The Machine Stops is based on the English author E.M. Forster’s novella of the same title. The short story is a visionary science fiction tale following two people living in a dark technological utopia/dystopia, which Forster has deemed simply as “the Machine”. The characters, Kuno and Vashti, have differing opinions about the world which they live in; the plot follows their interaction and conflict as their society comes to a sudden collapse. Forster raises themes of man’s role in the midst of a technology-dependent built environment that are seemingly more relevant today than when it was published in 1909.
The film is currently touring the festival circuit and has recently been screened in the following venues:
PBS program Reel 13 (television broadcast)
LA International Short Film Festival; Los Angeles, CA
Sitges International Film Festival; Sitges, Spain
MetroCAF Animation Festival; New York City, NY
It has also placed in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA 2009) and the Maverick Movie Awards for "Best Student Picture".