EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first look at Cold Mind, the indie TV drama starring Jos Vantyler and Niahm McCormack.
The show, which was produced out of Portugal, is headed for MIPCOM Cannes next with Spy Manor Productions seeking buyers.
Cold Mind follows McCormack as a young detective from London who is thrown into a grim murder investigation in the sun-drenched Algarve and begins working with a troubled veteran officer played by Paulo Calatre. Meanwhile, Vantyler’s character is a wealthy Californian tech genius who keeps tabs on potential criminals using AI ‘mentors’ who exist within a pendant. The artificial intelligence characters include his deceased brother, with whom he shares a close relationship. When the tech appeared to go wrong, police demand his project be shut down.
Part-crime drama, part-meditation on the limits of AI, the trailer eventually poses the question: “In a limitless technological world, is AI a savior or a weapon?”
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Written by Ross Jameson and directed and shown by Simon Hunter, the show also stars Tim Fellingham, Jake Kenny-Byrne, Isabella Dempster, Joana Seixas and Timothy Martin among others. It has been independently financed and shooting is complete, leaving buyers in a simple yes or no situation next week in Cannes. Debbie Wiseman has composed an original score and August Jakobsson is the cinematographer. Vic Armstrong is stunt designer.
Exec producers Alex and Vanda Everke have backgrounds in tech and AI, and are hoping their close understanding of the tech will allow the show to better reflect the realities and open discourse around its usage.
“In today’s entertainment landscape, AI is a hot topic, and we believe Cold Mind offers something truly visionary,” said Vanda Everke. “While many shows focus on distant sci-fi futures, Cold Mind embraces a ‘near-fi’ approach, depicting technologies that are just beginning to emerge in our world. This show has proven to be ahead of its time, as the very concepts we integrated into our narrative are now becoming realities.”
To this end, new tech such as the Friend Wearable AI Device apes the ‘mentors’ who appear in the trailer, offering companionship and emotional support. “These innovations reflect the kind of advanced thinking that has guided our storytelling from the outset, almost as if we were looking into the future and bringing it to the screen just as it starts to manifest in real life,” said Vanda Everke.
She noted that producers worked closely with Stefano Gurciullo, an AI expert who advises the likes of European Space Agency and the European Commission, to fine-tune the narrative realistically. “Our show not only entertains but also educates the audience on the real-world implications of AI, making these topics accessible and engaging for a broad viewership,” said Everke.
Spy Manor plans to be active during MIPCOM’s AI Summit, as well as talking to networks and streamers about the series. MIPCOM runs from October 21-24.