What if you were given a glimpse into what America will be like 20, 30, or even 50 years from now? Would it change the way you live today? Now in its second season, the FUTURESTATES series aims to answer these questions through a collection of 10 fictional shorts that explore possible future scenarios through the lens of today’s global realities. This series of short films explores possible future scenarios through the prism of today’s global realities. Immerse yourself in the visions of these independent prognosticators as they inhabit a future of their own imagining.

American society is in the midst of some of the most profound — and fastest-moving — change in its relatively short history. We face a paradox of great challenges and great opportunities. Climate change threatens our physical survival and the fate of many species with which we are interdependent; yet the promise of green energy technology has inspired great strides in science and the promise of economic recovery. Political apathy and diminishing faith in public institutions are being countered by technologies enabling greater participation and transparency. The struggle for civil rights rages on, yet we elected an African American man to the presidency. Globalization has both divided and connected us in ways unimaginable just a decade ago.

Produced by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and created by established filmmakers and emerging talents, FUTURESTATES will debut March 13, 2011 exclusively at the SXSW Film Festival in the Short Film program category. It will also be showing at the 2011 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF). Following the SXSW premiere, full episodes of FUTURESTATES will be available online.

Futurestates Season 2

More about FUTURESTATES

FUTURESTATES is a series of fictional, short film features visualizing a new American society, just as we find ourselves at a paradoxical moment with both growing hardships and opportunities. Environmental degradation continues alongside an explosion of new clean and independent energy sources; political polarization and apathy is challenged by participatory technology; globalization both connects and divides us in ways unimaginable just a decade ago. FUTURESTATES aims to tackle these global issues and their implications by fusing an exploration of social issues with elements of speculative and science fiction. Each episode presents an independent filmmaker’s vision of what life might look like in an America of the future.

The first season of FUTURESTATES included contributions from acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani, whose mini-feature entitled Plastic Bag is narrated by the legendary Werner Hertzog, Greg Pak ‘s Mister Green, Tanuj Chopra’s PIA, and Tze Chun’s Silver Sling. Six of the 10 episodes will make their festival debut at SXSW including, Beholder by Nisha Ganatra, Remigration by Barry Jenkins, Asparagus by Robby Henson, White by A. Sayeeda Clarke, The Dig by Bennett Cohen, and That Which Once Was by Kimi Takesue.