Sideways Film

Sparked by humanity’s unquenchable thirst for exploration, fuelled by capitalism’s insatiable hunger for growth and propelled by breathtaking new technologies, a new Space Renaissance is emerging. New feature documentary Fortitude: Forging the Trillion Dollar Space Economy uncovers how a few influential individuals with utopian ideas and vast fortunes are forging a trillion-dollar off-world industry while inspiring millions of us back on Earth.

This story is about much more than billionaire joyrides and rocket launches (the so-called Earth to Space economy) that everyone is talking about. With soon tens of thousands of miniature satellites up in orbit, the high frontier is no longer solely a domain reserved for a few Government spy agencies. Vast amounts of high-resolution data augmented by AI algorithms and beamed down at low cost to corporations and consumers (the Space to Earth economy) could transform entire industries that no one is talking about. Furthermore, the new phenomenon of Space to Space activities such as service robots and fuel stations and even privately run space stations with hotel rooms and bio labs are already being financed.

As well as highlighting the major economic players from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and investigating how the geopolitical struggle with China will unfold in orbit, FORTITUDE will also focus on smaller centres of innovation such as Singapore, Israel, Luxembourg and take us to surprising corners of the world like Ecuador, Uganda and a High School in rural Australia. With this broader perspective, FORTITUDE illustrates how space technologies could not only make a handful of Western “tech bros” even richer but also how NewSpace may impact farmers in India and Latin America, strengthen fisheries and export markets in Asia, facilitate disaster relief in Africa and supercharge the fight to tackle climate change.

Told through the eyes of award-winning filmmaker Torsten Hoffmann who will sanity check the economic viability of the most hyped projects. Torsten, who directed and hosted the breakout success CRYPTOPIA about the emerging blockchain economy (as well as a documentary about Bitcoin in 2014), will investigate the people, projects and promises of NewSpace. He’ll meet those who take risk capital to turn science fiction into science fact. From small sats to big dreams; from long marches to giant leaps; from financial meltdowns to supermassive IPOs, this is a whirlwind tour around the globe – and into zero-gravity – that will make you re-examine everything you thought you knew about space.