Invadr January 2026 Newsletter

Happy New Year Brooklyn SciFi Fans! We're off to a good start for the year with submissions for the 2026 Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival now open and exciting news from two of our 2025 alumni filmmakers.

First, a new web series from creative team Johnnie and Dara Semerad at Quiteman entitled Deep Space Degenerates will premiere on their YouTube channel on February 3rd. We're huge fans of the pilot that screened at the Best of Brooklyn night and took home a Silver Medal.

We're also excited to share that SYNC, a 2025 Official Selection and fan-favorite, has secured domestic distribution with Buffalo 8 and is now headed to digital release. We look forward to re-watching once it hits Amazon and Fandango in March.

And finally, we're working on launching our beta of Cyber Club, an independent channel for filmmakers and fans, to demo at SXSW in Austin, TX this March. Details on all this and more are below. As always, reply back to this newsletter to get involved or ask questions. We're listening!

PREMIERING FEBRUARY 3RD

Aliens and robots in deep space on a big, ugly ship. What could go wrong?

Episode 001 – Arrivals and Departures - Premieres February 3, 2026

In the grand tradition of sending our "finest" to explore new frontiers (like that time Columbus crewed his ship with convicts), space exploration's future isn't the noble quest we imagined – it's run by corporations who care more about profits than boldly going anywhere.

Each episode follows this crew of misfits to another world making deliveries for the galaxy's biggest arms manufacturer – well, when their ill-conceived scams aren't getting in the way. Their captain's collecting marriages and restraining orders, the first mate's fighting his inner frat boy, their doctor's addicted to everything, and Donny in maintenance is one coffee away from... we're afraid to ask. Rounding out this circus is their new navigator, whose greatest achievement so far is finding the ship's bathroom. Throw in a collection of questionable tagalongs, and you've got a crew turning simple deliveries into spectacular disasters. But hey, they're still alive and mostly employed – in space, that counts as a win.

We're excited to share that SYNC, a 2025 Official Selection at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival, has secured domestic distribution with Buffalo 8 and is now headed to digital release.

In a microchipped future where minds connect through a thought-based app, anxious Ayla syncs with her new roommate, Devin. As their bond turns toxic and Ayla begins experiencing Devin's memories, she has 72 hours to break the sync — or lose her mind.

Directed by Carolina Alvarez and produced by Alvarez and Tessa Markle, SYNC is a female-led indie sci-fi psychological thriller made outside the studio system. The film explores toxic friendship through near-future mind-sharing technology, blending psychological horror with timely fears about intimacy and rapidly advancing tech.

Pre-orders begin February 20, 2026
Digital release March 6, 2026 on Amazon, Fandango at Home, and more.

Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun will be our first contemporary novel of 2026. It’s a great way to kick off our lead-up to the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025 collection in April. For many of us, BASFF was our first introduction to Roanhorse’s work, so I’m excited to dive into my first novel by this Hugo and Nebula Award winner.

It's said to be more fantasy than we usually read for this club, but the story seems interesting and in line with some of our recent selections. It also reportedly has strong sci-fi themes, so it felt reasonable to include it in our survey.

According to Grimdark Magazine, Black Sun is "Nearly impossible to put down", and Roanhorse "...deftly weaves a sweeping tale of vengeance, power, and loneliness in a fascinating fantasy world inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas." The Library Ladies report that is has "strong world-building, excellent mythology, and relatable characters." Again, seems like an interesting enough read to be a little flexible.

To join a Book Club meeting, all you will need is YOURSELF. If you haven’t had a chance to finish the book, we still would love for you to join us in the discussion.

Not able to join us in person for events? The Sci Fi Book Club is on Discord. Join us and keep the conversation going.

Brooklyn SciFi and the team at Cyber-NY are working on something new. We're building an independent network for film professionals to share and monetize their work while connecting with fans. Our hope is to create a community with a year-round presence that encourages collaboration and the development of an independent streaming platform.

We're looking for intrepid filmmakers to join our beta for free by creating an account profile and uploading several films they're okay with sharing. We won't make your work public without prior consent, and our admin tools allow for self-management and deletion of videos.

We hope you’ll join us on this journey as we navigate the changing landscape of art house cinema and independent film.  Please sign up for our private beta if you're interested, or reply to this email with questions.

The Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival is
Now Open For Submissions For 2026
Submit Your Film Now and Save 50%

Slamdance returns to Los Angeles for its second year, continuing to champion fearless independent storytelling. With a lineup featuring daring shorts, bold features, and innovative programming, the festival is shaping up to be more exciting than ever—stay tuned for announcements about new films, special events, and surprises in store this year. Festival Passes starting at $50.

Slamdance's 31st festival will take place in Los Angeles from February 19-25, 2026. The virtual festival will take place from February 24th - March 6th, 2026.

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