Katydom At FAFF 2025

I have never considered gravity as a tool until today. While walking I noticed a crow flying high in the sky with a morsel in its beak and felt sorry for the bird when it accidentally dropped its breakfast onto the concrete path below. The crow then landed and prying the cracked nutshell with its beak began eating the nut within. VClearly this was not an accident but a smart use of gravity as a nut cracker.

Observing this brought me  to Katydom, a fictional world where insects, birds and humans coexist in peace and share the tools of life to farm and build their society. Katydom is also the subject matter of Maria Ramirez’s documentary  that is now showing at the Fine Arts Film and Festival FAFF and streaming on Vimeo.

Behind the scenes - Maria Rarimez-Adams shooting the Insect Race

Finalist at Culver City Film Festival

Martin Pierce’s venture into the kingdom of Katydom has not gone unnoticed and has been documented by Maria Ramirez -Adams in a short film “Katydom”  that debuts at the Culver City Film Festival on December 12th at the Regal Live LA at 6pm

In Ramirez-Adam’s film she beautifully documents Martin’s surreal bronze sculptures and paintings that together set out the story of the Katydom. In this imaginary world we see that the scale of insects and humanoids has been seismically changed with very large insects and very small humanoids, each rendered in bronze or in oil on canvas. As the video plays we learn about the Insect Race and how the sculptures come to life once a year to compete in this playful sport. We see through paintings and drawings how these sculptures evolved and we get a behind the scenes look at Martin as he TIG welds insect body parts and then applies his hot patinas.

Sunset Rider - Limited Edition Print

While this post is subjective I think you will enjoy this wonderful 7 minute short, it is beautifully filmed has keen production values and it is showing at the Regal Live LA a perfect venue. Admission is a modest $ 15 and you get to see other films that have made it to the finals at this years Culver City Film Festival.