A documentary with strong Manx links will receive its world premiere this month at the Washington West Film Festival in Washington DC.
The University focuses on the rise and impact of exponential technologies upon society through the lens of the founding of Singularity University in Silicon Valley in 2009. It will screen at the festival on October 21.
The film is directed by Matt Rutherford, whose grandfather lives in Ramsey, and two of its executive producers are Manx – Mike Halsall, an alumnus of Singularity University, and Chris Stott, former Faculty at Singularity University, and Chairman and CEO of Manx satellite company ManSat. A third executive producer, award-winning filmmaker Michael Potter, previously debuted his documentary, Orphans of Apollo, on the Isle of Man at the Manx Museum.
The University features Stephen Hawking, Shimon Peres, Buzz Aldrin, Sir Ken Robinson, Sir Marin Rees, Peter Diamandis, and Ray Kurzweil and others.
Chris said: ‘With great thanks to the Isle of Man Film Festival, Manx audiences received two private screenings of The University in September, which were crucial for feedback as the film was going through the final editing process. It was also fitting that Manx audiences see the film in its raw cut first.’
‘Exponential technology is changing the world and there’s only one university in the world devoted to teaching students how to harness it. The team spent seven years filming in order to tell the story of the students, the faculty, and the why and how Singularity University was formed.
‘We are talking to the Department of Education and Children about ManSat sponsoring screenings of the documentary for each of the Island’s high schools, as we feel it is crucial that each young person in the Isle of Man sees the film and understands both the future challenges and opportunities represented by exponential technologies.’
The Washington West Film Festival is sponsored by Boeing and USA Today and is renowned for focusing on ground-breaking documentaries: https://wwfilmfest.com
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