Jackpot

The U.S. has handed over control of its nuclear defense system to the Colossus supercomputer designed by scientist Dr. Charles Forbin. It soon becomes clear, that the now-sentient Colossus is far more intelligent than its creator realized—with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Host Scott Forrest presents a curated compilation of eight independent short films in this rapid-fire science-fiction feature. Genres collide, narratives twist, aesthetics clash, and even humor, both campy and dystopian, showcase the vast creative possibilities of each story's individual world, offering the viewer a brief glimpse into the lives of every character's attempt to survive the otherworldly chaos around them. Released in 2001, the selected shorts span original creation dates of 1997 to 2001; most of the featured filmmakers also appear as themselves in short video interviews to talk about their inspirations, creative process and motivations while working on their individual shorts.

In the microchipped near-future, in the city of Los Angeles, where the human mind is uploaded to the cloud and thoughts can be used to communicate between synced individuals, a young anxious woman, Ayla, decides to move in with a new roommate, Devin, who is a childhood friend from her past. The women decide to sync their minds for a chance to foster a new close friendship. Afterwards, Ayla notices some very disturbing behavior from Devin. As their relationship quickly grows toxic, and Ayla starts dreaming about Devin’s memories, Ayla realizes she has less than 72 hours to save herself from being permanently mentally dominated by a narcissist before the sync is officially complete.

Carlo and Sandro are two brilliant college graduates, but while one has had success after graduation, the other, Carlo, is struggling to earn a living. When after several years Sandro calls Carlo for a job proposal at the company he works for, Carlo discovers about a new revolutionary device. But why does Sandro need Carlo's help after all this time?

A short film about Techboy's epiphany told through the power of DIY animation.

Documentary which follows the construction of a trailblazing 36,000-tonne steel structure to entomb the ruins of the nuclear power plant destroyed in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

A kung fu fighting lady detective travels the bad lands of ancient China bringing criminals to justice.

Taped in front of two sold out crowds at the Studebaker Theater in his hometown of Chicago; this stand up comedy special is the culmination of Barry’s real life experiences interwoven with over fifteen years as a stand up comic.

A comedic journey follows Problem as he risks life and limb in hopes that at least one good deed goes unpunished. Based on events that could be from his real life, Problem squeezes in the everyday occurrences that a black man can go through whether famous or infamous.