The Best In Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Films, Web Series, and Othe Closely-Related Media
This sci-fi homage to 1940s film noir tells the story of an intrepid and dedicated journalist seeking to expose a corrupt politician. Instead, what she uncovers is a conspiracy with dire implications for the entire world.
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In the sci-fi short A Crimson Man, a young runaway boy named Wei (Maddox Henry) is searching for his father in a land torn apart by a long-running war between humans and sentient robots called "Crimson Men."
While on his quest, Wei encounters a robot he dubs "Red." Red (voiced by Daniel Clarkson) is scarred by years of battle and is fleeing from the war.
The young boy and hulking robot begrudgingly agree to join forces in order to escape their ravaged land. However, an encounter with the enemy sparks erratic behavior in Red, causing Wei to doubt if he can trust his mechanized companion.
Written and directed by filmmaker Mike Pappa, A Crimson Man is an impressive homage to classic sci-fi coming-of-age cinema which includes iconic films such as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Flight Of The Navigator, and The Iron Giant.
Those films juxtapose the wonder-filled exuberance of youth against the fantastical to explore often very heavy themes including fear of abandonment and alienation.
In A Crimson Man, Pappa effectively uses his speculative narrative to probe the complex dynamics between parent and child, as well as the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The short film successfully transports viewers into its intriguing world by use of its visually arresting aesthetic that is a handsome mix of lush pastoral combined with the retro-stylings of steampunk.
Experience A Crimson Man here...
Make sure to check out our podcast Eye On Sci-Fi. Join host and The 7th Matrix founder Rod T. Faulkner as he spotlights terrific indie SFF short films and web series.
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The Winter's Club is a remarkable sci-fi short film by Chris Stone, an independent filmmaker whose work we have long admired here at The 7th Matrix.
The short begins within the crumbling bowls of an abandoned neo-gothic building. Two British agents, Shaw (Rachel Shenton) and Shepard (Richard Jack), have been tasked with tracking down Winter (Lewis Brindley) - a powerful member of a group of genetically engineered humans who possess paranormal abilities.
While Shaw believes these beings to be extremely dangerous, Shepard holds a far more compassionate view.
When the duo finally catch up to Winter, he isn't at all what they expect. Their encounter with him reveals life-altering secrets that shatters the agents' worldview.
Originally an entrant in the 2013 Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, The Winter's Club is a prime example of Chris Stone's ability to make low budget filmmaking look and feel truly cinematic.
At a run time of just over four and a half minutes, Stone manages to craft a complete, compelling sci-fi narrative inhabited by characters you quickly become invested in. Major credit must also be given to the superb performances turned in by the cast.
Watch The Winter's Club here...
The Winter's Club is further proof all that is needed to craft an excellent science fiction film is a solid script, capable actors, and a filmmaker with vision and passion.
Discover more of Chris Stone's work by visiting his official web site ChrisStoneShowReels.com.
Make sure to check out our podcast Eye On Sci-Fi. Join host and The 7th Matrix founder Rod T. Faulkner as he spotlights terrific indie SFF short films and web series.
We are proud of the fact The 7th Matrix has been operating AD-FREE since its inception in 2013. Please help us continue. Thank you!
We also accept donations via Bitcoin using this address:
1EdGZQu1hcpzTYiTzoBD66bFC6ubH1pVL1
Tears In The Rain, the award winning South African sci-fi short by filmmaker Christopher Grant Harvey, is an unabashed love letter to the 1982 motion picture Blade Runner, and Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
Set in Los Angeles in the latter part of the twenty-first century, the short stars Sean Cameron Michael as John Kampff, a mysterious law enforcement official who is tracking down a man named Andy Smith (Russel Savadier), who is suspected of being a replicant: an artificial being almost indistinguishable from humans.
With its haunting, 80s-inspired synthesized score, futuristic Los Angeles cityscape complete with flying cars, looming ultra-skyscrapers, and neon-haloed, grime covered streets, Tears In The Rain convincingly duplicates the dark dystopian aesthetic of Blade Runner.
However, the most important similarity to Blade Runner is the short's existential questioning of what it means to be human.
Watch the award winning Tears In The Rain here ...
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Zelos is the provocative sci-fi short film commissioned by KQED'S Film School Shorts to open its fourth season.
Directed by Thoranna Sigurdardottir, Zelos tells the story of Maria (Erica Piccininni), a woman who appears to have a modern storybook life - devoted husband Mordecai (Michael Ornstein), two exuberant children, and a showplace home.
However, she is feeling overwhelmed by the demands of her personal and professional life, as well the unspoken competition she is engaged in with Ari (Brooke Nevin), a beautiful colleague.
Desperate, Maria decides to purchase an exact genetic clone of herself to help her manage her many responsibilities. She thinks she has found the perfect solution to her problems - until she realizes she has enabled a nearly perfect rival.
Watch Zelos here (Please note the film contains mature themes and subject matter. It may not be suitable for all viewers) ...
Like sci-fi series Humans, Black Mirror and Westworld, Zelos shines a scathing light on our increasingly fraught relationship with our technology.
In our quest to "do and have it all," we have turned to revolutionary connective technologies such as smartphones, social media, The Internet Of Things and A.I. virtual assistants to help us achieve the holy grail of optimum productivity.
Despite the promises of greater connection, efficiency and personal freedom made by these technologies, many of us find ourselves ironically feeling more disconnected and over-extended than ever before.
Sci-fi narratives like Zelos are cautionary tales, warning us against the folly of depending on technology alone to foster the connection and complex relationships we need to sustain us.
Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our film guide, 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.
All proceeds from the sale of this ebook help keep The 7th Matrix independent and AD-FREE.
Commissioned by science journal NATURE as part of its celebration of both the 150 years since the birth of author H. G. Wells, and Star Trek's 50th Anniversary, Try Catch Throw is a intriguing sci-fi motion comic.
Written by Andrew Neil Gray, Try Catch Throw tells the story of Marielle, a woman desperate to prevent her computer scientist lover from discovering a secret that could spell the end of the universe.
To aid her quest, Marielle has been given the ability to "reset" time by highly advanced aliens. Frantic, she travels back in time to multiple periods during the course of her courtship, enacting changes that irrevocably alter her timeline, but not her boyfriend's obsession with his reality-shattering hypothesis.
In her final timeline jump that sees the birth of her beloved child, Marielle can not risk another reset, or she will lose her daughter forever.
Out of options, she makes a fateful choice.
Watch the complete motion comic here ...
Nature has also made the motion comic freely available as a digital graphic novel. Click here to download.
Try Catch Throw is reminiscent of the most compelling episodes of the sci-fi tv classic The Twilight Zone.
Author Andrew Neil Gray has crafted a story with a heady premise, but grounds it by framing it within an affecting human dilemma.
The artwork and illustrations by Chris Malbon are vivid and highly detailed, with a slight touch of the surreal - a perfect complement to this gripping tale.
Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our film guide, 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.
All proceeds from the sale of this ebook help keep The 7th Matrix independent and AD-FREE.