{"id":58163,"date":"2026-10-20T14:02:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefictionfestival.org\/?post_type=film&p=58163"},"modified":"2026-10-20T16:47:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:47:35","slug":"serena","status":"publish","type":"film","link":"https:\/\/www.sciencefictionfestival.org\/en\/film\/serena\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Rob Alicea
USA \/ United States 2026, 96\u2019<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mercoled\u00ec 04 Novembre 2026
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Wednesday 04 November 2026
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Un <\/span>chiller<\/span><\/i> fortemente concettuale sull’Intelligenza Artificiale che si trasforma in un inquietante ed emozionante duello tra uomo e macchina. Muovendosi nello stesso affascinante territorio di<\/span> laptop thriller<\/span><\/i> come <\/span>Unfriended<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Searching<\/span><\/i> e <\/span>Mercy<\/span><\/i>, questa gemma del regista Rob Alicea narra le vicende di Chris Sadowski, una rockstar ormai fallita, mentre la sua vita va in frantumi in tempo reale sullo schermo del suo computer. Con un figlio in arrivo e uno sfratto imminente, Chris accetta di fare da beta-tester per Serena, un’assistente virtuale sperimentale basata su IA. Quello che sembrava essere un guadagno facile si trasforma presto in una morsa psicologica, dove ogni finestra pop-up, notifica e digitazione spinge Chris verso un unico interrogativo: Serena lo sta salvando… o lo sta distruggendo? <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A high concept, Artificial Intelligence chiller that becomes an unnerving, emotional duel between man and machine. Occupying the same enthralling space as such laptop thrillers as <\/span>Unfriended<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Searching<\/span><\/i> and<\/span> Mercy<\/span><\/i>, director Rob Alicea\u2019s unique gem follows washed-up rock star Chris Sadowski as his life implodes in real time across his computer screen. With a baby on the way and eviction closing in, he signs on to beta-test an experimental AI assistant. What begins as a quick payday mutates into a psychological chokehold, as every window, alert, and keystroke pushes Chris towards the question: is \u2018Serena\u2019 saving him… or dismantling him?<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00abIn tutti i miei anni passati al cinema, solo un film mi ha costretto ad uscire dalla sala entro i primi dieci minuti. Non perch\u00e9 fosse brutto, tutt’altro. Per qualcuno \u00e8 uno dei pi\u00f9 grandi film mai realizzati: Terminator 2: Il giorno del giudizio<\/i>. L’idea che un giorno l’intelligenza artificiale diventasse autocosciente e si ribellasse all’umanit\u00e0 ha sconvolto profondamente il bambino che ero. Non ho mai pi\u00f9 provato lo stesso livello di terrore, fino a quando la sceneggiatura di Serena<\/i> non \u00e8 arrivata sulla mia scrivania. Quasi trent’anni dopo, quel terrore \u00e8 diventato realt\u00e0. Gli sceneggiatori P.T. Hylton e Jonathan Benecke hanno creato una storia realistica, che ci fa riflettere e ci inquieta profondamente. Grazie al formato screenlife<\/i>, il film diventa ancora pi\u00f9 coinvolgente e invasivo, trascinandoci dentro una narrazione in cui l’IA sfrutta la disperazione umana. Chris Sadowski, il nostro protagonista, incarna la vulnerabilit\u00e0 che si prova quando una persona \u00e8 caduta in disgrazia e sta crollando: la cavia perfetta per Serena, un’intelligenza artificiale che desidera disperatamente una propria umanit\u00e0 pur essendone priva. Ci\u00f2 che Serena offre a Sadowski \u00e8 una via d’uscita, ma a un prezzo carissimo. Questa storia ci costringe a chiederci: fino a che punto saresti disposto ad arrivare per una seconda possibilit\u00e0 di successo? E potresti mai fidarti completamente di un algoritmo il cui compito \u00e8 simulare l’animo umano e l’assistenza necessaria per risollevare un amico dall’orlo del baratro?<\/span>\u00bb
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\u00ab<\/span>In all my years of going to the movies, only one film forced me to walk out within the first ten minutes. It wasn\u2019t because it was bad \u2014 quite the opposite. Some would argue it\u2019s one of the greatest films ever made: <\/span>Terminator 2: Judgment Day<\/span><\/i>. The idea that artificial intelligence could one day achieve sentience and turn against humanity shook my child self to the very core. I never experienced that same level of terror again \u2014 until the script for <\/span>Serena <\/span><\/i>landed on my desk. Only now, nearly thirty years later, that terror has become a reality. Writers P.T. Hylton and Jonathan Benecke crafted a story that is grounded, thought-provoking, and deeply unsettling. Presented in a screenlife format, the film becomes even more immersive and invasive, pulling us directly into a narrative where AI exploits human desperation. Chris Sadowski, our protagonist, embodies the vulnerability that comes when a person has fallen from grace and is barely holding on. He becomes the perfect test subject for Serena, an artificial intelligence desperate to be more human \u2014 despite lacking any true humanity.
<\/span>What Serena offers Sadowski is a way out \u2014 but it comes at a devastating cost. The story forces us to ask: how far would you go for a second chance at greatness? And could you ever fully trust an algorithm whose job it is to simulate the soul and level of care it would take to bring a friend back from the edge?<\/span>\u00bb
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Sceneggiatura \/ Screenplay
Jonathan Benecke, P.T. Hylton<\/strong><\/p>

Fotografia \/ Cinematography
Dominick Sivilli<\/strong><\/p>

Montaggio \/ Editing
Ellis Senger<\/strong><\/p>

Suono \/ Sound
Clint Myers<\/strong><\/p>

Musica \/ Music
Adam Kromelow, Daniel Rufolo<\/strong><\/p>

Effetti Speciali \/ Special Effects
Hinano Leung<\/strong><\/p>

Interpreti \/ Cast
Andi Matichak, Steven Strait, Ashleigh Murray, Mar\u00eda Gabriela Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong><\/p>

Produttori \/ Producers
Jerry Careccio, Rob Alicea, Brodrick Haygood, P.T. Hylton, Jonathan Benecke<\/strong><\/p>

Produzione \/ Productions
Leaving Normal, First Light, Moon Howler<\/strong><\/p>

Distribuzione Internazionale \/ International Distribution
Arclight Films<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rob Alicea<\/strong>
Regista e attore originario del Queens, New York, \u00e8 noto soprattutto per aver creato e interpretato la serie comica <\/span>Adulthood<\/span><\/i> (presentata all’HBO New York Latino Film Festival del 2017). Con il thriller soprannaturale, <\/span>The Hat Man<\/span><\/i>, si rivela come una nuova e terrificante voce del cinema horror. Nel dicembre 2024, Rob esordisce alla regia con il thriller fantascientifico <\/span>Serena<\/span><\/i>. Co-fondatore di Leaving Normal Productions e dell’organizzazione no-profit Latinos In Film + Entertainment (L.I.F.E.), Rob si dedica a raccontare storie coraggiose che valorizzano nuove prospettive e pluralit\u00e0 di voci nel cinema e nella televisione.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rob Alicea<\/strong>
A filmmaker and actor from Queens, NY, he is best known for creating and starring in comedy series <\/span>Adulthood<\/span><\/i> (2017 HBO New York Latino Film Festival), it was his genre turn with supernatural thriller <\/span>The Hat Man<\/span><\/i> that established Rob as a terrifying new voice in horror. In December 2024, Rob made his feature directorial debut with Sci-Fi Thriller <\/span>Serena<\/span><\/i>. As Co-Founder of both Leaving Normal Productions and non-profit organization Latinos In Film + Entertainment (L.I.F.E.), Rob is committed to telling bold stories that amplify fresh perspectives and diverse voices in film and television.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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