Private Project

Wilbert Wire

You would expect a robot to be many things, but perhaps not a student at your local art school. Wilbert Wire may look human, but he is wired a little differently. His art teacher Cas tasks him with what she considers the most human thing of all, making art about the emotion of love. Wilbert’s mission to create this magnum opus takes him on a quest of slapstick miming, invisible trains, and a very special Mother’s Day gift.

Perhaps even the most human emotions of love do not need to be human to be real.

  • Ricky Townsend
    Director
    The Bostrom Scenario
  • Ricky Townsend
    Writer
  • Ella Waswo
    Producer
  • Joseph Chamsay
    Producer
  • Josiah Morgan
    Key Cast
    "Wilbert Wire"
    The Bostrom Scenario
  • Kathleen Burns
    Key Cast
    "Art Teacher"
    Sextortion, The Push, Ghost Shark 2
  • Kim Garrett
    Key Cast
    "Mrs. Wire"
    Hope and Wire, Kokako
  • John Chrisstoffels
    Director of Photography
    Head South, Human Traces
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Family
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 20 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • NZ Web Fest
    Auckland
    New Zealand
    November 11, 2024
    Official Selection | Nominated Best Editing & Best Performance: Josiah Morgan
  • SCI-FI LONDON
    London
    United Kingdom
    June 19, 2025
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Ricky Townsend

Ricky Townsend is a filmmaker from Ōtautahi with a BFA Hons in Film from Ilam School of Fine Arts. Paired with a background in theatre, Ricky works in many areas of production such as directing, writing and editing. As an autistic filmmaker, he uses filmmaking to understand the world and express his feelings to others. Exploring stories through the eyes and thinking of neurodivergent voices is an important part of Ricky’s process as an artist and storyteller.

Ricky’s recent independent feature film The Bostrom Scenario has been screening in genre festivals around the world including the 49th Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, Gen Con Film Festival and Galacticat. His film won Best Sci-Fi Thriller at the Miami Sci-Fi Film Festival and was nominated for Best New Zealand Feature at the Vision Feast Film Festival.

He has recently been accepted for Masters in Arts Screen: Directing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School whose alumni include Jane Campion and Lord of the Rings DoP Andrew Lesnie.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Wilbert Wire is an analogy for my own autistic experience. It’s a tiring old trope to say autistic people are like robots, and what is most tiring about it is the trope is rarely even done well. I wanted to give the ‘autistic robot’ the redemption it deserves. Wilbert shows us that, yes, he’s a robot, but he’s also a creative, imaginative and loving character. Wilbert just expresses it in a different way. Wilbert’s not wonderful despite being a robot, he’s wonderful because he’s a robot.

Wilbert Wire is fun – and I think it’s wonderful to make an autistic story that is unapologetically fun!