MMF MMXXIII UPDATE: STANISLAW PETRUK'S THE REMNANTS WINS CRITICS' CHOICE AWARD

We are excited to announce that Stanislaw Petruk’s post-apocalyptic tale The Remnants won the Critics’ Choice Award at the Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIII

This year’s jurors, Simonetta Fadda, Stefano Locati, Jenna NG, Marco de Mutiis, and Henry Lowood, gave Stanislaw Petruk’s The Remnants the highest score of all the submitted works, just below Nicolas Gebbe’s The Sunset Special, which was not considered for the award as it exceeded the 10' limit.

Petruk’s work captured the zeitgeist as the world is quickly approaching environmental, social, and geopolitical collapse. In a sense, the jurors felt that this short story prefigures the most likely outcome of the planet’s fate considering the criminal negligence of our political leaders and the indifference of the masses to the challenges that we face today.

Petruk’s video, entirely created with the Unreal Engine, is set five years after a global disaster, where the remaining population is struggling to survive as the planet is dying. This intense machinima portrays the struggle for survival and the harsh reality of human nature in a post-apocalyptic world.

The Remnants was screened yesterday at the Museum of Interactive Cinema as part of the Utopia/Dystopia program and is now available on this very page.

Born in 1987, Stanisław Petruk is a filmmaker and Sr. VFX artist at Avalanche Studios in Sweden. He has directed several shorts and worked on video games such as WWE Immortals, Mortal Kombat, Agents of Mayhem, The Walking Dead, and Saints Row. He lives and works in Stockholm. Petruk is now working on his new project, The Goo.

Matteo Bittanti

Read an interview with Petruk here

NEWS: STANISLAW PETRUK'S UPCOMING MACHINIMA, THE GOO

Stanisław Petruk, the autor of The Remnants, is currently working on a new machinima based on the Unreal Engine entitled The Goo. The machinima stars Eric, a writer in the process of completing his latest play. For Eric, it has become customary to refine the script and make final adjustments while staying at his preferred hotel. Upon arrival, he is greeted by the friendly hotel owner, who takes him to his familiar room, number 23. After setting up his laptop and getting situated, Eric’s creativity takes over and he begins to rapidly type out the story. However, an unexpected occurrence takes place - the characters and objects in his mind become fused together.

Petruk’s Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of The Goo is now live.

Click the image below to donate:

Born in 1987, Stanisław Petruk is a filmmaker and Sr. VFX artist at Avalanche Studios in Sweden. He has directed several shorts and worked on video games such as WWE Immortals, Mortal Kombat, Agents of Mayhem, The Walking Dead, and Saints Row. He lives and works in Stockholm.

MMF MMXXIII UPDATE: A CHAT WITH STANISLAW PETRUK

Stanislaw Petruk

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

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PATREON-EXCLUSIVE CONTENT 〰️

The Milan Machinima Festival is excited to present Stanislaw Petruk's The Remnants, a short film created with the Unreal Engine set five years after a global disaster, where the remaining population is struggling to survive as the planet slowly dies. The machinima portrays the struggle for survival and the harsh reality of human nature in a post-apocalyptic world.

The Remnants will be exclusively screened at the Museum of Interactive Cinema on March 25 2023 as part of the Utopia/Dystopia program. Buy your ticket here.

Born in 1987, Stanisław Petruk is a filmmaker and Sr. VFX artist at Avalanche Studios in Sweden. He has directed several shorts and worked on video games such as WWE Immortals, Mortal Kombat, Agents of Mayhem, The Walking Dead, and Saints Row. He lives and works in Stockholm.

Matteo Bittanti discussed the creative and technical process behind The Remnants with the filmmaker, Stan Petruk.

Matteo Bittanti: Although you’re very young, you’ve already lived in several countries. How would you describe, comparatively, the social and cultural perception of video games in Russia, Poland, and Sweden, where you currently live and work?

Stanislaw Petruk: The great thing about the games is that they are very international. And here I am talking not only about players, but also about developers. And I think on the development side it is even more visible. You can easily move from one company to another even in a different country and work pipeline will be identical, same about the language – English for all communication and documentation.

Matteo Bittanti: You describe yourself as a self-taught artist, as you crafted your skills as a VFX artist and as a filmmaker mostly through online courses, tutorials, and hard work. Can you discuss your upbringing as somebody who “grew up on the internet”, so to speak?

(continues)

Matteo Bittanti

Works cited

Stanislaw Petruk

The Remnants

digital video, sound, 7’ 7”, 2022, Sweden

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MMF MMXXIII: UTOPIA

ONLINE PROGRAM: UTOPIA

INTRODUCED BY/INTRODOTTO DA MATTEO BITTANTI

MARCH 19-26 2023/19-26 MARZO 2023 (ONLINE)

SPECIAL SCREENING OF DYSTOPIA ON MARCH 25 2023 AT MIC

Utopia and dystopia present divergent visions of possible societies or worlds. A utopia is an imaginary or visionary world that embodies an ideal or flawless state. Harmonious, equal, and prosperous, utopian societies offer a haven where inhabitants live without war, poverty, or social inequality. Serving as a foil to our imperfect reality, utopias represent an aspirational vision of a better world. By contrast, a dystopia is an imagined or speculative society or world that portrays a nightmarish scenario. Inhabitants live in fear and despair, without hope for a brighter future. Dystopias serve as a cautionary tale, warning of the dire consequences that may ensue if we fail to address the social and political issues that confront our current world. Whether utopian or dystopian, these contrasting visions offer powerful insights into the human imagination and our yearning for a more just and equitable world. Sometimes, however, it is hard to tell a dystopian vision from a utopian one.

Such is the case of UTOPIA/DYSTOPIA which juxtaposes Nicolas Gebbe’s The Sunset Specialand Stanislaw Patruk’s The Remnants.

The former offers a voyeuristic glimpse into the meticulously crafted world of social media. This interdisciplinary multimedia project, anchored by a short film, invites viewers on an eerie journey to a luxurious realm of unfulfilled desire, endless longing, and the boundless promise of wanderlust.

Patruk’s The Remnants is set five years after a global disaster, where the remaining population is struggling to survive as the planet slowly dies. Screened exclusively at the Museum of Interactive Cinema on March 25, this machinima portrays the struggle and the harsh reality of human nature in a post-apocalyptic world. Purchase your ticket here.

Matteo Bittanti

Watch Nicolas Gebbe's Utopia online between March 19-26 2023.