Notes will be taken in the near "future" at this panel in Woodstock

How are these for topics at a panel discussion? Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and genetic engineering? Bring it on! I predict that either Erin or myself will be taking notes at this very cool panel called Redesigning Humanity - The New Frontier during the 1oth Anniversary of the Woodstock Film Festival. Read more about this fascinating panel below (from the WFF press release that came out today).

2009 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL ENGAGES THE FUTURE HEAD-ON!

(Woodstock, NY) August 26, 2009: The 10TH Anniversary Woodstock Film Festival boldly goes where it has never gone before with an unprecedented focus on ethics and the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence and transhumanism.

With two futuristic narrative premieres and intellectually star-studded panels exploring radical new technologies, this years "fiercely independent" festival offers rare insight into the not-so-futuristic world of artificial intelligence, technohumanity, and other bio-technologies, which could become the norm within the next fifty years.

"We are thrilled to spotlight the future explorations of men and machine in this year's festival," stated Meira Blaustein, co-founder and executive director of the Woodstock Film Festival. "In a year where we celebrate the mark of our 10th anniversary and we all stand at the eve of a new decade, setting an eye into our future is not only our privilege, but a necessity."

2B, directed by Richard Kroehling, is a World Premiere future narrative film portraying a decaying world on the cusp of great transformation. Based upon real science and evolving technologies, 2B's script brings to life the 'technohuman' conundrum. Designed to confront the most controversial topic of the 21st century, 2B explores moral and religious questions raised by the biotech revolution, forcing its audience to deeply question their definitions of life itself.

Partnered with the Syfy Channel, WFF will also present the feature length pilot of Syfy's upcoming, hotly anticipated new series Caprica. The film is presented in connection with a Syfy Screenwriting Panel, pertaining to future narrative writing and other different genres of screenwriting as well.

From the mind of Battlestar Executive Producer, Ronald Moore comes Caprica. Humanity's storyline takes completely new twists in Caprica as two rival family patriarchs, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) compete and thrive in the vibrant realm of the twelve Colonies, a society recognizably close to our own. This original, stand-alone series will feature the passion, intrigue, political backbiting, and family conflict alive and well in an omnipotent society that is, even at the height of its blind power and glory, unknowingly on the brink of its fall.

Designed to accompany the issues raised by 2B and Caprica, the Woodstock Film Festival engages the future head-on with the presentation of a ground-breaking panel, Redesigning Humanity - The New Frontier: If artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and other technologies will, within the next 50 years, allow human beings to transcend the limitations of the body, how will our world fundamentally change under those conditions?

Moderated by Dr. James J. Hughes, Executive Director of the Institute for Emerging Ethics and Technologies and bioethicist at Trinity College, this revolutionary panel features futurist Raymond Kurzweil, the author of four best selling novels, and an inventor responsible for many breakthroughs in biotechnological fields; Dr. Martine Rothblatt, lawyer, author and entrepreneur, responsible for several satellite technology companies, along with Terasem Media and Films, which produces independent narrative and documentary films that deal with biotechnologies; and author Wendell Wallach, regarded as one of forefront thinkers in the field of Machine Ethics who, after co-authoring Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right from Wrong, is working on a new book examining what humans might become through emerging technologies.
The full 10th Anniversary Woodstock Film Festival line-up of films, panels and events, will be announced in early September.