Steven Soderbergh Boards Feature ‘Star’ From Helmer of Directors’ Fortnight Pic ‘The Vandal’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Filmmaker/producer Steven Soderbergh is on board to executive produce a feature film with Eddie Alcazar, the helmer behind buzzy Directors’ Fortnight short film “The Vandal,” Variety can reveal.

The Soderbergh executive-produced title will be called “Star.” The “Contagion” director previously collaborated with Alcazar on the short film “Kuso.”

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Directed by American helmer Alcazar, the Quinzaine-premiering “The Vandal” — which is presented by filmmaker/producer Darren Aronofsky — is being tipped as an early contender for the best animated short Oscar. It stars Bill Duke and uses both stop-motion animation and live action in a unique process. Alcazar coins it “meta-scope,” a visual technique where “the closer you get to a subject, the more real it becomes,” he explains.

Set in a world not unlike mid-20th century America, Duke (“Mandy,” “Predator”) stars in the film as Harold, whose tormented search for peace from traumatic loss results in an unexpectedly destructive awakening after he undergoes a lobotomy. When the procedure “turns his mind inside out” and his great love is suddenly gone, Harold’s search intensifies.

CAA is representing the short film for sales out of Cannes.

Alcazar’s credits include the 2013 documentary “Tapia,” with executive producer 50 Cent for HBO, while his 2015 short film collaboration with Flying Lotus made it into Sundance. His latest projects include “Kuso,” which was selected into Sundance 2016, and sci-fi thriller “Perfect.”

“The Vandal” also stars Baadja-Lyne Odums, Abbey Lee and Maurice Compte. The film is scored by Oscar-nominated filmmaker and composer Kris Bowers. Pic was shot on Kodak 16mm Black & White Reversal Film with Panavision cameras.

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