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La Biennale di Venezia

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Cinema

Empire at Sea

Venice Immersive
Director:
Peter Flaherty
Production:
Flaherty Pictures (Peter Flaherty), 4DV.ai (Jiaming Sun, Isaac Krauss, Yuke Ding), NightLIght Labs (Jesse Garrison, Trey Gilmore, Sal Mannino)
Running Time:
22'
Language:
English
Country:
USA
Main Cast:
Orlando Jones, Ayelet Zurer, Imani Jade Powers, Geoffrey Arend, Beth Grant, Terrence Bernie Hines, Charlene deGuzman, Julanne Chidi Hill, Mary Chieffo, Robert Baker
Screenplay:
Peter Flaherty, Merritt Tierce, Julia Dyer, Hannah Pearl Utt
Editor:
Peter Flaherty
Music:
Sage Lewis, Odeya Nini, Gavin Templeton
Sound:
Scott Hirsch
Art direction:Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa
Lead developer and technical director:Jesse Garrison
Developers:Arvin Tehrani, Kat Fox, Ryan Nelson
Lead designer:Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa
Designers:Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Gehrig Campbell-Dempsey, Arvin Tehrani, Kat Fox, Ryan Nelson
Artists:Michael Darling, Trey Gilmore, Amber LaRosa
Technical team:Shaurjya Banerjee, Jackie Aldern, Kensaku Shinohara, Tomoko Shinohara, JOE

synopsis

Empire At Sea is a Solarpunk AR drama about a group of climate scientists who move to a remote oil rig for their summer sabbatical to attempt to create a sustainable city at sea. Halfway through the summer, the big one hits and wipes out the mainland. Unable to make contact, they must fend for themselves. This episodic, interactive drama was commissioned by the Lincoln Center. It speaks directly to the climate change generation with a thrilling father-daughter story that addresses themes of sustainability, immigration, and multicultural communities. It features a diverse and recognizable cast, including Orlando Jones, Ayelet Zurer, Geoffrey Arend, and Beth Grant.

Main Creator’s Statement

Climate science has a communication problem. How do we make climate science feel urgent, culturally resonant, and emotionally real for a broad public? The data is clear, the models are precise, and the urgency is beyond dispute — yet the public understanding of what climate change means for human communities, relationships, and survival remains dangerously abstract. Empire At Sea was built to use breakthrough holographic technology to make climate science emotionally immediate for the audiences who need it most: the younger generations who will live within the consequences of inaction. The dramatic story presents scientific concepts with integrity: insect protein as sustainable nutrition, water reclamation, and offshore renewable energy infrastructure. The Solarpunk genre in which the story operates is explicitly optimistic about science and human ingenuity, making it a uniquely powerful vehicle for communication and social change.

production/distribution

PRODUCTION 1:
Flaherty Pictures - Peter Flaherty,
4242 Sunset Blvd, Suite 12
90029 Los Ángeles, CA, United States of America
Tel: +1 9178613228
E-mail: pf@peterflaherty.com
Web: http://www.peterflaherty.com
Social Media: @peterxflaherty - Instagram

PRODUCTION 2:
4DV.ai - Jiaming Sun, Isaac Krauss, Yuke Ding,
1634 S Central Ave
91204 Glendale, CA, United States of America
Tel: +1 7342502406
E-mail: isaackrauss@4dv.ai
Web: http://www.4dv.ai
Social Media: @4dv_ai - Instagram

PRODUCTION 3:
NightLight Labs - Jesse Garrison, Trey Gilmore, Sal Mannino,
1800 S. Brand Blvd, Suite 216,
91204 Glendale, CA, United States of America
Tel: +1 8326234436
E-mail: info@nightlight.io
Web: http://www.nightlight.io
Social Media: @nightlightlabs - Instagram

WORLD SALES:
Flaherty Pictures - Peter Flaherty
4242 Sunset Blvd, Suite 12
90029 Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
Tel: +1 9178613228
E-mail: pf@peterflaherty.com
Web: http://www.peterflaherty.com

ITALIAN DISTRIBUTION:
Flaherty Pictures - Peter Flaherty
4242 Sunset Blvd, Suite 12
90029 Los Ángeles, CA, United States of America
Tel: +1 9178613228
E-mail: pf@peterflaherty.com
Web: http://www.peterflaherty.com
Social Media: @peterxflaherty - Instagram

PRESS OFFICE:
Peter Flaherty - Flaherty Pictures
Tel: +1 9178613228
E-mail: pf@peterflaherty.com


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Biennale Cinema
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