Baltic Event Co-Production Market
Push The Button
A black comedy about shutting down the internet
Johanna’s journalistic career is going nowhere, as she struggles with a lack of focus and screen addiction. By chance, she comes across a tech-resistant movement and decides to write an article on its mysterious leader Puck’s crusade against the internet. She joins a burnt-out influencer, a self-professed shaman and two blasé advertisers on a wild road trip, changing the course of her life and, perhaps, the future of humanity.
Keywords: society, artificial intelligence, belonging
Director's note:
Push the Button was born as a way to confront my own anxiety about the future, a future where an intelligence greater than ours is being bred by our most brilliant minds and is raised on information supplied by all of humanity. It revolves around the question ”If there was a button that could shut this tech algorithm down, would you push it?”. The film is a way to examine the idea of whether humanity controls its own destiny or if we are predestined, surfing the same wave of progression that evolution put us on millions of years ago. "Push the Button" is a satire about our ambivalence towards technological advancements, a comedic, poetic "Apocalypse Now" for the Burning Man generation.
Producer's note:
The film aims to be a time document reflecting thoughts and emotions of the early 2020s when AI was advancing rapidly, and the destination was still unknown. Through
the characters like Johanna, Janne, and others in the minivan, the film hopes to present a
thought-provoking and humorous exploration of the theme. Push the Button delve into the
little person’s relationship with technological development, engaging with the societal debate in a way that combines humour and seriousness. Anton Källrot’s directorial and screenwriting artistry is associative, marked by a distinctive voice filled with drastic humour and existential depth. With a keen sense of film language and tone, along with a vast reference bank in film history, Anton leads the vision work for the film. As producers, they want to preserve this compass and let it flow freely. The film is expected to contribute to this debate philosophically and existentially for both Swedish and international audiences.
Ylva Olaison is a producer and actress trained at the University of Performing Arts in Gothenburg. She holds a Master’s degree in Film Processes from the Film School in Gothenburg. Since 2011, she has been leading ÖGAT Film together with Anton Källrot and Jonathan Silén.
The Modern Project, feature film Magnus is a Sexist, short film Blueberry, short film
Jonathan Silén is a trained actor from the University of Performing Arts and holds a Master’s degree in Film Processes from the Film School in Gothenburg .Jonathan was nominated for a Guldbagge Award in 2017 for Best Male Lead for his performance in ”Det Moderna Projektet” (The Modern Project). He is currently studying AI at Hyper Island and lectures on AI and filmmaking. He is one of the founders of ÖGAT, and his role in the project involves production development. Jonathan plays the part of Yannick (description further down). Jonathan contributes through his profound interest and knowledge of the themes and is a valuable component in the development of Push the Button.
Producer Madeleine Ekman has 30 year’s experience in the Swedish film industry. She co-produced Magnus Von Horns “The girl with the needle” that was competing at the main compaction in Cannes this year. Most recently she worked as a producer for Nordisk Film Production in Sweden, after having been a film commissioner at the Swedish Film Institute, having the responsibility for international co-productions. Madeleine ran Zentropa Sweden as CEO for nearly ten years, co-producing features like “Jagten” , “A Royal Affair”, “Hämnden” and Lars von Trier's films “Antichrist”, “Melancholia” and “The House that Jack built”. She also produced Magnus von Horns film “Efterskalv”, and was rewarded a Guldbagge for best feature film. She is a mentor and Member of EWA, teaches at Avek in Finland, is a ACE producer and a EFA member.
About: ÖGAT was founded in 2011 by Ylva Olaison, Anton Källrot, and Jonathan Silén. During development, we work closely with actors to test and refine the material, and during filming, we bring methods from the field of theater, where we also operate. Filmography: Blueberry (2024) - Short Magnus Is A Sexist (2020) - Short https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11610830/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk The Modern Project (2016) - Feature https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5073612/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk