Fantasy Short Film Spotlight: SHANGO

He is the god of thunder, fire, and storm.

He is the patron of warriors. If you are thinking I am referring to the Greek god Zeus, or the Norse god Thor, you would be wrong.

In the breathtaking animated fantasy short SHANGO, we meet the titular deity who is Orisha: a member of the West African pantheon of gods and goddesses.

We witness the thunder god in his celestial palace observing his people about to come under attack from a vast enemy horde.

Being a very protective god, Shango unleashes his fury and power upon the enemies of his beloved worshippers.

Created as his Master of Arts thesis, filmmaker Michael Rhima has crafted a brief concept film that is gorgeously designed, animated, and rendered.

Like RED ORIGINS, another outstanding fantasy property based on West African traditions, SHANGO further proves African mythology can infuse speculative narratives with (much needed) originality, dynamism, and fresh perspectives.

Watch SHANGO here ...

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: TEARS IN THE RAIN (A BLADE RUNNER Film)

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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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: THEY WATCH

Set in an alternate near future, the sci-fi short film THEY WATCH is a dystopian tale about society under the control of UNITY, an omnipresent corporation.

Against this backdrop, single mother Ann Hawthorne (Fawnda McMahan) is growing increasingly concerned about the activities of her idealistic teenage son Peter (Joey Luthman), a outspoken critic of UNITY's Big Brother-esque policies.

Peter is on a dangerous course, because those who publicly question UNITY's totalitarian grip on the country tend to vanish.

One evening after trying to dissuade him into giving up his risky crusade, Ann uncovers a startling secret Peter has been keeping from her.

All the while, mother and son are unaware of two mysterious intruders inside their home who are observing them.

THEY WATCH's chilling vision seems disturbingly prescient in light of the current political climate here in the United States, as well as the increase in terrorism and extreme nationalism throughout the world.

What also makes this short film unique among similar stories is its focus on the human element.

Writer and director Andre LeBlanc has created a highly realized world, while also managing to paint an intimate portrait of a family in crisis.

THEY WATCH is no slouch on the production end either. The cast, cinematography, art design, musical score, and visual effects are all exemplary.

Watch THEY WATCH here ...

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: Fired On Mars

Imagine having taken a life changing trip to Mars, only to be fired from your job there shortly after the expedition has been established.

That unthinkable situation is the premise of the animated dark comedy short film Fired On Mars (FOM).

Written by Nick Vokey and Nate Sherman, FOM tells the story of Jeff (voiced by Sean Wing), who has just been informed his position as a graphic designer has been "re-evaluated," and he is advised to "hold tight" while his corporate headquarters "figures out the next steps."

It doesn't take long for Jeff to realize he has been fired from his job on Mars - with no way to return to earth.

This poignantly written and sharply satirical short mines dark comedy from Jeff's incredulity at being fired from an expedition whose staff includes: a man who is being paid to remain in suspended animation, a bevy of bathroom attendants, and even a music director!

Anyone who has ever been pink slipped will relate to the emotional maelstrom of disillusionment, anger, sadness and depression Jeff experiences.

Update: 03/29/24: The original Fired on Mars short film has been adapted into an original animated series on the MAX streaming service.

Learn more here: Fired ON Mars On Max

Here is the series trailer: Fired On Mars Trailer:

Fired On Mars manages to excavate dark humor from one of life's most unpleasant events, while also issuing a scathing indictment on the inanity and callousness of American corporate culture.

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Fantasy Short Film Spotlight: SOAR

On a gorgeous sunny day testing her model airplane designs, a young girl encounters a miniature boy whose strange ship has fallen from the sky.

Eager to help, she uses all of her ingenuity to aid her new friend in repairing his vessel so he can return to the skies before it's too late.

Written and directed by Alyce Tzue, SOAR is an award winning 3D-animated short film loaded with charm, whimsy, and imagination.

Originally conceived as Tzue's student thesis, SOAR turned heads and won much deserved acclaim on the 2015 short film festival circuit.

This delightful tale about friendship, cooperation, and magic is a must see for film lovers of all ages.

Watch SOAR here ...

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: HOSHINO - A STAR WARS Fan Film

As Jedi Knight Ko Hoshino begins constructing her first lightsaber, she reminisces about a pivotal turning point in her training as a young padawan.

Headstrong and impatient, she implored her mentor, Jedi Master Jaan-Xu, to teach her lightsaber combat very early in her training. Instead, she became increasingly frustrated with his admonishments over her impatience and lack of focus.

He reminded her a Jedi's true strength lies not in fighting prowess, but in resisting darkness by serving and protecting others. 

As Jedi Hoshino completes her lightsaber's construction and prepares to confront evil, she recollects her fateful mistake as a padawan that allowed her to see the truth of Master Jaan-Xu's teachings.

Watch HOSHINO here ...

Written by Eric Carrasco and directed by Stephen Vitale, HOSHINO is a sensational unofficial Star Wars fan film.

Like Rouge One, and KARA, another extraordinary Star Wars fan film,  this short has a dynamic woman at the center of its narrative.   

Youtube star Anna Akana is pitch perfect as the impetuous Ko Hoshino, who learns the nuances of the light side of the force at a high personal cost.

Similar to A New Hope, it is the student-teacher relationship between her and Tim McKernan (Master Jaan-Xu) that powers the short's dramatic direction.

In addition, HOSHINO'S overall production is impressive.

Everything from its costume design, visual effects, audio cues (it is always a thrill to hear the iconic buzz of a lightsaber), music score, and even scene transitions impeccably mimic those of the iconic Star Wars films..

The cinematography is electric, with many scenes shot in gorgeous locations. Vitale's direction is engaging and feels intimate, yet it also lends the short a sense of majestic scope synonymous with Star Wars.

However, it is Carrasco's poignant and affecting story of a young woman fully come into her own as a Jedi Knight that is the film's major hallmark.

HOSHINO is further proof the mythology of Star Wars is rich and fertile ground for compelling stories of all kinds.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: ARCHITECTS OF CRIME

In the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, a jaded vice cop employs fringe science to help a city councilman embroiled in scandal retrieve his memory of the event.

What she uncovers is a far-reaching and deadly conspiracy of political corruption.

ARCHITECTS OF CRIME is the latest effort by award winning filmmakers The Derrick Brothers, whose short film F*ck You, Pay Me!, won Best Short in the 2007 Hollywood Black Film Festival, and Best Short in the 2008 Africa in the Picture Film Festival.

The brothers have cast their cinematic magic again, with this thoroughly engaging sci-fi noir.

Watch ARCHITECTS OF CRIME here ...

Chief among the short's many highlights is its charismatic and diverse cast, most notably featuring a woman of color as the lead protagonist.

A casting choice that remains far too rare in genre film.

Rhona Bennett is magnetic as Roxanne, a L.A. vice cop with a shadowy past.  Also captivating is David DeSantos as embattled city councilman Diego. 

Rounding out the terrific ensemble is:

•  Peter Lucas as Dr. Atkinson, a defrocked genius whose dangerous memory technology is key to unraveling the mystery

• Anna Zimhart as Jazmeen, a mysterious and deadly Russian assassin

The short also boasts exceptional cinematography.

Being filmed on location in the City of Angels gives the project dynamism and lends verisimilitude to its heightened, yet gritty, reality.

ARCHITECTS OF CRIME is just further proof The Derrick Brothers are among an exciting and visionary new vanguard of filmmakers to watch.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: RESET

A young girl named Sofie (Wilma Hedberg) resides with her mother (Cecilia Milocco) on a vast, isolated farm at the turn of the 20th century.

To ease Sofie's loneliness, her mother reads to her letters she receives daily from her beloved absentee father.

One fateful day, Sofie discovers a shocking secret about her family and farm that will change her reality forever.

RESET is a gripping sci-fi mystery with a mind-bending twist you won't see coming.

Created by Swedish filmmaking duo Fredrik Akerström and Marcus Kryler, the short is also beautifully acted and gorgeously shot.

In fact, the vivid and lush pastoral setting is effectively juxtaposed with the film's dark and forbidding narrative, creating a churning undercurrent of suspense that pulls you in within the first five minutes.

Watch the short film (with English subtitles) here ...

RESET is a completely enthralling sci-fi mystery with a provocative twist that will leave you wanting more.

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16 Of The Best Indie Sci-Fi And Fantasy Short Films of 2016

From the troubling and disturbing political developments in Washington, D.C., to the rise of bigotry, racism, and intolerance here in the United States, to say 2016 has been a difficult year for many would be quite an understatement.   

Thankfully, one of the bright spots of this year has been in the arena of independent genre film.

2016 saw an explosion of science fiction and fantasy short films that pushes the envelope in every area of production, including theme, visual effects, art design, and scale.

So, we are pleased to present our picks for the best genre short films of 2016. Note: these terrific selections are listed in no particular order or ranking. Ranking them would be harder than keeping a mogwai dry!

(Click on each image or title to view the selection and read our original review)

UFO Diary

During World War II, what if women officers in the United States army were instrumental in stopping an alien invasion?

That tantalizing question forms the premise of UFO Diary, an exceptional period piece and sci-fi adventure that celebrates the heroic contributions of the women who serve in the armed services.

RAIN

The X-Men are some of the most popular comic book characters  ever created.

Among them, one of the most iconic is Storm, a Kenyan princess with the power to control the weather itself.

Storm in the comics is a intelligent, bold, compassionate, powerful, and dynamic woman. 

Unfortunately, the character's charisma and personality were almost non-existent in the film adaptations of The X-Men.

Enter Maya Glick, a renaissance woman who wanted to bring to screen a more accurate portrayal of one of her favorite characters.

After conducting a successful crowdfunding campaign, Glick succeeded in producing RAIN, a short film that shows the world an electrifying Storm never before seen onscreen.

SHADOWS

This dark dystopian short set in the year 2037 depicts a London under the control of a fascist regime.

Due to terrorist attacks, civil liberties are things of the past.  The government spies on its citizenry with a fleet of weaponized drones, and spyware that can infiltrate any electronic device.

Welcome to a totalitarian nightmare that may be closer to reality than we would like to imagine.

TRIAL

During a near-future military conflict, a soldier is grievously wounded in battle.

Due to high mortality and low recruitment rates, fringe science is used to heal and rejuvenate the injured solider - but at a terrible price.

This sizzling sci-fi thriller has it all - mystery, charismatic leads, and dynamic action sequences.

GROW

In the year 2083, climate change has irreparably damaged the earth's ecology.

Air pollution has made the atmosphere incapable of sustaining human life.  

The only means of obtaining precious oxygen is by purchasing it from the major corporations that control it.

GROW is a grim and startling cautionary tale about the kind of future our children may inherit due to our ecological malfeasance. 

GEAR

Set in the back allies of a sprawling futuristic metropolis, GEAR chronicles the adventures of a precocious street urchin named Mazzy.

Surviving on her own, Mazzy is intelligent, resourceful, brave, and most determined to rescue a most unlikely ally from a shadowy cabal.

GEAR is an exciting sci-fi adventure that introduces a captivating young heroine.

LILITU

A woman with a special psychic gift is enlisted to help a priest fight an ancient, unspeakable evil.

This unnerving and atmospheric horror short is reminiscent of classics such as Rosemary's Baby and The Haunting.

EMPSILLNES

Four years in the making, this animated masterpiece depicts a lone astronaut's struggle for survival aboard a gigantic space station adrift at the edge of the solar system.

The brainchild of animator Jakob Grygier, this short film boasts a eye-popping mix of CGI and 3D animation that creates a breathtaking portrait of space.

SAURORA

Beneath the ocean of a distant planet, two divers desperately work to rescue a injured colleague.

Reminiscent of James Cameron's sci-fi groundbreaker The Abyss, SAURORA is a tense thriller with spectacular visual effects that convincingly create an ethereal and dangerous alien underwater environment.

UNCANNY VALLEY

Welcome to a future where virtual reality technology has become so immersive, its environments are indistinguishable from the real world.

As a result, people have become addicted to using the technology at the expense of their physical well-being and personal relationships.

With virtual reality potentially causing a paradigm shift in the way we interact with technology, filmmaker Frederico Heller has imagined a future that feels disturbingly prescient.

ZELOS

(Caution: Contains MATURE themes)

Maria is a woman living a charmed life.

She has a devoted husband, two beautiful children, a thriving career, and a gorgeous home.

But when her competition with a seemingly perfect rival ratchets up, Maria orders a clone of herself to help her manage her numerous responsibilities. 

She may have just made the biggest mistake of her life.

This provocative short film explores how technology meant to connect us, can actually have quite the opposite affect.

TEMPLE

This explosive cyberpunk thriller by director Nguyen-Anh Nguyen and starring Osric Chau (Supernatural) is set in a future where cybernetic enhancements to the human body have become commonplace.

Oz (Chau) is on a quest to find a unique cybernetic organ that can save a loved one from death by a deadly virus.

With its combination of impressive visual effects and exciting fight choreography, TEMPLE is a high-octane thrill ride from start to finish.

DARKWAVE: EDGE OF THE STORM

One hundred years into the future, humanity has finally expanded out among the stars.

On a distant world, Sarah, along with her husband Ben and young son, are fleeing from their repressive government.

During their flight, the family makes a discovery that could alter the course of human destiny.

DARKWAVE achieves a cinematic sense of size and scope due to its exceptional production on every level.

KARA

With the highly-anticipated releases of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Rogue One, George Lucas' iconic space opera has been cemented as the preeminent science fiction franchise in the world.

Part of the beauty of Star Wars is its universe is vast enough to include intriguing stories featuring fascinating tertiary characters.

The unofficial indie film KARA is a brilliant example of such storytelling.

The short focuses on the titular Kara, a young woman with a extraordinary secret that could alter the outcome of the galactic war.

The Adept

Ben and Maddy are a married team of scientists engrossed in solving a vexing problem with their research.

During the course of their work, they encounter a mysterious force that seems like ... magic.

This thoroughly entertaining short film raises fascinating questions about our perceptions of reality.

DUST

On a verdant world, a deadly plague is decimating the citizens of an enormous fortified city.

One man possesses the arcane knowledge to find and eliminate the source of the scourge.

Unfortunately, he must also overcome personal tragedy and a crisis of faith if his world has any hope to survive.

Filmed in Japan, DUST by Ember Lab is one of the most extraordinary SF&F short films we've ever seen.

Its combination of lush cinematography, East Asian inspired art design, compelling narrative, and phenomenal visual effects easily makes this short film among the very best we have seen this year.

If you enjoyed these short films, make sure to check out our picks for the top SF&F WEBSERIES of 2016. 

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Fantasy Short Film Spotlight: DUST

Occasionally a fantasy short film is released that is so good it raises the bar for the rest of the genre.

The fantasy short DUST is without a doubt just such an extraordinary film.

Released after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012, DUST is set in a lush world whose ecology is studied and protected by a group of people known as "trackers."

Trackers study the interrelationship between all livings things and catalog the evolution of life.

Trackers are also extremely adept in the healing arts.

When the planet became more industrialized, people began clustering in huge, fortified cities, becoming more isolated from nature. Trackers and all their knowledge soon became an arcane art.

At the beginning of the film,  a virulent plague has begun decimating the citizens of a walled city. An opportunistic merchant (Michael Evans Lopez) hires an apostate tracker named Irezumi (Mashasi Odate) to find the source of the mysterious plague and create a cure.

However, Irezumi must come to terms with his own tragic past if his dangerous mission is to succeed.

Written by Jason Gallaty, Josh Grier, and Michael Grier (who also directed), DUST is an ambitious short film heavily influenced by anime, horror, and silkpunk - a subgenre that imagines sci-fi and fantasy through the cultural lens of East Asia.

Shot in Japan, the film's cinematography is brilliantly used to highlight the natural beauty of the nation's countryside. Combined with stunning visual effects, the net result is a fantasy short that succeeds in creating a verdant world filled with wondrous creatures. 

The film's art design is inspired by the culture and traditions of East Asia to create a unique setting that is a far cry from typical medieval European influenced fantasy aesthetics.

Kudos to the film's production studio, Ember Lab, for using impressive visual effects to create a menagerie of mesmerizing fantastical beasts. 

The entire production succeeds in creating a rich world that will enchant from the opening credits to the final scene.

With its sumptuous production, unique setting, timely environmental message, and dazzling visuals, DUST has secured its place among the best fantasy shorts ever produced.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: LOST BOY

LOST BOY is the latest sci-fi short film from PostPanic Pictures, the same visionary team who produced the acclaimed genre short SUNDAYS.

Directed by Ash Thorp and Anthony Scott Burns, the short opens onto an expansive and desolate alien landscape.

Across mountainous crags, a cyborg cyclops is relentlessly pursuing the possessor of a vast secret.

LOST BOY is a showcase of stylish design, cutting-edge visual effects, and dynamic cinematography that hurls viewers into the heart of the action.

The producers were influenced by classic '80s American sci-fi/action films, as well as Japanese samurai movies.

The result is a visual flair and sensibility that announces the auspicious arrival of a new vanguard of filmmakers.

LOST BOY is another feather-in-the-cap for PostPanic Pictures, a studio blazing a new trail in exciting cinematic storytelling.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: ENTROPY

Every so often, a film is released  that breaks with traditional filmmaking conventions, and manages to provide a completely captivating viewing experience.

The dialogue-free sci-fi short film ENTROPY by Tim Cahn is just such an example.

The three and a half minute, digitally animated short depicts a lone spaceship departing the earth. Traveling past the moon and planets, the vessel arrives at an enormous space station at the edge of  our solar system.

There, a portal opens enabling the ship to continue its mysterious voyage into the cosmos.

Who built the spaceship?  

What circumstances led the ship to be launched in the first place?

Where is its final destination?

How far in the future are the events depicted taking place?

These are a few of the questions the short leaves unanswered, only adding to the tantalizing allure of this gorgeously animated film. 

Make no mistake, the visuals are the star of this short. 

The jaw-dropping digital renderings of celestial bodies conjure up the breathtaking majesty of the heavens.

Watch ENTROPY here ...

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