Filmmakers Barry and Felicia Ptolemy (Ptolemaic Productions) and partners, Therapy Studios, make their world premiere at the prestigious International Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the world’s largest documentary film festival, on November 24, 2009 with TRANSCENDENT MAN. The film will compete for the IDFA Award for Best First Appearance. No U.S. distributor is attached at this time. See below for premiere screening details.

The compelling feature-length documentary film, by Director Barry Ptolemy, chronicles the life and controversial ideas of luminary Ray Kurzweil. For more than three decades, inventor, futurist, and NY Times best-selling author Ray Kurzweil has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future.

In TRANSCENDENT MAN, Ptolemy follows Kurzweil around the globe as he presents the daring arguments from his best-selling book, The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. Kurzweil predicts that with the ever-accelerating rate of technological change, humanity is fast approaching an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly non-biological and trillions of times more powerful. This will be the dawning of a new civilization enabling us to transcend our biological limitations. In Kurzweil’s post-biological world, boundaries blur between human and machine, real and virtual. Human aging and illness are reversed, world hunger and poverty are solved, and we cure death.

“Kurzweil is the best person I know at predicting the future. Kurzweil envisions a future in which information technologies have advanced so far and fast that they enable humanity to transcend its biological limitations—transforming our lives in ways we can’t yet imagine.” –Bill Gates

Ptolemy explores the social and philosophical implications of these changes and the potential threats they pose to human civilization in dialogues with world leaders Colin Powell; technologists Hugo de Garis, Peter Diamandis, Kevin Warwick, and Dean Kamen; journalists Kevin Kelly and Tom Abate; and Stevie Wonder. Kurzweil maintains a radically optimistic view of the future, while acknowledging new dangers. Award winning American composer, Philip Glass, contributes original theme music that mirrors the depth and intensity of the film.

Making its worldwide festival tour, TRANSCENDENT MAN screened to sold-out audiences at Tribeca Film Festival in April 2009 and the American Film Institute Festival (AFI Fest) on November 5^th 2009 in Hollywood, CA. The film was lauded as “One of the most compelling documentaries at Tribeca this year”, by Flavorwire.com and continues to gain notoriety:

“Prophetic, mind-bending and sometimes quite terrifying…” -Fast Company

“A well-made, insightful documentary that asks some hard questions while leaving just as many unanswered, "Transcendent Man" is an intriguing study of techno-prophet Ray Kurzweil.” –Variety

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

The annual International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) screens a program of documentaries that rise above the ordinary. Dedicated to innovative documentaries that challenge and inspire, IDFA seeks out some of the very best films of the genre that address social problems or raise important issues. Transcendent Man, one of 16 documentaries competing for the IDFA Award for Best First Appearance, makes its premiere on Tuesday, November 24^th at 5:00pm at the Tuschinski 1 Theater. Ray Kurzweil and Director Barry Ptolemy will appear on the IDFA daily talk show and Media Fund Documentary Awards at 8:20pm on November 24^th. For tickets or more information: http://www.idfa.nl

About Ray Kurzweil: www.kurzweilai.net/pressroom

About Ptolemaic Productions: http://www.PtolemaicProductions.com

About Therapy Studios: www.youneedtherapy.tv.