G

et your sci-fi fix this weekend on Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus.

“The Brain Hack” and “Ni 28 – Strate I” are two films from the pool of more than 60 independent titles being shown at this year’s Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival. And thanks to staff at FAU’s Living Room Theaters, you can see both films right here on campus.

No one gave a reason as to why these two movies are being shown at FAU — the University Press reached out to Phillip Hopkins, the staff member responsible for procuring the films, but did not receive a response as of publication time. There will be a discussion following each screening, however, no other details were provided.

Take a break from all of the superhero movies coming out this summer and sit down with some sci-fi films straight from the minds of scientists — all of the members of the film festival work in scientific fields.  

According to Facebook, this is a chance for directors to fulfill their wildest ideas and explore the scientifically improbable through film as they “greatly respect those that want to tell a story that takes science a step beyond.”

Long story short: These movies get weird.

“The Brain Hack,” directed by Joseph White, is a 30-minute American short film about a computer science graduate named Fallon who discovers a way to trick the brain into having visions of God. Soon his obsessive research into the technology throws a fellow film student named Harper “center-stage in a violent confrontation between Science and Religion,” according to the Living Room Theaters’ press release.

The Brain Hack – Trailer from Joe White on Vimeo.

“Ni 28 – Strate I” is a sign that the zombie craze has finally hit France.

Directed by Terence Tesh Chevrin, the French film is a 70-minute feature in which the bulk of humanity has been hit with a virus that turns those infected into mindless creatures of violence. One hero breaks away from a group of survivors in order to face the epidemic head-on.

If you have any interest in film festivals and/or science fiction, but don’t want to drive all the way to Miami, this event is definitely worth checking out. Because of their directors’ field knowledge, these films are unique and there is potential to meet some fellow fans in the discussions that follow.

On Sunday at 6:30 p.m. both films, as well as their subsequent discussions, will be shown for the price of $10 for students and faculty and $12 for the general public.

Tucker Berardi is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @tucker_berardi.