Savannah Electric - no-budget obscure AI sci-fi feature film

Savannah Electric is the first science-fiction feature film ever produced in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada—a gritty, stylized Canadian dystopia shot on 16mm color film in the mid-1980s. Directed by Perry Mark Stratychuk, this ultra-low budget indie gem (approx. $15,000 USD) channels the spirit of spaghetti westerns with a surreal sci-fi twist: a rogue clone worker begins a half-conscious rebellion against the world’s first sentient AI.

Starring Dean V. Beckman and Jack Urbanski, with voice-over performances by Christopher Sigurdson and Anne Hodges, the film was shot in the eerie sands of Spruce Woods Provincial Park—Canada’s own desert near Brandon, Manitoba, where tank fire from a nearby military range shook the ground during production.

The electronic soundtrack was composed and performed by Tom Paterson of Cottage Industry, a Winnipeg synth-pop band later signed to Capitol Records. Savannah Electric premiered as a work-in-progress at Houston WorldFest and saw limited VHS distribution in Asia.

"We are talking about a beautiful, thoughtful film made with a strong and rather unique artistic vision. Perhaps some will complain that there is too much narration (although I think it's' calm, cool tone adds a nice counterpoint to the filmed images), but if offers a strong deeply imagined and very detailed glimpse of a horrible future, one which seems chillingly plausible in our day and age." - Rivets on the Poster.

A cult artifact of Canadian and obscure sci-fi cinema, praised for its style, tone and potential AI future, this film remains a rare and visionary 1980s indie film exploration of identity, technology, and rebellion.

Produced, directed, photographed, and edited by Perry Mark Stratychuk

Soundtrack by Tom Paterson

Copyright 1985-2023 All Rights Reserved

Running time: 75:00