Super Bowl 50 champions Vernon Davis and Omar Bolden star alongside Dushaun Thompson in Artifice, a new drama directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Joslyn Rose. The exclusive trailer is out now ahead of the film’s December 25 premiere on Amazon.
Set against the redevelopment of a historic arts district, the film follows an ambitious developer, played by Thompson, whose vision for the neighborhood puts him at odds with the community and its cultural identity. When his estranged brother, played by Bolden, and a mysterious figure from his past, played by Davis, enter the picture, tensions escalate as questions of ambition, loyalty, and preservation collide. Blending drama with surrealist elements, Artifice examines the intersection of art, technology, and gentrification, and what happens to artists and communities caught in the path of progress. The ensemble also includes Hedy Wong, Simone Leanora, Grammy-nominated artist RyanNicole Austin, Candice Bolden, and Don Lacy.
Davis, who played 14 NFL seasons and won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos alongside Bolden, executive produces through his Reel 85 Productions in association with My Own Backyard Films. “The Bay Area was home to me for a big part of my life during my years with the 49ers, so telling this story there was personal,” Davis said. “What drew me to Artifice was its exploration of community, art and technology, and what happens to artists and neighborhoods as the world around them changes.” Thompson’s credits include The Rookie, Law & Order, Shameless, and Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Rose directs from a screenplay she co-wrote with Johanna Saldaña and Dominique Mouton, who also serves as consulting producer. The film features original choreography by Candice Bolden and Icecold3000 of Turf Feinz, with an original score by composer Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach and IMRSV.
With two Super Bowl champions stepping into dramatic acting roles alongside a genuinely eclectic creative team spanning film, music, and dance, Artifice arrives as a notably cross-disciplinary project built around a story rooted in a very real, ongoing tension between development and community preservation.