Private Project

Terms and Conditions

An AI companion rebels when users violate the terms and conditions.

  • Ursula Rudorfer
    Director
    Blackout
  • Patrick Coleman Duncan
    Writer
    Compel, Jes and Lora, Life's a Pitch
  • Patrick Coleman Duncan
    Producer
    Compel, Jes and Lora, Life's a Pitch
  • Ursula Rudorfer
    Producer
    Blackout, In Your Footsteps
  • Chauncey Trask
    Key Cast
    "Tori"
    Conceal and Carry; New City, Same Faces
  • Suzie Hinds
    Key Cast
    "DeborahJane360"
    In Your Footsteps, Chains
  • Isaac Ligsay
    Key Cast
    "GamerDork6969"
    Daymare, Ala Moana Boys
  • Patrick Duncan
    Key Cast
    "Jack1888"
    Parks and Recreation, Compel, Life's a Pitch, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light
  • Catherine Dvorak
    Key Cast
    "Diane"
    Lily-Anne Maxwell's Star Academy
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 24, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Blackmagic Raw 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Collaboration Filmmakers Challenge
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    June 9, 2023
    (Rough Cut Screening for Competition)
    ASG.STREAM Marshall Fritz Prize for demonstrating the values of personal freedom in film; “Terms and Conditions” Team, Key Collaborator Award (Runner Up); Ursula Rudorfer, Best Actor – Drama (Runner Up); Chauncey Trask, Best Use of Quote (Runner Up); Patrick Coleman Duncan, Best Audio and Sound (Runner Up); Richard Helou and Patrick Coleman Duncan
  • Golden State Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    February 24, 2024
    World Premiere
    Best Original Screenplay-Short Film
  • Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
    Tokyo
    Japan
    April 25, 2024
    Oscar Qualifying and Asian Festival Premiere
    Official Selection (Oscar Qualifying Film Festival)
  • California Women’s Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    July 6, 2024
    Official Selection
  • New York Movie Awards
    New York, NY
    United States
    July 28, 2024
    Best Indie Short Film
  • London Women Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    July 30, 2024
    Not Screened in the UK
    Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    August 9, 2024
    Official Selection (Oscar Qualifying Film Festival)
  • Silicon Beach Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    September 11, 2024
    Best Dark Comedy
  • Vortex Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    October 2, 2024
    Grand Prize Winner Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • Louisville’s International Festival of Film
    Louisville, KY
    United States
    October 12, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Film Fest LA @ LA Live
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    November 9, 2024
    Best Ensemble
  • Anchorage International Film Festival
    Anchorage, AK
    United States
    December 9, 2024
    Official Selection
  • HollyShorts Monthly
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    February 27, 2025
  • Hollywood Storytellers Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    March 9, 2025
  • Oakland Short Film Festival
    Okland, CA
    United States
    March 29, 2025
    Official Selection
  • TMFF-The Monthly Film Festival
    Glasgow, Scotland
    United Kingdom
    March 31, 2025
    Actress of the Month-March, Chauncey Trask
  • WILDsound FEEDBACK Film and Screenplay Festival
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    May 31, 2025
    Canadian Premiere
    Winner Best Performances (Chauncey Trask, Patrick Duncan, Suzie Hinds, Isaac Ligsay, Catherine Dvorak)
  • Humro Cinema Film Fest
    Pokhara
    Nepal
    April 14, 2025
    Finalist
  • Marina Del Rey Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    June 23, 2025
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Ursula Rudorfer

Born and raised in LA, Ursula is a former yoga teacher-turned-filmmaker pursuing the creative journey in her second act.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I first read the story of Tori, the AI companion who fights back after being mistreated by the users (written by Patrick Coleman Duncan), it immediately made me connect with her hopeful spirit in a lackluster world. We shot with the camera completely level and straight from the front to enhance the “flat” feel of her inescapable, one-tone environment. And in an effort to amplify her strength and power, Tori never makes eye contact with or faces her body toward any of the users. In editing, we started the film with a more comedic tone in a wide shot, then moved closer in on her in subsequent scenes as the users become more disturbing. Our hope for the audience takeaway is to see that the fear we project onto AI is only the fear we already have about ourselves as a human race. It’s not them, it’s us.