Announcing "ATLAS"

Presidential Productions Announces ATLAS: A Radical New Short Film Exploring Masculinity Through Six Athletes

The 2nd-century 'Farnese Atlas' marble sculpture, inspiration for the short film ATLAS.

Australian filmmaker James Cunningham has announced his latest short film project, ATLAS, a striking and intimate exploration of masculinity, vulnerability and body image, told through the voices of six male athletes. Presented by Presidential Productions, ATLAS marks an ambitious international collaboration that rethinks both performance and production, inviting audiences into an unusually private and emotional space.

Described as 'six athletes, one conversation,' ATLAS takes inspiration from the mythological Atlas condemned to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. In Cunningham’s interpretation, Atlas is not a single man but a shared psychological state — embodied simultaneously by six different performers and interpretations, each confronting internalised expectations of strength, endurance and masculinity. The film unfolds through a series of monologues and reflections, as the athletes speak candidly about their bodies, insecurities, and self-perception.

What distinguishes ATLAS from traditional sports films is its setting. Each character in Cunningham's script is locked alone in their own bathroom with only the mirror and their own reflection as companion. Each performer is to be filmed alone, in the privacy of their own space, capturing moments of quiet ritual as they undress, shower and reflect.

These spaces — normally unseen, deeply personal — become confessional chambers where public strength gives way to private doubt. Cunningham describes the approach as deliberately hyper-realistic, blurring the line between documentary observation and scripted performance.

At the time of this announcement, ATLAS will launch with a global casting call aimed specifically at male athletes with on-camera presence and a willingness to engage in emotionally open storytelling. Rather than seeking traditional actors alone, the production sought individuals whose lived relationship with physical performance could inform the character of Atlas in distinct ways.

Cunningham notes that the film’s intention is not to critique masculinity, but to complicate it — questioning long-held assumptions about strength, stoicism and self-worth. By placing traditionally strong men in moments of solitude and vulnerability, ATLAS will invites viewers to consider how societal expectations shape the way men see themselves, even in spaces where no one else is watching.

With its minimalist aesthetic, bold conceptual framework, and emotionally direct storytelling, ATLAS was positioned from its announcement as a festival-focused work aimed at audiences interested in contemporary masculinity, body politics and experimental narrative forms. The project continues Presidential Productions’ reputation for intimate, character-driven films that challenge audiences through restraint rather than spectacle.

For more information, visit presproductionsco.com

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