Please release me!

Looking through the Sci-Fi London programme I noticed this film hasn't made the festival. Sleep Dealer is released in the US on 17th April but apart from one showing at Edinburgh in June (last year) I'm not aware of plans to screen it in the UK. It's a shame - no doubt there will eventually be a DVD release but this is an indie film I would love to see in the cinema.

The plot takes in themes of immigration, poverty and exploitation, through two emerging markets - cheap labour for robotic remote control (a natural extension of the call centre economy) and sale of recorded dreams and memories (more fantastical). The former idea appeals to me as I'd had a similar concept in mind for Human Touch. The trailer and the few details provided at interviews show some striking visuals with a lot of thought going into the design. This film was a winner at Sundance and has been noticed at other festivals too so it hasn't appeared completely out of the blue.

I've got no way of knowing whether this film is actually as intelligent or stylish as it should be, but this is exactly the kind of film I would pay to see on the big screen and hope it gets its chance. [edited 17.4.09]