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In Production
I’m currently developing two feature film projects: one is a docu-fiction about crypto mining (2016 – present), the other is a narrative about saffron (2023 - present).
Supply Chain
A FILM BY ALEX TYSON
In a world where digital gold reshapes the earth, Supply Chain journeys across continents and decades, uncovering the intricate connections between cryptocurrency mining, natural resources, and global power dynamics. Through rare footage and visionary animation, the film unravels the future we’ve barely begun to imagine.
WATCH THE PROOF OF CONCEPT VIDEO (5 MINUTES):
The film presents an in-depth look at the world of Bitcoin mining, tracing a single Antminer S9 computer's journey from its mineral origins in Central Africa to its future in Texarkana, 2141. We see a future in which digital mining has shifted nation states, energy grids and culture at large.
The viewer is guided by Chippy, a mischievous AI assistant with a mind of his own. Chippy has been trained on the opinions of Bitcoin critics and enthusiasts alike. Chippy playfully interrupts what appears to be a boring PBS documentary.
Filmmaking Process
The film utilizes a hybrid format, combining verité footage, scientific imagery, and animation. Interviews are sparse, we see events, archival supercuts. We are on a journey. Chippy adds a playful, digestible, and thought-provoking dimension, making the complex technical processes behind crypto more accessible to a wide audience.
A Global Story with a Local Focus.
Spanning continents from the heart of Africa to rural Texas, Supply Chain presents a global portrait of Bitcoin’s influence. The film maps out the intricate relationship between geography, politics, and the mining industry, presenting Bitcoin as not just a digital asset, but a force shaping the physical world. By weaving local, human stories into this broader tapestry, the film challenges the audience to see cryptocurrency as more than just numbers on a screen.
Mixing fact and speculative fiction.
With its final chapter set in Texarkana, a fictional special economic zone in the year 2141, the film dares to envision a world shaped by invisible computational processes. The audience is invited to eavesdrop on a pivotal negotiation between a mining CEO and the U.S. State Department leading up to the mining of the final Bitcoin in existence. This mixture of fact, speculation, and cinematic artistry positions Supply Chain as a true experiment in storytelling, fusing speculative fiction with documentary rigor.
Partners
Distribution
Supply Chain will use a multi-pronged release strategy, including token-gated online premiere for crypto-natives, a targeted grassroots theatrical run and institutional library licensing. DIS.art currently has 1,500 individual subscribers and 25 institutional subscribers, including prestigious institutions like UPenn, MIT, NYU, Princeton, Goldsmiths, RISD, The New School. We will create an innovative release strategy that isn’t predicated on the distribution pipeline of the documentary industry.
Audience
The film is designed to reach a broad spectrum of viewers, from Bitcoin enthusiasts to critics, environmental advocates, and those unfamiliar with the crypto altogether. Its art-driven, sensory approach avoids taking sides or formulating a singular politic. It is politically neutral, like crypto itself.
A film by Alex Tyson
Alex Tyson is filmmaker and artist based in Los Angeles, California, originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He has screened at MoMA Doc Fortnight, Lincoln Center’s Art of The Real, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Visions du Réel and others. His work as a non-fiction cinematographer has brought him to the US, Brazil, China, the South Pacific, Europe and Central Africa. He has contributed to Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning documentaries which are distributed widely. He primarily works as an in-demand director, editor and sound designer on feature films, shorts and installations.