'The Universe in a Grain of Sand' filmmaker Mark Levinson on art, physics, and AI as an extension of human creativity

On this episode of the VIFF podcast, programmer Alan Franey sits down with Mark Levinson to talk about his film, The Universe in a Grain of Sand. Levinson, who is a former theoretical particle physicist as well as a producer on films such as Mystic Pizza and Teen Wolf, details why he transitioned from physicist to filmmaker—influenced by his findings at Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive.The Universe in a Grain of Sand premiered at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival and explores the potential of quantum computing to solve complex problems, honing in on Levinson's view of AI as an extension of human creativity that could also bridge the gap between technology and our understanding of the universe.This episode was recorded during the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival. This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.