The film was initially planned as a documentary about Thirty Seconds to Mars ' creative process while recording their next album , but upon the advent of the lawsuit , was retooled as a documentary about making that album in the face of a legal battle that might prevent it from being released . Leto described the film as " a really special , DIY project . " He explained , " We all shared a part of our lives that we 've never shared on-screen before , a very intimate and personal part of our lives . We take you ... inside the studio , and in our hearts , and in our minds , to share how difficult this point is in our lives — just battling this massive corporation , and fighting for what we believe in . " Upon the film 's release , Leto told '' Rolling Stone '' that " I hope that artists and audiences watch this film and get a greater understanding of how things work in the record industry , because understanding is the beginning of change . " '' Artifact '' premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 15 . It was later screened on November 8 , 2012 at the opening night of the DOC NYC , a New York City documentary festival . In November 2012 , it was announced that The Works International had picked up international sales for the film . On November 26 , 2012 , '' Artifact '' received the Audience Award at the 22nd Gotham Independent Film Awards . On March 13 , 2013 , the film was screened at the South by Southwest . It also appeared at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 9 , 2013 . Thirty Seconds to Mars held a special screening of '' Artifact '' on August 31 , 2013 on the online platform VyRT
22nd Gotham Independent Film Awards
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2012
Artifact (film)