Regular readers of PopCult probably already know that my brother, Frank Panucci, is a computer animator and artist, and is largely responsible for the unique look of the little webshow that I produce here for TheGazz.com, Radio Free Charleston.  Well, when I dropped the latest episode of RFC off to Frank for final preparation before we posted it here at The Gazz, he showed me a rough cut of his latest project. 

He’s done the animation and designs for the short film, “Automaton,” written and directed by Brian Delizareaux and produced by Red Fortress Entertainment.  I knew he’d been working on a film for a Los Angeles-based company, but I didn’t know how big a deal this film was.  “Automaton” made its debut last night at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City, California, it was screened as part of the pre-release party for a little film called “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.” 

The musical score for “Automaton” is by another Mountain State resident, Aubrey Young. So that’s two West Virginia connections to this nifty short film, which tells the post-apocalyptic story of a robotic butterfly that can save the world.

“Automaton” will be shown at film festivals all over the world in the coming months.  We’ll keep you up to date on where you can see this film and buy the DVD right here in PopCult.