Around 50 filmmakers from 13 countries have submitted their works on artificial intelligence (AI). 12 films are now in the race for the AI Science Film Award organized by KIT which will be presented as part of the Science Year 2019 – Artificial Intelligence in Karlsruhe on Friday, July 5, 2019.
A cyborg as a childminder, a robot as a nurse and a tour through the gallery of forgotten professions in 2068: films can take us into a future where AI will play a major role. They can raise questions and pick up on hopes and fears. Because AI is already considered a key technology. Many see it as a great promise that will make our lives better and easier, such as in the fields of health and mobility. Others warn against the dangers and conjure up negative scenarios in which people lose control more and more. What can AI achieve? What are its opportunities, and what are its downsides? What does it mean for people?
“With the science film festival we want to inspire all generations. Old and young, with or without a scientific background, film buffs and spontaneous casual visitors alike,” says Professor Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha, founding director of ZAK | Center for Cultural and General Studies at KIT and scientific director of the festival. “We want to get together with people who are interested in this subject and discuss AI technologies with them.”
By the end of March 2019, around 50 filmmakers from 13 countries had submitted their works to the AI Science Film Festival. A jury of experts has now selected 12 finalists – six feature films and six short films.
Feature films:
- Who Made You?, Finland 2019, 80 min, director: Iiris Härmä
- Autonomous Artifacts, Germany 2019, 67 min, director: Johannes Kohout, Janek Totaro
- AlphaGo, USA 2017, 90 min, director: Greg Kohs
- The Illegal Film, Germany 2018, 84 min, director: Martin Baer, Claus Wischmann
- Das Echo der Zukunft, Germany 2019, 53 min, director: Tanja Küchle
- Wir sind die Roboter, Netherlands/Germany 2018, 85 min, director: Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting
Kurzfilme:
- Prototype, USA 2018, 19 min, director: Christopher Ortega
- Econtrol, Germany 2018, 11 min, director: Ann-Cathrine Beyer, Mathilda Schiller, Laura Blüggel, Vera Siller, Madgalene Mumme
- ZOE, Germany 2018, 17 min, Regie: Leif Brönnle
- Die Galerie der vergessenen Berufe, Germany 2017, 7 min, director: Willi Kubica
- CC, Canada 2018, 14 min, Regie: Kailey Spear, Sam Spear
- Me-Log, Austria 2018, 7 min, director: Eni Brandner
The selected films will be screened on July 3 and 4, 2019; admission is free. What’s more, filmmakers and experts will discuss the subject of AI. The festival is concluded by a gala evening including the award ceremony for the winning films on July 5, 2019 at 9 pm on the stage of the EFFEKTE science festival in Karlsruhe where the best feature film, with a prize of 3,000 euros, and the best short film (2,000 euros) will receive the AI Science Film Award. In addition, an audience award and three honorable mentions by the jury for the best up-and-coming artist, the best artistic contribution and the best sociocritical contribution will be presented.
The AI Science Film Festival in the Science Year 2019 – Artificial Intelligence is organized by ZAK | Center for Cultural and General Studies at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) together with Central Communications at KIT and sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
The AI Science Film Festival program with the 12 finalists:
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 6:00 pm, screening I at ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe
- Welcome: Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha, founding director of ZAK
- Films to be screened: Who Made You?, Prototype, Econtrol, Autonomous Artifacts and AlphaGo
- Panel discussion with: Dr. Isabella Hermann, scientific coordinator of the machine learning and artificial intelligence work group, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and Iiris Härmä, director of “Who Made You?”
Thursday, July 4, 2019 at 6:00 pm, screening II at Schauburg Karlsruhe cinema
- Welcome: Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha, founding director of ZAK
- Films to be screened: The Illegal Film, ZOE, Die Galerie der vergessenen Berufe, Das Echo der Zukunft CC, Me-Log and Wir sind die Roboter
- Panel discussion with: Prof. Dr. Matthias Bruhn, Professor for Art Research and Media Theory, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, and Martin Baer, director of “The Illegal Film”
Friday, July 5, 2019 at 9 pm, gala evening including award ceremony on the EFFEKTE stage, Otto-Dullenkopf-Park at Schloss Gottesaue in Karlsruhe
For more information go to
www.zak.kit.edu/KI-SFF
www.wissenschaftsjahr.de
Science Year 2019 – Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the topic of the Science Year 2019. Systems and applications that are based on artificial intelligence are already part of our lives in many ways: industrial robots that carry out hard or monotonous work, and smart computers that can process huge amounts of data in a short period of time – and are therefore indispensable for science and research. Not to mention virtual assistance systems which have become our everyday companions. Digitalization and automation will continue to progress. What opportunities are opening up? And which challenges do we have to face? What is the impact of this development on our social interactions? In the Science Year 2019, citizens are called upon to find answers to these and other questions in a dialog with science and research.
The science years are an initiative of the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) together with Science in Dialog (WiD). As a central instrument of science communication, they bring research into the public domain and support the dialog between research and society.
More about the KIT Information · Systems · and Technologies Center (in English): http://www.kcist.kit.edu
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.