In the world of sci-fi and technology, we find not only futuristic visions, but also the challenges of bringing these visions to life and presenting them to the public. PrusaLab has been meeting Future Gate, the largest Central European festival focused on sci-fi films, at this boundary for four years now. Our partnership with this festival brings new projects every year that push the usual boundaries of the 3D printing world.
Gateways: the fusion of sci-fi and reality
Since the beginning of our cooperation, we have focused on combining technology with art and film. The result of our first collaboration was a nearly three-metre-long space portal – the symbol of the festival – which every year marks the entrance to the festival events. Each year we also create unique trophies for the festival winners, inspired precisely by this portal. This year we have designed and produced the awards for the fourth time already; they are not only an aesthetic creation, but also the result of the precise work of our designers, 3D printers, CNC machining experts and electronics engineers.
This year's iteration of the trophy consists of a base and the gate itself. The base was milled from aluminium and the gate was printed from Prusament PETG material on an Original Prusa MK4S FDM printer. The aluminium base was subsequently ground and polished to achieve a glossy finish, while the 3D-printed gates were painted with metallic paints to also give them a metallic appearance. The trophies were fitted with rechargeable batteries, an LED strip, and control electronics with animation. Furthermore, this year's version has been complemented with an elegant effect switch and a USB-C charging slot. On a single charge, the trophy can last up to 100 hours of illumination. The „infinity“ effect inside the gate was achieved by using a semi-transparent plexiglass mirror and mirror film. The labels were engraved using a fibre laser, and the trophies were ready for presentation.
Special award for Terry Gilliam
This year's notable guest of the Future Gate festival is the legendary director Terry Gilliam, known for his films such as Brazil or by membership of a comedy group Monty Python. For this occasion, we have created a special sculpture of Sam Lowry, the main character of the film Brazil, as a tribute to his unique contribution to the world of sci-fi.
The statue was a challenge not only from a design perspective, but also in terms of technical execution. Our design and modelling teams joined forces to create a detailed model of Sam Lowry, which was subsequently printed on our 3D printers. The body of the statue was printed on an Original Prusa SL1S SLA printer in several parts, while the wings were printed on an Original Prusa XL FDM printer using PETG material. The base of the statue was printed on an Original Prusa MK4S printer and fitted with a metal weight for greater stability. Printing was followed by manual surface finishing and painting, resulting in a piece that combines technology with artistic representation.
photo: Martin BambušekFutureGate
A look into the future
The Future Gate festival is an annual celebration of sci-fi films and discussions on future topics such as artificial intelligence and the ethics of new technologies. This year's edition focused on AI and its role in our world. At PrusaLab, we believe that technologies can push the boundaries of what is possible, and we are proud to be part of this discussion. At the festival, we are presenting not only our skills, but also our vision of a world where technology and art jointly create the future.
We look forward to future editions of the festival and the challenges that new projects connecting the worlds of film, art and technology will bring.
