Private Project

Virtual Spring

In a dystopian future, Choon, a reclusive programmer, forms an unlikely bond with an enigmatic online companion. However, when a mysterious organization targets his friend, Max, Choon’s world unravels. What Max truly is will alter the course of his life—and reality—forever.

  • Joseph Bertrand
    Director
    Sniper, The Curious tale of Aunt Binks
  • Joseph Bertrand
    Writer
    Sniper, The Curious tale of Aunt Binks
  • Sang Jin Lee
    Key Cast
    "Choon Ki Lee"
  • Isai Rivera Blas
    Key Cast
    "Jude"
  • Mooya Wang
    Producer
  • Ashley Meng
    DOP
  • Rupert Cole
    Music Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, Horror
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 5, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada, Guatemala
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Blackmagic camera RAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Joseph Bertrand

Joseph Bertrand is a Guatemalan-born animator and filmmaker based in Toronto, whose work merges experimental storytelling with animation. A graduate of Sheridan College’s Animation program, he gained early recognition with The Curious Case of Aunt Binks and Francotirador, the latter winning Best Animated Short at the Ícaro Festival. His films have screened internationally, and his industry credits include Space Jam 2: A New Legacy (Warner Bros.), Final Space (Netflix), and Dino Ranch (Disney). With his latest work, Nool, premiering at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Bertrand continues to push the boundaries between animation and live-action filmmaking.

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Director Statement

Virtual Spring is a long-shelved project that I felt compelled to revive—its emotional core too resonant to leave unfinished. At its center is Choon, a character embodying my own state of mind at the time of filming. Isolated and adrift, he unknowingly forms a connection with an AI lurking in the depths of the internet.

The film’s aesthetic is intentionally stark—grey and lifeless—save for moments spent inside the machine and within Choon’s imagination. These glimpses of color and vibrancy contrast against his bleak reality, building toward a climax where his world and Max, the rogue AI, coalesce in a mesmerizing, symphonic fusion of the organic and the digital.