New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI): Aranya Sahay's feature film "Humans in the Loop" has received the prestigious Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant, marking its official qualification for Academy Awards consideration.
This grant, a collaboration between Film Independent and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, is awarded to narrative features that meaningfully engage with science or technology themes or characters, providing strategic release support to help reach wider audiences.
With its US theatrical release now complete and having met other eligibility criteria, "Humans in the Loop" is officially in contention for the 98th Academy Awards, where it aims to compete in the Best Original Screenplay category, according to a press release.
The film narrates the story of an indigenous woman employed at a rural data-annotation center in India, delving into the ethics and disparities inherent in machine learning while emphasizing empathy, lived experience, and cultural understanding.
"We are at a pivotal moment with artificial intelligence, and humanity has a responsibility towards the future we are building. I’m immensely thankful to Film Independent and the Sloan Foundation for enabling this important conversation across the US. 'Humans in the Loop' is about the human aspect within technology, and this grant acknowledges the individuals whose labor and stories often go unnoticed,” stated writer and director Aranya Sahay.
Producer Mathivanan Rajendran added, "Through 'Humans in the Loop' and our initiatives at the Museum of Imagined Futures, we've been crafting a platform for technologists and creatives to reshape the narrative around technology... The Sloan Foundation's support and the film's entry into the Oscar race validate Aranya’s screenplay and exemplify how creatives can influence the future of technology."
Over the last two decades, the Sloan Film Program has supported over 850 screenplays, short films, and feature films, including prominent titles like "The Imitation Game", "Hidden Figures", "The Man Who Knew Infinity", and "Oppenheimer". This grant designates Aranya Sahay and Mathivanan Rajendran as Film Independent Fellows.
Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs at Film Independent, remarked, “We are proud to elevate awareness of 'Humans in the Loop' in the US through the Sloan Distribution Grant. The film's meticulous and humane examination of AI and the role of technology in our lives truly embodies the mission of this grant."
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