Artificial intelligence finds a stage at the ROS Film Festival in Alicante
Robots step into the spotlight as Teatre Arniches hosts the ROS Film Festival 2023 in Alicante, running from November 16 to 27. After three days of short-film screenings, the festival reaches its final act with two compelling submissions that stand out for their imagination and craft.
The last session for the competition’s short films is scheduled at Teatre Arniches on Friday at 7:30 p.m., followed by the jury’s final verdict. The winning titles will be presented by Alfonso Vilalonga, the composer behind the festival’s acclaimed soundtracks. Robot Dreams tells the tale of a lonely dog in Manhattan who befriends a robot, blending heart with futuristic wonder. The screening will occur again at 9:30 p.m. after the winners are announced.
The event also features a Saturday evening highlight on the 25th at 7:30 p.m.: Control Freak, a performance by Kulu Orr that marries clever humor with cutting-edge technology. Orr directs the audience’s attention with devices built over the past 17 years, weaving a narrative of social awkwardness and artificial systems on stage. The show progresses from playful to poignant as the performer grapples with stage presence and the machines that surround him.
The artist behind the project, Kulu Orr, is a director and multidisciplinary creator based in Israel. Over the past quarter-century, Orr has trained across two broad domains: performing arts and technical disciplines, blending theater, circus, music, physics, computing, and audiovisual production to craft immersive experiences.
On Sunday, the 26th at 6:00 p.m., Arniches closes the edition with a family-friendly dance piece titled Patience. The show arrives amid a broader cultural conversation about robotics and exploration, inspired by Mars missions and the work of the Alicante company Marroch, which recently received a prize at the Valencia Performing Arts Awards. Patience not only brings dance to younger audiences but also presents a dystopian vision that encourages reflection on the state of the planet.
Award recognition for Santa Pola’s Marroch theatre company
Marroch, a contemporary dance troupe rooted in Santa Pola, is built around the creative partnership of Salvador Rocher, María Palazón, and Melodía García. The trio choreographs a vivid synthesis of movement styles intended to reach audiences with diverse tastes and backgrounds. The company is characterized by its youthfulness, energy, and persistence, with a clear aim to provoke emotion and transport viewers to new spaces through performance.
ROS also marks a landmark in the genre as the world’s first festival centered on robotic science-fiction short films. From its inception, the event has sought to share stories in which robots and artificial intelligence appear as central figures, whether in collaboration with humans or in solitary encounters, across a range of festival engagements.