Mike Stasko in a scene from The ControlUWindsor professor Mike Stasko’s sci-fi thriller “The Control” will enjoy its Canadian premiere this weekend.

Professor’s sci-fi film to premiere in Canada this weekend

The Canadian premiere of his science fiction thriller The Control, Sunday at the Montreal World Film Festival, is an exciting occasion for UWindsor professor Mike Stasko, who co-produced, -wrote, and -directed it with his long-time collaborator Eric Schiller.

The feature film tells the story of a brilliant programmer and a morally questionable neurochemist attempting to create a game-changing virtual reality multiverse. As they perfect their immersive dream machine, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish illusion from reality.

The film was shot entirely in Windsor in 2015 and 2016, with more than 25 UWindsor students and another 15 Windsorites serving on its crew.

It will screen at Montreal’s Quartier Latin Cinema at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, September 2, and 1 p.m. Monday, September 3. The Toronto Independent Film Festival will show it at the Carlton Cinema at 9 p.m. Wednesday, September 12.

The Control was truly an independent Canadian film, so we’re ecstatic that it will play in two of Canada’s major film towns,” says Stasko, who teaches in the Department of Communication, Media, and Film.

The work has already garnered plaudits on the festival circuit, winning a Platinum Remi award at WorldFest Houston, best sci-fi feature at Detroit’s Motor City Nightmares, and best director and best lead actress at the International Filmmaker Festival in Nice, France.

Watch the trailer here: