Fuel Up

Ava is a racing driver trying to find a way back behind the wheel after her partner dies in a crash. Fuel Up, an American short written and directed by Anne Koolen, moves between the cockpit, the team garage and the private spaces of people whose lives revolve around motorsport. As the director explains, the racing scenes were made using an LED volume stage, visual effects and artificial intelligence tools.

Inside the team, discussions turn to performance, the car and the money needed to keep racing. Ava challenges her team boss over technical decisions and studies data with a technician: fuel, racing lines and track conditions become part of choices made away from the circuit as well as on it.

Moments at work are interwoven with memories of her relationship with Preston, another driver. Rain and images of racing bring that experience back as Ava tries to hold on to her place. The film connects competition with grief and trust, keeping the risks of the sport close to its characters’ personal relationships.

Koolen developed Fuel Up as part of her film and television studies at the University of Southern California. She has described drawing on an experience at a racetrack and choosing virtual production to build the racing sequences. The cast includes Casey Burke, Rick Kumazawa, Mark Simich and Joe Guintu; the film runs for approximately 15 minutes.