“One might imagine that AI systems, with harmless goals, would be harmless,” wrote Stephen M. Omuhundro in his paper titled “The Basic AI Drives.” This line sparked the premise that led to three Fordham students meeting in the visual arts wing of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) and beginning the creation of a science-fiction short that would eventually be screened at five different film festivals.

Alumni Luke Momo, FCLC ʼ19, and Davis Browne, FCLC ʼ19, along with Tommy Cunningham, FCLC ʼ21, co-wrote and produced “The Stamp Collector,” a short film about a man named Rhodes and his artificial intelligence (AI) program “X,” which is programmed to help Rhodes successfully commit and get away with crimes.

In September of 2018, Cunningham was lounging in Room SL24 when Momo approached him with an idea for a film. “I want to go out with a bang at Fordham,” Momo told Cunningham, and from there, they began to write a short film about an AI and what that program could possibly do.

Momo, who directed the short, began his exploration by considering the questions that arose from reading Omuhundro’s paper. What is the logical end for an AI that is programmed to help commit successful crimes? To what extent will it go to improve itself in completing that mission?

They planned to finish the script in about a week and a half and then spend a weekend recording it on a digital camera with a couple of friends. From there, they realized how much potential the story had and began to work on developing it into a feature. Momo got in touch with Browne, who had previous experience working in professional television development. Together, the three students began a process that, rather than being a 10-day amateur project, became a three-year professional endeavor.

Even though they were writing a feature-length version of “The Stamp Collector,” Momo, Cunningham and Browne never stopped working on the short. At this point, the short was an entirely different entity: “Tommy, are there any scenes from the first short that made it into this one?” Momo asked. After thinking for a moment, Cunningham laughed when he realized that no, the final product does not share one scene with their first draft. “It was more or less a totally different idea,” Cunningham said.

Momo explained that the set had a distinct “Fordham flavor,” which made working on set incredibly comfortable for everyone involved.

The short went into production in the fall of 2019. Cunningham explained that they had never done anything of that caliber before; it was a very different experience from their normal routine of grabbing a camera and filming with some friends. However, they were able to keep the heart of those spontaneous excursions by filling the set with Fordham students and alumni. 

“What I really enjoyed was that I feel like I was able to really draw on a lot of talented folks at Fordham,” Momo explained. The credits of the film are filled with familiar Fordham names, including G.E. Dissinger, FCLC ʼ20, who composed the score of the film; Katie Christ, FCLC ʼ19, who worked as the editor; Talia Koylass, FCLC ʼ17, who was the assistant director; and John Beltre, FCLC ʼ18, who designed costumes and makeup. More Fordham students filled various roles on set, such as the starring actor David Alvarez, who spent the 2015-16 academic year at FCLC and who will soon be on the silver screen starring alongside Ansel Elgort in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”

Momo explained that the set had a distinct “Fordham flavor,” which made working on set incredibly comfortable for everyone involved. “There were a lot of people that I had never met before,” Browne said. “It was funny to see the different generations of Fordham students.”

Many of the students who worked on “The Stamp Collector” are, or were formerly, members of the Fordham Filmmaking Club, which Momo founded in 2017. Cunningham, who served as the president of the club for three years, explained that the best thing about the club is that members meet other students with whom they can make films. It’s a community full of creative minds, the presence of which played an invaluable role in the production of the short.

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The completed short has garnered significant recognition, having been accepted into five film festivals: the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival, the Nassau Film Festival, the Brightside Film Festival, the UK Seasonal Short Film Festival and the Garden State Film Festival, which Momo, Browne and Cunningham were able to attend in person at the end of March.

The trio was excited to finally attend a film festival in person. At the festival, they were able to interact with other creatives who have a similar love for filmmaking. 

“The film festival circuit is really just a great way to network,” Browne explained, and Momo agreed. As a New Jersey native, Momo found it a rewarding experience to screen his film at a major festival in his home state.

Cunningham has learned during his time at Fordham that everyone’s process is different and that just because one person’s process doesn’t look like someone else’s doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

The young filmmakers are still in the early stages of their careers, but they have learned valuable lessons that have been significant in the development of their filmmaking journey. It came down to this: finding one’s own process, having persistence and maintaining balance.

Cunningham explained that figuring out his process can still be a challenge, but he has learned during his time at Fordham that everyone’s process is different and that just because one person’s process doesn’t look like someone else’s doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

Momo shared an anecdote about meeting director Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Mother!”) at the New York Film Festival, whom, in Momo’s words, he “ambushed” and asked him about his biggest piece of advice for young filmmakers. He explained that Aronofsky replied with one word: “persistence.” Momo said that has always stuck with him, and he’s learned that being gentle with oneself allows a person to persist along their own long-term path.

“I think it has wholly succeeded in being that final bang at Fordham, just because of how well we were able to maintain the real ethos of what we built in Filmmaking Club with this bigger short.” Tommy Cunningham, FCLC ʼ21

Lastly, Browne shared that finding a balance is something that he learned during his time not only as an independent filmmaker but also while working in corporate television development. He explained that looking back, he realized that he could have spent more time making his own films while he was working professionally. He also realized that when he was making his own films, he could have been networking professionally. There are opportunities in all aspects of filmmaking to connect with other avenues, so it’s important to balance those areas that one is most passionate about.

Overall, Momo, Cunningham and Browne are extremely proud of “The Stamp Collector.” It is a product of Fordham artists, and Cunningham affirmed, “I think it has wholly succeeded in being that final bang at Fordham, just because of how well we were able to maintain the real ethos of what we built in Filmmaking Club with this bigger short.” Browne added that he is sure “The Stamp Collector” has a bright future. “I see us as a team working on some stuff down the road,” he said, “and I would look out for what we do in the future because it’s just going to get better from here.”