Parallel Minds

Parallel Minds

Parallel Minds is a bold, cerebral science fiction thriller that fuses speculative technology with Indigenous futurism. Set in the near future, the story follows Margo Elson (Tommie-Amber Pirie), a researcher at Red Eye Labs who works on an advanced artificial intelligence project designed to record and recreate human memories. When her mentor is found dead just before the technology’s public launch, Margo joins forces with a troubled detective (Greg Bryk) to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events surrounding the lab.

Written and directed by Métis filmmaker Benjamin Ross Hayden, Parallel Minds explores the blurred boundaries between memory, identity, and reality. As the investigation unfolds, the film raises urgent questions about surveillance, consciousness, and the consequences of surrendering personal history to machines.

Visually sleek and emotionally grounded, Hayden’s direction brings a unique cultural perspective to the sci-fi genre—merging Indigenous philosophy with futuristic storytelling. Premiering at the 2020 Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival, Parallel Minds stands out as a distinctly Canadian vision of near-future dystopia, blending noir intrigue with spiritual reflection.

Parallel Minds is both a mystery and a meditation—an inventive reminder that while technology can capture memory, it cannot replicate the human spirit.

Screening With:

The Arrière-Pays

Student Shorts Showcase

The Arrière-Pays is an autobiographical fable at the cross-section between sci-fi and memory film. The film explores the journey of two dreamers trapped between Past and Present, between Dream and Reality. It combines excerpts from an immigration journal, found text, and images suspended in a dystopian dark space.

6 mins
Canada, 2020
Dir. Federica Foglia
Language: French