Deepfaking Sam Altman to screen at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center

A documentary about filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough’s attempt to interview OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will screen April 30 at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., followed by a panel and Q&A. The event comes as the film uses deepfake technology to explore AI’s impact on work, creativity and human connection.

Why it matters: - The screening puts one of the year’s more pointed AI documentaries in front of policymakers, students and media audiences in Washington. - The film centers on how AI is changing creative work, public discourse and the relationship between humans and machine-generated media. - The panel format turns the screening into a discussion about the real-world stakes of deepfakes and AI culture.

What happened: - Deepfaking Sam Altman will screen as part of the Stories That Matter Film Series at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center. - The event is set for Thursday, April 30, in Washington, D.C. - The program starts at 6:30 p.m., the film begins at 6:40 p.m., and the panel discussion and Q&A begin at 8:20 p.m. - The screening will take place at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. - RSVP requests are directed to AinsleyMcGovern@FalcoInk.com.

The details: - The film follows director Adam Bhala Lough, a Los Angeles filmmaker and father of two, as he tries to make a movie about artificial intelligence. - Lough initially tries to interview OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, one of the most influential figures in AI. - Altman does not respond to Lough’s calls, emails or direct messages. - Lough then shows up at OpenAI with a film crew and is escorted off the property and banned from returning. - After a Hollywood controversy sparks a new idea, Lough travels to India and partners with deepfake artist Devi Singh Jadoun. - The two build “Sam Bot,” an AI inspired by Altman and trained on his voice and public appearances. - The project becomes a creative foil for Lough and shifts the film’s direction. - The documentary is described as a verité film with a sci-fi comedy twist. - The running time is 90 minutes. - The film is based on reporting from New York Magazine. - The film is an official selection of the 2025 SXSW Festival, where it had its world premiere. - The film is also an official selection of DC/DOX 2025. - The film won Best Documentary Award at the 2025 Chelsea Film Festival. - Adam Bhala Lough directs the film. - Kevin Hart, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Bryan Smiley and Harold Berón III produced the film. - Joey Lyons is a co-producer. - Lough, JC Del Barco II, Greg Stewart, David Gordon Green, Elizabeth Weil, Dana J. Olkkonen, Scoop Wasserstein and Mark W. Olsen are executive producers. - Christian Vazquez is co-executive producer. - Christopher Messina is director of photography. - Alex Mackenzie edited the film.

Between the lines: - The film’s premise reflects a larger tension in the AI moment: creators are using the same tools they fear to examine the systems reshaping their work. - The Sam Bot experiment suggests the documentary is not only about Altman, but also about how people try to make sense of an increasingly synthetic information environment. - Johns Hopkins’ film series positions the screening as more than a premiere event and more as a forum for civic and academic discussion.

What's next: - The April 30 panel and Q&A will extend the conversation beyond the screening. - The Stories That Matter series will continue using post-screening discussions to connect filmmakers with D.C. audiences. - Johns Hopkins says the series also plans international programming, including a partnership with Cineteca di Bologna at Cinema Modernissimo in Italy.

The bottom line: - Deepfaking Sam Altman turns one filmmaker’s failed attempt to reach Sam Altman into a larger argument about AI, authenticity and what happens when the tools of the future collide with human ambition.