Lotus
An invitation to dive deep within. Our film is being shown in International Film Festivals during this time and therefore not publicly available. As soon as we launch it online I´ll let you know. Sign up on this site if you wish to be notified. You can watch the trailer below.
About Lotus Underwater Film
Just like the seed of a lotus flower, we too carry all the information that we need for growth inside of us. The underwater film LOTUS by Angelika Fürstler & Austin Ahlborg is an experience to represent exactly that. We invite you to dive deep within and reconnect to your very core - just like the lotus rises from the mud and blossoms into the world.
#lotusunderwaterfilm
Inspired by Angelika´s personal transformation
where after overcoming her near death experience in Mexico she decided to face her biggest fear - Water - and find the “flow of life” again. We revisited this experience on location in filming LOTUS.
Filmed in extreme situations
We dived down deep into the Cenotes - sacred Mayan underwater caves and rivers deep in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico - to capture the breathtaking underwater dance (freediving up to -15m/50ft deep). We swam in the Caribbean Sea with whale sharks - the biggest fish in the world - and immersed ourselves in the harsh desert conditions of Joshua Tree, California USA. Due to the extreme conditions when filming LOTUS and the nature of our concept - we were forced to embody this transformation in the filmmaking process itself in bringing it to its fullest potential.
This film is an experience
beyond mere words. We intend for it to be experienced on a holistic level - to touch deep within.
Lotus is born
We are delighted to share this heart project together with people from all around the world. Right now Lotus is being shown in International Film Festivals all around the world and we'll let you know once we release it publicly online. The great news? The short film will be free for everybody. Feel free to share this, invite everybody you care about and help LOTUS bloom into the world. There's no better time than the present.
Awards for Lotus
...so far
Yearly Film Festivals
- Jury Prize at the Illuminate Film Festival 2021
- 2021 Winner TMIF Impact Awards: Category Environment
- 2021 AIFF Paris - Audience Award
- 2021 Barcelona Planet Film Festival - Best Woman Filmmaker, Finalist Best Actress, Finalist Best Inspirational Film
- 2021 ESFF European Short Film Festival - Finalist Experimental Shorts
- 2021 Venice Shorts (California) - Finalist
- Venezia Shorts - Best Experimental Short, Best Female Director, Best Editing
- Independent Shorts Awards - Platin Award Best Experimental, Platin Award Best Actress, Silver Award Best Cinematography
- 2021 (March) Accolade Global Film Competition - Award of Merit Special Mention: Leading Actress, Short Film, Women Filmmaker
- Druck International Film Festival in Bhutan - Winner: Best Short Film, Best Experimental Film, Best Silent Film, Best Director, Best Performing Arts, Best Cinematography, Best Women’s Film
- Indie Shorts Cannes - Best Experimental Film, Best Actress
- Cannes World Film Festival - Best Inspirational Short Film, Best Actress in a Short Film, Finalist
- AIMA Athens International Monty Art Film Festival: Best Art Film, Best Cinematography
- Las Vegas Movie Awards (April) - Best Inspirational Film, Best Cinematography, Best Actress, Best First Time Director
- ISAFF International Symbolic Art Film Festival (St. Petersburg, Russia) - Winner: Best Symbolic Film, Best Cinematography, Official Selection: Best Short Film, Best Symbolic Film, Best No-Dialogue Film, Best Actress, Best First-Time Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score
- Catalina International Film Festival - FInalist
- Byron Bay International Film Festival - Finalist
- Next Generation Indie Film Awards - Finalist Best Experimental Film
- NÓT FILM FEST - Finalist Best Experimental Film
- ITFF International Thailand Film Festival - Finalist
- NY Inspirational Film Festival - Finalist
- Firenze Film Festival - Finalist
- GMA Global Movie Awards (London) - Semi-Finalist (Finalists to be announced soon)
- Cannes World Film Festival - Finalist (Best Inspirational Short Film, Best Actress in a Short Film)
The Lotus Experience
Dive deep within with this guided meditation :) As part of this package you also receive direct access to watch the short film LOTUS.
Do you speak German?
Contact us
For press infos, interview requests & more please contact [email protected]
We are so grateful and happy to share this film with you
Meet our team
Angelika Fürstler
LOTUS Producer, co-director, story writer, artist, underwater model, actress, environmentalist, freediver, (4min 44secs breathhold), vegan, author, sprouting & "High Vibe Food" expert, dancer & yogi based in the South of France.
Austin Ahlborg
LOTUS Co-Director, Director of photography. LA based cinematographer by day and creator by choice. Diver, world traveler, lover of the outdoors. A creative spirit with dedication to the arts and meaningful projects.
Dream team
of so many supporters, wonderful souls, sponsors! THANK YOU ALL!
Film Credits
A story by
Angelika Fürstler
Directed by
Austin Ahlborg & Angelika Fürstler
Creative Credits
Starring - Angelika Fürstler
Cinematography - Austin Ahlborg
Editing - Erik T. Butts
Coloring - Dan Edwards
Original Score - Oliver Riz Music
Dress Designer - Tabata Molina
Temazcal - Octavio Yah
Voice - Angelika Fürstler
Support Team Credits
Safety Freediver - Pepe Salcedo
Safety Diver - Davide Marcetti
Underwater Support - Sergio Fernandez Mendez, Mari Delgado, Jose Carlos Ponce
Production Assistant - Laura Lilia Ramirez Romero
Production Assistant - Alex Abdian
Camera Assistant - George Ellett
Sound Engineer - Jonny Dyas
Voice Recording Studio - Studio26 Frederic Beton
Thank you to our amazing sponsors!
Thank you so much to all our supporters
Ling Lai, Romain Almirall-Torrel-Fürstler, Monika & Klaus Fürstler, Susan Scott Ahlborg, Françoise & Serge Almirall-Torrel, Claudia Sawaf-Arnold, Gaston Barcelo, Andres Macias Aboytes, Juan Ignacio Vergara Herrera, Carlos Benigno Vergara Herrera, Julian Englich, Dr. Jorge Cassir, Christine Storath & Dominik Werner, Pierre Lamberet Manudo SA, Louise Cartwright, Irina Titova-Kashan, Erin & Mike Hurley in honor of Brad Hurley and Lucy & James Price, Luca von Otto, Denise Baumert, Daria Martens & Daniel Aichinger, PA-Straubinger, Paul Gowin, Edward Pivcevic, Dr. Jenny Tufenkian, Michael & Dina Dotsikas, Lilian & Ming Wong, Peter & Michelle Neufeld, Michelle Palys, Wayne Yap, Jesse Mills, Alexandra Evans, Ben Liu, Jevon Parra, Myranda Stangeland, Sam Ewing, Danielle Blackman Cartau, Triccia Ramos, Veronika Federochenko, Ingeborg Funcke, Roland Faigle, Gerhard Lauer, Marion Senger, Brigitte Renault, Aude Laborde, Tom Arnold, Patti Lynn, Randy Garn, Brendon Burchard, Christiane Burchard, Ethan Willis, Dean Graziosi
Lotus Art Project
Are you an artist? We invite creatives from all around the world to participate in the #LOTUSartproject where you take what inspired you when watching the LOTUS film and express it in your own unique art - May it be paintings, drawings, sculptures, dance and whatever it might be. Top artists are featured in our newsletter, on social media and selected art works will be printed on our LOTUS Collection - an all organic & sustainable apparel line.
Send us a photo of your art work (+documentatio) to [email protected] and tag us online.
