Watch the trailer for the AI ​​crime drama en route to MIPCOM Cannes

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first look at it Cold spiritthe indie TV drama starring Jos Vantyler and Niahm McCormack.

The show, which was produced in Portugal, next heads to MIPCOM Cannes, with Spy Manor Productions looking for buyers.

Cold spirit follows McCormack as a young detective from London who becomes embroiled in a dark murder investigation in the sun-drenched Algarve and begins working with a troubled veteran officer, played by Paulo Calatre. Meanwhile, Vantyler’s character is a wealthy Californian tech genius who keeps an eye on potential criminals with the help of AI mentors who exist in a counterpart. The artificial intelligence characters include his late brother, with whom he maintains a close relationship. When the technology apparently went wrong, the police called for his project to be shut down.

Part crime drama, part meditation on the limits of AI, the trailer ultimately asks the question: “In a limitless technological world, is AI a savior or a weapon?”

Written by Ross Jameson and directed and shown by Simon Hunter, the series stars Tim Fellingham, Jake Kenny-Byrne, Isabella Dempster, Joana Seixas and Timothy Martin, among others. The film was independently financed and filming has wrapped, leaving buyers facing a simple yes-or-no situation at Cannes next week. Debbie Wiseman composed an original score and August Jakobsson is the cinematographer. Vic Armstrong is a stunt designer.

Executive producers Alex and Vanda Everke have a background in technology and AI and hope their deep understanding of the technology will allow the show to better reflect reality and provide open discourse about its use.

“In today’s entertainment landscape, AI is a hot topic and we believe in it Cold spirit offers something truly visionary,” said Vanda Everke. “While many series focus on distant science fiction futures, Cold spirit takes a “near-fi” approach and presents technologies that are just emerging in our world. This show has proven to be ahead of its time as the very concepts we incorporated into our narrative are now becoming a reality.”

To this end, new technologies such as the Friend Wearable AI Device mimic the “mentors” that appear in the trailer, providing companionship and emotional support. “These innovations reflect the kind of progressive thinking that has guided our storytelling from the beginning, almost as if we are looking into the future and bringing it to the screen just as it begins to manifest itself in real life,” Vanda said Everke.

She noted that the producers worked closely with Stefano Gurciullo, an AI expert who advises companies such as the European Space Agency and the European Commission, to tailor the narrative for realism. “Our show not only entertains audiences, but also educates them about the real-world implications of AI, making these topics accessible and engaging to a broad audience,” said Everke.

Spy Manor plans to be active at MIPCOM’s AI Summit and talk to networks and streamers about the series. MIPCOM will take place from October 21st to 24th.