Filmmakers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple’s VITALIK: AN ETHEREUM STORY is 
a gripping feature documentary chronicling the extraordinary rise of Vitalik Buterin, the visionary prodigy who set out to revolutionize 
the internet. From a teenage coder to the architect of Ethereum, his radical innovation not only ignited a trillion-dollar industry but also triggered a high-stakes battle over the future of digital freedom. With unprecedented access, the film captures the wild NFT gold rush, devastating industry collapses, a geopolitical war reshaping global power, and the most ambitious software upgrade in history—all through the eyes of an unlikely leader thrust into the spotlight. Through Vitalik, we 
get a human story about the people behind the technologies we rely on, the values embedded in our systems, and the 
uncomfortable truth that the visionaries shaping our future are, in the end, just as human as the rest of us. Filmmakers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple stop by to talk about their debut feature documentary, how meeting Vitalik Buterin has impacted their own perspectives on a promising technology and why he is seen as a visionary with an ability to gather people together with a goal of creating a sustainable future.
For more go to: ethereumfilm.xyz
To watch go to: optimist.co/films/vitalik-an-ethereum-story
About the subject – Vitalik Buterin, born in 1994 in Russia, is a pioneer in the world of blockchain technology. He has a bold vision for the future of the internet—creating a digital world free from government or corporate control. This drive stems from his family’s history of fleeing Russia during the financial turmoil of the 90s. In 2013, at just 19 years old, Buterin proposed the Ethereum Project. Since its launch, Ethereum has drawn billions of dollars in investments, making it a key player in the digital currency space. Buterin’s innovative work has not only earned him accolades like a Thiel Fellowship and a spot on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list but also significant wealth, with a reported net worth of over $1 billion. Known for his nomadic lifestyle, Buterin travels the world, sharing his knowledge. His profound impact on the technology landscape was also captured in a Time Magazine cover story titled THE PRINCE OF CRYPTO HAS CONCERNS, highlighting his critical views on the industry’s future.
About the filmmaker – Zach Ingrasci is best known for directing & producing the feature documentaries Five Years North, Salam Neighbor, and Living on One Dollar. His films have premiered at top film festivals including Tribeca, DOCNYC, Full Frame, AFI Docs, & MountainFilm, and have been distributed globally by Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and PBS. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic, and has helped raise over $91 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts. He’s been honored with the 2016 Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award; recognized alongside Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders of 2015 by YPO’s Real Leaders Magazine; and accepted by the U.S. State Department into the American Film Showcase. On the branded side, his work at Optimist has won 4 Shorty Awards, 2 ADDY Awards, 1 Webby Award, and 2 AVA Digital Awards. In 2022, he has recently finished a new feature documentary about the psychology of investing called This is Not Financial Advice, made in partnership with XTR, Cinetic, and NY Times’ Nathaniel Popper. He’s also directing a film about Vitalik Buterin.
About the filmmaker – Chris Temple is a film director and the founder of Optimist, a production studio in Los Angeles. He is best known for directing the feature documentaries Living On One Dollar, Salam Neighbor, Five Years North, and This Is Not Financial Advice. His films have been released by Netflix, HBO, Hulu, National Geographic, and The Atlantic, and have screened at major film festivals including Tribeca, DOC NYC, Full Frame, AFI Docs, CPH:DOX, and many others. Chris has been honored as a finalist for the duPont-Columbia award for outstanding journalism; awarded the Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award; and recognized alongside Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders by YPO’s Real Leaders Magazine. His work has won 1 Gold Telly Award, 1 Imagen Award, 4 Shorty Awards, 2 ADDY Awards, 1 Webby Award, and 2 AVA Digital Awards. In 2022, he was honored by HBO as 40 under 40 filmmakers to watch. Every film he makes at Optimist is structured with a social impact campaign to change minds, lives, and policies. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic, and has helped raise over $92.5 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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