautiful piece. Well done!

Ilan Fremder

Best Shot 
The Foundry: The judges felt that this shot was a very complete project demonstrating strong NUKE and compositing skill. Ilan’s project had one of the best organised node graphs and lots of great gizmos. Congratulations!

Miguel Guerrero

Best Sequence Runner-Up 
The Foundry: The beautiful color palette and thoughtful design made this sequence stand out. Miguel’s entry shows off his compositing skill as well as unique design aesthetic. Great work!

Andi Novianto

Best Shot Runner-Up 
The Foundry: Andi went above and beyond the brief, creating a range of animated HUD elements. The judges loved the surprise headgear in this shot. Good job!

Madhuka Gunasekera

Judges Pick 
The Foundry: This sequence wowed the judges who all loved the beautiful lighting and strong compositing, making this the clear choice for judges pick!

To see all of the great entries head over to The Foundry’s The Community forum.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, Calif.,  Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are very happy to announce that Juliet Landau has joined the cast of their forthcoming science fiction short film Hashtag. Juliet will be the voice of “T’ea”, the omnipresent computer system in the Hashtag world. A superlative actress on screen, on stage, and in animation, video games, and audio dramas, Juliet has appeared in some of the biggest films, series, and franchises.

“Juliet is a truly fantastic addition or our already excellent cast. A few years ago, I saw Juliet in a staged reading of A Streetcar Named Desire and was struck by her Blanche”, says Ben Alpi, director and co-writer of the film. “Fate would have it that I was listening to her voice-over demo reel one day and introducing her to Hashtag the next. Itss quite incredible!”

Juliet is known for many roles including “Drusilla” in Joss Whedon’s Emmy and Saturn award-winning series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and “Loretta” in Tim Burton’s Oscar winning Ed Wood. She has also supplied the voices for numerous animated films including several in the DC Comics universe, and TV series including Ben 10, Justice League, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and more. Juliet also voiced several memorable video game characters including the “Little Sisters” from the award-winning Bioshock series. Doctor Who and audio drama fans will also know Juliet as “Romana” from Big Finish’s The Companion Chronicles and Gallifrey ranges.

Juliet shares, “I am very excited about working with Ben and joining the Hashtag universe. The film is a wonderful comment on our times and the use of social media. T’ea should be a lot of fun to voice!”

As a director and producer, Miss Landau has been working on a duo of feature documentaries about vampires, A Place Among the Undead and A Place Among the Dead. She is currently gearing up an IndieGoGo campaign for Undead, a “first of its kind” gathering the Who’s Who of the genre. With an impressive list of interviewees never seen together in one film, you can sign up to be notified about the campaign at http://www.aplaceamongtheundead.com/.

Ben remarks, “Juliet has a unique voice and builds such indelible characters. I can’t wait to hear her breathe life into T’ea!”

Neither can I enthuses Juliet.

Juliet joins Hashtag stars Gigi Edgley, Erryn Arkin, and Simone Alex in The Twilight Zone-like short film about a future dominated by social media and technology. Hashtag, from co-writer/director Ben Alpi, producer Jyotika Virmani and co-writer Kevin Rubio, was successfully funded on Kickstarter.com in December 2014 and is currently in post-production. Hashtag is a co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions.

For more information visit:
https://runicfilms.com/
http://www.gigiedgley.com

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to upholding the traditions of mythic storytelling. Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Gigi and Jake Edgley are the co-founders of Little Empire Productions. They have been certain every step of the way to create music, comic books and films that enlighten, intrigue and rock your world. They are internationally based as Jake is currently located in Australia and Gigi resides in Los Angeles. Little Empire Productions mission is to devise creations straight from the heart and soul.

Contact:
Robert Alpi
Runic Films
email
Ph: 810-771-8065

###

Runic Films has teamed up with award-winning visual effects software company The Foundry in their NUKE Non-Commercial Summer Competition 2015. With over $40,000 in prizes, the competition challenges visual effects artists from around the world to use The Foundry’s new non-commercial version of their award-winning NUKE software to create the visual effects for a sequence of raw footage from Runic Films’ and Little Empire Production’s science fiction thriller Hashtag.

Hashtag stars Gigi Edgley (Farscape, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge) as “X”, the ultimate social media maven. In the film, X uses a new kind of computer interface. What kind you ask? That’s what the artists must create! “I have a defined concept of how X’s interface will work, but it will be great to see what other artists come up with,” says Ben Alpi, the director of the much anticipated short film. Ben added, “We’re thrilled to be a part of this contest.? NUKE is a fantastic product and we’re really happy to support the free version so more artists can learn it. Prizes in the competition include hardware, software, and subscriptions from The Foundry, Wacom, NVIDIA fxphd, and the Production COLLECTIVE for the winning sequence and/or shot.

As Hashtag moves to the visual effects stage of post production, part of their visual effects pipeline will include The Foundry’s NUKE, the world’s leading compositing software. NUKE, like many of The Foundry’s products, has been used in numerous feature films, television series, music videos, and commercials. Some major examples include Pacific Rim, Star Trek, The Hobbit trilogy and Oscar winners Lincoln, Gravity and Life of Pi. Further, every film since 2008 that’s been nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar has used The Foundry’s software, particularly NUKE. In television, examples include Once Upon A Time, Falling Skies, and Emmy winning series Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones.

But what is compositing? “Compositing is cutting out and putting together two or more images to make a single image,” says Deke Kincaid, the Visual Effects Supervisor of Hashtag. “Placing a hand painted matte painting of a deep canyon under “Luke” in Star Wars, or a digital dinosaur into a scene in Jurassic Park, that’s compositing.” Deke is also Media and Entertainment OEM Development Manager for The Foundry. “When they told me they were looking for footage to use as the basis for the NUKE non-commercial competition, I knew Hashtag would be a perfect fit.”

Hashtag was funded by a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in December 2014 with the film quickly going into production the following February. The Backers of the project got news of the contest, and of the release of several seconds of raw Hashtag footage, on the day it launched. Backers enjoyed getting a first glimpse although one Backer @Ulathar Tweeted, “Teasing us with a 10 seconds clip has me convinced that @JyovianStorm [producer Jyotika Virmani] is evil and enjoys torturing backers.” Jyotika replies, “Our Backers are great, and obviously funny! I know the Backers are waiting for more, but I was super excited to be able to share even this. It shows the Backers a rare insight into the complex movie-making process.”

“Deke reports that 500 contestants downloaded the content for the contest on the first day. That’s great!” added Ben. “We hope there are many more.” Runic Films will not use competition submissions directly in the final film, the footage from Hashtag is only intended as the foundation of the contest.

The NUKE Non-Commercial Summer Competition 2015 is going on now and with a deadline of 15 September 2015 at 11:59 PM (PDT). Entries will be judged by an expert team with winners for the best sequence and best shot. To take part in the competition, artists enter here: https://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/nuke/non-commercial/nuke-non-commercial-competition-2015/

[Edit: NVIDIA joined the competition bringing the prize total increased from $34,000 to over $40,000.]