Austin Film Festival is proud to announce a lineup of WORLD PREMIERES at its 31st season. Today we’ll be looking at the documentary feature Artifact War directed by Evan Michael Carpenter.
Artifact War
(USA, 91 MIN)
Director: Evan Carpenter & Jacob Schwarz
Cast: Amr Al Azm, Katie Paul
A team of archaeologists-turned-spies brave Syria’s civil war and infiltrate the ranks of ISIS to uncover the greatest art theft since WW2 and unravel a conspiracy that implicates Western museums and one of the world’s most powerful companies.
Screening Times
Keep reading for Evan’s full interview.
AFF: What audience do you think would enjoy this film the most?
The audience that would likely enjoy Artifact War the most includes people who are passionate about history, art, culture, and global affairs. More specifically: Documentary Enthusiasts: People who appreciate documentaries that explore real-world issues, especially those involving conflict, heritage preservation, and human stories. Art and History Lovers: Since Artifact War focuses on Syrian artifacts, art historians, archaeologists, museum professionals, and those interested in cultural heritage and antiquities will find it compelling. Social Justice and Human Rights Advocates: The film likely delves into the cultural destruction caused by war, which would resonate with audiences concerned about human rights, the protection of cultural heritage, and global preservation efforts. Middle Eastern Communities.
AFF: How does your film compare to others in your genre?
Our film is a very fast paced documentary, it’s action packed. We tried to cross some boundaries in storytelling and bring the story to life.
AFF: Why did you choose Austin Film Festival for your world premiere?
Texas was the home state for Evan. It was also a festival that came highly recommended by our friends. We are first and foremost storytellers and we love that we get to be a part of a festival so focused on writing and the importance of story.
AFF: How would you describe the writing/development process of your film?
In the documentary process, we always enter a story and then leave with a new twist. After our initial interviews with the key players we realized there was a lot more to this story and other bigger players, and so we mapped out the next steps. And travelled internationally to pick up several new interviews and to shoot additional content. There was a lot of scripting for the recreations! Those helped bring the story to life.
AFF: What are some universal themes we can expect from your film?
Honesty in the world of heritage and artifacts. Who owns these artifacts and who SHOULD own them? Should they be allowed to be sold when they’re stripped from dangerous war zones?