Presented by The National Film Board of Canada and Animiki See Digital Productions, Vistas- The Visit is a fine example of narratives dealing with the paranormal as told by marginalized voices.

Written and directed by Lisa Jackson, with narration by Barry and Kimowan Ahenakew, the short tells the true story of one Cree family's experience with the unexplained.

Late one starry night during the winter 0f 1996, one man returns to his home on the Ahtahkakoop Reservation in Saskatchewan, Canada.

With a sense of unease, the man retires for the evening only to soon be awakened by his wife and daughter.

Through her bedroom window, his daughter has discovered high in the late night sky a beautiful star that appears to be something else.

Watch Vistas - The Visit in its entirety below ...

Vistas - The Visit , , National Film Board of Canada

Despite its brief three minute runtime, this animated short manages to weave a very compelling narrative.

This is mainly achieved by the rustic animation by Jody Kramer, as well as the sonorous narration by the Ahenakews.

Vistas - The Visit is a fascinating account of one aboriginal family's close encounter with the unearthly.

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It is an unfortunate fact Hollywood has a dismal record when it comes to the representation of people of color on screen - especially in genres involving speculative fiction.

Which is why I did a fist pump upon finding out the new zombie apocalypse web series Surviving (formerly Surviving The Dead), by actress/writer/producer/director Reagan Gomez, had finally debuted.

What sets Surviving apart from so many other projects with similar themes is its voice and main protagonists.

The story is told from the perspective of a Black family who serve as the central driving force of the plot.

This is starkly unlike other zombie tales, where the few people of color present are easily disposable cardboard characters, superfluous to the main narrative.

Those characters typically exist without any agency of their own; whose sole purpose is to further the dramatic journey of their White counterparts (looking at you The Walking Dead).

Surviving opens during the earliest days of a zombie apocalypse. Doctor Shayla Robinson (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) and her younger sister Lucy (Zayden Bates) must evade hordes of the undead.

Together, they embark on a quest to find their missing father and survive a world gone mad.

Fortunately, Shayla is not only a physician, but has also been trained in self-defense and wilderness survival since childhood - at the insistence of her father (portrayed by the distinguished character actor Phil Morris).

Did Shayla's father have some foreknowledge about the zombie apocalypse? Was he somehow involved?

This mystery is skillfully woven into the show's main dramatic thread, creating a captivating tapestry of suspense, action, and horror.

The series also boasts outstanding production value on every level.

Produced by Gomez - who also directed - along with her husband Dewayne Turrentine for their RGP Productions company, Surviving has a dynamic, gritty tone that immerses you right into the center of the drama. It also helps that each episode seems to end on a exciting cliffhanger!

Check out the series trailer here ...

To watch the complete series, visit Gomez's official YouTube Channel.

Surviving is a tense, compelling zombie apocalypse story told from a refreshing perspective and visionary voice.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: THE VISIT - Experience One Cree Family's Encounter With the Unexplained

'Surviving' - The Zombie Apocalypse Web Series By Reagan Gomez Featuring POC Protagonists