The Institute

Slamdance Film Festival

Director: Spencer McCall

Following the storyline of a massive reality game created by Jeff Hull, The Institute searches for the boundary that separates what is real and what is fiction. The game is played throughout the streets of San Francisco—both above and below—described as an “urban playground movement” and as the “ultimate reality game” that wonderfully combines street art and performance theater.

As more “inductees” get involved in the search for “Elsewhere,” which is more a way of being than a physical place, the game begins to spiral out of the hands of “The Creator,” and it becomes clear that this is not a game to some. But the reason for the game’s existence might be more intriguing—and more mysterious—than the game itself.

Using a combination of interviews and film footage from the creators of the game and from participants, McCall puts together a well-spun story that takes viewers all the way down the rabbit hole.

 

Slamdance Film Guide

Screenings:

Date: 1.19, 12:30 PM Venue: Treasure Mountain Inn, Main Screening Room

Date: 1.22, 2:40 PM Venue: Treasure Mountain Inn, Main Screening Room