In a significant achievement for Indian cinema, Aranya Sahay's feature film Humans in the Loop has officially entered the race for the 98th Academy Awards while simultaneously receiving the prestigious Sloan Distribution Grant from Film Independent and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.
Oscar Qualification and Prestigious Recognition
The film has met all eligibility criteria following its US theatrical release, making it an official contender in the Best Original Screenplay category at the upcoming Oscars. This milestone comes alongside the announcement that the production has been awarded the Sloan Distribution Grant, which specifically supports narrative features that engage meaningfully with science or technology themes.
The Sloan Distribution Grant, a collaborative effort between Film Independent and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, aims to help scientifically-themed films reach wider audiences through strategic release support. This dual achievement positions Humans in the Loop among an elite group of films recognized for both artistic merit and scientific engagement.
Exploring AI Ethics Through Human Stories
The film tells the powerful story of an indigenous woman working at a rural data-annotation center in India. Humans in the Loop delves deep into the ethics and inequities of machine learning while foregrounding empathy, lived experience, and cultural knowledge that often gets overlooked in technological discussions.
Writer and director Aranya Sahay expressed her enthusiasm about the recognition, stating: "We are at a cusp with artificial intelligence, and humanity needs to take responsibility for the kind of AI and the kind of future we are building. I'm deeply grateful to Film Independent and the Sloan Foundation for allowing us to take this conversation across the US. Humans in the Loop is about the human heartbeat inside technology, and this grant recognizes the people whose labour and stories often remain unseen."
Validating Creative Voices in Technology
Producer Mathivanan Rajendran highlighted the broader significance of this achievement, connecting it to their work at the Museum of Imagined Futures. "Through 'Humans in the Loop' and our work at the Museum of Imagined Futures, we've been creating space for technologists and creatives to rethink how stories about technology are told... The Sloan Foundation's support and now the film's entry into the Oscar race are a validation of Aranya's screenplay that creatives can help shape the future of tech," Rajendran explained.
The Sloan Film program boasts an impressive legacy, having supported over 850 screenplays, short films, and feature films over the past two decades. Notable alumni include acclaimed films such as "The Imitation Game," "Hidden Figures," "The Man Who Knew Infinity," and "Oppenheimer" - placing Humans in the Loop among distinguished company.
Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs at Film Independent, emphasized the film's alignment with the grant's mission: "We are proud to help bring awareness in the US about 'Humans in the Loop' through the Sloan Distribution Grant. The film's rigorous and deeply human approach to exploring AI and the role of technology in our lives perfectly reflects the mission of the grant."
This recognition makes Aranya Sahay and Mathivanan Rajendran Film Independent Fellows, further cementing their status as important voices in the intersection of technology and storytelling. The film's journey represents a significant moment for Indian cinema's engagement with global technological conversations and award recognition.
