Category Archives: Space Arts

Solar Sci-Fi, Space Arts, Space films and videos

Finalists in the Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival

An announcement from the upcoming Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival:

The Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival
Announces Finalists For First International Event

The Highly Anticipated Gathering Is Just Days Away And Will Showcase Numerous
Groundbreaking Films And Shorts

John Alan Simon’s Award-Winning Radio Free Albemuth To Headline Opening Night

Brooklyn, N.Y. October 16, 2013 – The Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival has announced the final films to be screened at its first international event which will honor one of the most respected writers within the literary world. The three-day experience will mark the first of many worldwide gatherings in the beautiful and historic Lille, France from October 25-27, 2013 at the famous L’Hybride Cinema venue. The films which are adapted or inspired from the works of Philip K. Dick will entertain and enthrall the innumerable fans who have continued to honor his enduring legacy within the genre of science fiction.

The finalists to complete the festival’s schedule are thrilling stories from filmmakers all over the world including Migdia Chinea’s Anonymous (Street Meat) (2010, USA), Natalie Berning’s Breathe (2012, France/USA), Jose Manuel Meneses’ Defeated (2012, Spain), Mario de la Corte’s Hambre (2012, Spain), Rafael Mathé’s Hello World (2013, France), Tiyam Yabandeh Jahroumi’s Impression-xps160 (2013, Iran), Yann Sinic’s La Cité du Soleil (2013, France), Olivier Perrier’s L’échappée (2013, France), Fabien Montagner’s Le Passage (2011, France), Tobias Schmuecking’s Nach Einem Traum (2013, Germany) and Kieran Dick’s No Relation (2011, Canada).

The festival will launch with the previously announced and highly anticipated screening of Radio Free Albemuth (2010) on Friday, October 25. Written and directed by John Alan Simon the award-winning film adaptation of Dick’s final novel stars Jonathan Scarfe (“Perception”), Shea Whigham (“Boardwalk Empire”), Katheryn Winnick (“Bones”) and Grammy Award-winning singer Alanis Morissette. A Q&A session with Simon is also scheduled to follow. The evening will continue its science fiction theme with shorts including Michel Goossens’ Exit (2013, Spain/Netherlands), Evander Reeves’ L’Esplanade (2012, France/USA), Greg Tosolini’s Singularity (2013, France) and Jonathan Rio’s Meddlers (2011, France) which was adapted from Dick’s short story. The following night on Saturday, October 26 takes on a horror supernatural theme with Thanatomorphose (2012, Canada). Written and directed by Éric Falardeau the film stars Émile Beaudry, Eryka Cantieri and Roch-Denis Gagnon. On Sunday, October 27 the event concludes with sci-fi shorts including Helmut Dosantos’ Dissent (2011, France/Italy/Mexico/USA), Sacha Feiner’s Un Monde Meilleur (2013, Belgium) and Keaton Smith’s Years In Bardo (2012, USA).

The festival will screen all films with French subtitles and is currently accepting submissions into late September in science fiction and horror features and shorts. Admission at L’Hybride Cinema is currently by membership only and by purchasing tickets with five euros for one month or 30 euros for one year of the program. If not part of membership visitors can pay five euros on the first day of the festival to attend the three-day event and receive a pass for the next 30 days of subsequent venue events. Doors open at 7pm on Friday and Saturday and 6pm on Sunday.

As further details become available including further scheduling times the festival anticipates a successful event in its first global outing. The first New York City festival saw record crowds of over 1,000 participants for the exclusive screening of Radio Free Albemuth which was based on Dick’s 1985 novel posthumously published three years after his death. The weekend-long festival also held numerous film screenings and panels with Simon, esteemed professors Ronald Mallet and Enrique Ricardo Miranda, distinguished writers Angela Posada-Swafford, Walter Mosley and Dennis Paoli and science fiction experts Richard Dolan and Peter Robbins. The team behind the annual festivities will also pioneer its second annual Brooklyn event in December 2013 for a record five-day gathering and a Spring 2014 cyberpunk festival in Tokyo.

The Philip K. Dick European Festival of Science Fiction, Science, The Fantastic, Horror and The Supernatural will delight its attendees with its entertaining and visually captivating themes which have made the event a favorable and continued success. The event will take place at L’Hybride Cinema at 18 Rue Gosselet 59000 in Lille, France from October 25-27, 2013. Contact the venue at www.lhybride.org. For film submissions, deadlines and contacts please visit www.philipkdickfilmfestival-europe.com and www.withoutabox.com/login/12654 and always be sure to stay informed of all ongoing announcements on the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival and Twitter page at www.twitter.com/ PhilipKDickFest.

About The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
The Philip K. Dick International Film Festival of Science, Science Fiction, Fantastic Film and the Supernatural and the first of its kind to grace the screens of New York City is organized by filmmakers who understand the difficulties and challenges of telling a unique story in a corporate environment. The year 2013 marks the second year of the festival which will expand it’s genres of films, panels and venues throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan and its first international event in Lille, France. Guest speakers and writers that best represent the goals of the festival will attend the opening ceremonies. We look for original voices and visions in works submitted. Lastly, this is a festival by filmmakers for filmmakers.

About Philip K. Dick:
“Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing in it.” – Philip K. Dick Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was one of the 20th century’s most profound novelists and writers within the science fiction community. His exploration, analysis and beliefs led to the publishings of 44 novels and 121 short stories. Dick’s enormous library of works led to several film developments including Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003) and most recently Radio Free Albemuth (2010), The Adjustment Bureau (2011) and the successful remake of Total Recall (2012). The film industry is also awaiting the release of King of the Elves in 2014, which will surely be yet another prosperous depiction of Dick’s literary contribution to science fiction. Dick’s enormously effective views comprised of fictional universes, virtual realities and human mutation foresaw an exaggerated version of the current state of government and contemporary life. Though he is gone in the physical

Space Arts

Erik Olson paints his solar system

Erik Olson‘s space paintings are not exactly photo-realistic but I like the rich colors and thick paint texture :

Science and Technology, Space Arts, Space Music

A Bohemian Rhapsody to String Theory

Physics grad student Timonthy Blais created the first viral video on the subject of string theory with the release last week of his amazing one man cover of Queen’s classic Bohemian Rhapsody : Canadian Physics Student’s Rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody Goes Viral – @pritheworld

Multiple media, Software, Space Arts

Video: NASA artist tutorial on photo-realistic drawing with PowerPoint

A cool video depicting the steps in photo-realistic drawing with PowerPoint by NASA artist Michael C. Jansen:

Caption:

The classic artist reaches for a brush, pen or pencil, or perhaps a pastel crayon to paint or sketch. Michael C. Jansen, for three decades an engineer at Johnson Space Center, sits before a computer display, stretches with his right hand for a mouse and begins to draw as though he was working with sketch pad or canvas. The inspiration for his space-themed creations flows as passionately through Microsoft PowerPoint as it once did through pencil and brush. Jansen’s struggle with Parkinson’s disease, which was diagnosed in mid-career, changed much in his life. He decided to switch direction and do what he felt was most important to him while he could—and that was art.

Thanks to his innovative use of PowerPoint to steady his artistic stroke, a painstaking commitment to realism in his imagery and a supportive workplace, Jansen creates NASA-sponsored creations in support of space station. His latest pieces include a commemorative logo, poster and patch in celebration of humankind’s first permanent off-Earth presence with the Russian element Zarya launch 15 years ago this November. This video shows Jansen’s creative process as he creates art with a computer.

Contests and Games, Space Arts

Youth Art Contest sponsored by Astronauts for Hire

Here’s an announcement from Astronauts4Hire:

Astronauts for Hire Announces Youth Art Contest as part of World Space Week 2013

Tampa, Florida – To help inspire the next generation of space explorers, Astronauts for Hire (A4H) is proud to host an art contest in association with World Space Week 2013. The future of space exploration and human spaceflight will be determined by the children of today, and it is never too early to spark their imaginations through creative self-expression. A4H welcome art submissions from youth age 17 and under that answer any of the following questions:

“Where in space would you like to go?”
“What will you do in space?”
“How would you live on Mars?”
Entries can be submitted at http:/forms.astronauts4hire.org/ArtContest from September 20, 2013 through October 20, 2013. Artwork can be any medium (pencil, crayon, marker, paint, sculpture, photo, video, etc.) but must be captured in a digital format that can be put online. All entries will be reviewed by A4H prior to display on the A4H Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Astronauts4Hire. Winning entries and awards will be announced on the A4H website the week after the contest concludes.

A4H-WSW_ArtContest2013[1]

About Astronauts for Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H’s commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at media[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About World Space Week:
World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4-10. ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’ is the theme of the 2013 campaign, which incorporates science, engineering, and education activities related to living and working on Mars. Learn more at http://www.worldspaceweek.org.