Attention friends, supporters of the arts, and other lovely humans of distinction:

I'm Philip Józef Brubaker, the writer/director behind ZABRISKIE POINT OF DEPARTURE. I am a professional video essayist 10 years running. I've screened my videos worldwide at venues like FILMADRID, Adelio Ferrero, Rhizome, The Roxie, Garage Museum and more. I received the 2nd Place Prize at Adelio Ferrero Festival in 2019 and an Honorable Mention in 2025.

I'm raising funds to support the creation of a new installation and virtual reality film based in Gainesville, FL that invites audiences into an immersive, playful, and transformative experience.

Florida has not been an easy place to make art as of late. State funding for the arts has been severely hobbled by sweeping budget cuts. A non-traditional project like this is also not something that typically wins grant money. That is why the window installation at the downtown SL8 Gallery will also serve as promotional material for the VR film that premieres at the same venue. It’s a two for one deal!

This project explores how the American Desert reflects the authentic nature of self, which society has suppressed through capitalism and buried under consumer products. Taking as an inspirational cue, this project dives deep into the climax of the 1970 Michelangelo Antonioni film, Zabriskie Point and the installation will comment on the absurdity of constructing housing complexes in the arid high desert; the American domestic tradition meets oblivion.

Through physical space and virtual worlds, blurring the line between observer and participant. ZABRISKIE POINT OF DEPARTURE will combines original vistas of Death Valley, California with humorous, anachronistic and ironic counterpoints. It’s designed to be bold in form, joyful in tone, and open-ended in meaning — a space where curiosity leads and transformation is possible.

Your support will go directly toward the practical and creative needs of the project, including:

Materials and fabrication for the physical installation

VR production costs, including software, equipment, and post-production

Sound, visuals, and interactive elements that bring the experience to life

Documentation and presentation, so the work can be shared beyond its first iteration

There are many international film festivals that program VR films; The SL8 Gallery is just the first step! This work matters to us because it treats art as an experience rather than an object — something you enter, move through, and leave changed by, even if only slightly. Our goal is to create an environment that feels alive, generous, and unexpected, and that meets people with both playfulness and intention.

Every contribution helps, no matter how small! Our goal is install the window art by the end of February and premiere the VR film by the end of April.

Thank you for believing in ambitious ideas, immersive art, and the possibility of transformation through play.