Computer Chess
Computer Chess is a 2013 independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Andrew Bujalski. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and subsequently screened at such festivals as South by Southwest and the Maryland Film Festival.
Plot
In 1980, an annual gathering of teams of idiosyncratic nerds compete in an undistinguished California hotel to see which of their computer programs can best the others at computer chess. A grandmaster (Gerald Peary) presides as master of ceremonies with a videographer and microphone in tow. Clunky, primitive personal computers are carted from room to room. Bad haircuts, dorky shirts, "birth control glasses", and other social impedimenta are ubiquitous. Bull sessions on the dystopian possibilities of artificial intelligence are pursued. The Pentagon's interest in the goings-on is intimated. The only female geek (Robin Schwartz) in attendance is repeatedly hailed and "welcomed" by the MC.
Awards
More details
| author | Andrew Bujalski |
|---|---|
| award | Alfred P. Sloan Prize |
| director | Andrew Bujalski |
| editor | Andrew Bujalski |
| events | chess computing |
| genre | comedy-drama |
| keywords | artificial intelligence birth control birth control glasses chris doubek computer chess computer programmer cyndi williams gather grandmaster human potential movement master of ceremonies patrick riester pentagon personal computer prostitute robin schwartz swing videographer |
| producer | Alex Lipschultz |
| publisher | Kino Lorber |
| theme | dance independent |