Life After Pi has been awarded the Best Documentary Short Film at the 30th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The announcement was made at the festival awards breakfast on Saturday, February 7.
Directed by Scott Leberecht and produced by Christina Lee Storm, the documentary chronicles the collapse of the visual effects studio Rhythm & Hues Studios, even as it was on the cusp of earning the Academy Award for its work on the feature film Life of Pi.
Filmed over a two week period in early 2013, Life After Pi reveals the issues facing the visual effects industry and examines the impact the bankruptcy had upon hundreds of artists and staff, and the industry as a whole. At the time Rhythm & Hues declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company had just celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Director Leberecht said, “As a twenty-year veteran of the visual effects industry, I am very happy that our film is being acknowledged and seen by so many. I carry a deep sense of gratitude for the brave individuals who participated in the film and went on record. For a brief moment, we broke through the culture of fear. My hope is that the conversation continues.”
Storm added, “It’s a bittersweet win. We’re proud to have earned this recognition, but we’re also mindful of the human impact the events had upon the people featured in the movie, our co-workers and friends. We hope the film continues to shine a light and contribute to a better business model for all concerned in the film industry.”
Originally released on YouTube almost one year to the day after the bankruptcy, Life After Pi had captured 1.2 million views (and 14 years of accumulated watch time) within the first two months of its release. Storm and Leberecht are currently developing a feature length documentary which will explore the industry’s transition from optical to digital techniques in movie special effects. Click here for more info and to see Life After Pi.
