Animated Short Film Spotlight: GEIST - A Shipwrecked Fisherman Makes A Frightful Discovery

If you think fantastic animation is only being produced by studio giants like Pixar and Disney, think again.

Smaller independent animation studios are also creating exceptional work. A few notable examples include Mighty Coconut's The OceanMaker and Sintel by the Blender Institute.

GEIST, by Irish studio Great Animation, is another exquisite gem.

The 10-minute short tells the haunting story of an injured, shipwrecked fisherman who washes up on a beach during a stormy night.

Seeking aid, he comes across a mysterious cottage.  

Upon gaining entry, he finds the cottage seemingly unoccupied. However, the fisherman soon discovers the house holds a dark and awful secret.

Watch GEIST in its entirety below...

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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.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: HUMANICIDE - Alien Insect-Like Drones Hunt The Last Of Humanity

Set forty years after an alien invasion has devastated the planet, the French sci-fi short Humanicide presents a future in which the last remnants of humanity struggle to evade the frightening, insect-like alien drones that hunt them.

Two survivors - Paul (Audren Lancien) and  Tripo (Florian Gounaud) struggle to evade the alien drones deep in the French country side.

If they are captured, the drones will "sting" them with a foreign substance that proves quite painful for the victims, but its ultimate effect is unknown. 

Is it a fatal poison? A drug? 

The film leaves those questions unanswered.

Created by filmmaker Guillaume Oger, Humanicide poses more questions than it answers, which I  think is great because it serves to shroud the narrative in a compelling mystique.

It also helps that the short is gorgeous to watch. The lush French countryside seems to burst from the screen in high definition.

However, the design of the alien drones is inspired.  

They look unearthly and creepy, yet also are disturbingly familiar because of their insect-like design that seems to be based on hornets.

Watch Humanicide (in French with English subtitles) in its entirety below....

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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.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: SAURORA - Beneath The Ocean Of A Distant Planet A Life Or Death Struggle Begins

The compelling sci-fi short film Saurora is set under the vast ocean of a remote planet.

Two divers are desperate to rescue an injured colleague trapped by debris on the ocean floor.

However, the rescue mission goes awry when one of the divers (Robert Zapf) encounters an entity that jeopardizes the entire crew.

Watching Saurora, I was reminded of the first time I saw James Cameron's groundbreaking sci-fi film The Abyss at the theater.

Written and directed by filmmaker Pavel Siska, the short - like The Abyss - succeeds in capturing the beauty, power, danger and ethereal quality of the ocean. The major difference between the two films being their setting.  

While The Abyss is about earth-bound aquatic extraterrestrials, in Saurora, it is humans who are the alien visitors. 

Watch Saurora in its entirety below ...

Saurora is among a rare number of films that successfully combines live action with CGI in order to create captivating worlds that excite the imagination.

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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.

Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: GROW - In 2083 Air Has Become A Precious Commodity Due To Climate Change

In the sci-fi short GROW, we visit the year 2083 where catastrophic climate change has destroyed much of civilization. The air has also become irreparably polluted.

Most plant life - as well as those who grow them - has been eradicated. As a result, oxygen has become a commodity that must be purchased in order to survive.

Major corporations (it's always damn corporations isn't it?) control the market for air filters, the only means to breathe in this deadly new global environment.

Watch the provocative short GROW here ... 

GROW is an outstanding representation of a burgeoning sub-genre  known as "cli-fi." 

Cli-fi is fiction that speculates how climate change and global warming may affect our environment, economy, technology, governments, and society as a whole.

GROW not only has a provocative premise, but it also skillfully executes said premise with impressive production value, creating a highly realized, haunting, and desperate future.

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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.

Year Of The Snake - A Delirious Superhero Satire

Let me begin by stating Year Of The Snake (YOTS) is unlike any web series I've ever seen.

It gleefully defies convention, as well as any attempt to be categorized.

Superficially, it appears to be a satire of superhero story conventions, as well as vintage fish-out-of-water tv sitcoms like Perfect Strangers, Bosom Buddies, and Mork & Mindy.

However, it quickly morphs into a hurricane of utter narrative chaos - with periodic flashes of cunning social satire.

Written and directed by Nic Collins, YOTS is a nine episode web series about Snake (Patrick Lindhorst), a superpowered alien sent to earth to assassinate a human stoner designated only as "The Special," by a despotic galactic overlord known as "The Desolate One."

Snake befriends his mark instead.

Each episode of YOTS chronicles Snake's addled quest to understand the human experience with all its inherent complexity, weirdness, and vulnerability.

Over the course of its run, YOTS provides surprisingly astute social commentary on various issues, including:

• modern dating rituals, such as the use of apps like Tinder

• sexual objectification and harassment

• televangelists and religious fundamentalism

• stoner and "dudebro" cultural attitudes

• rote tropes used in superhero narratives

Watch this series teaser to get a peek inside the fevered world of YOTS ...

Year Of The Snake is definitely a strange, unique animal that forges a narrative far from the beaten path.

If you are looking for an excursion beyond the borders of typical genre fare, you will not be disappointed.

Watch all nine episodes of the web series on its official YouTube channel.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: TRIAL - Fringe Science Gives A Critically Wounded Soldier New Life - At A Cost

The sci-fi short film TRIAL tells the story of Aaron, a solider grievously wounded in battle, who has given up his will to live.

Due to the war's low recruitment numbers and high casualty rate, a mysterious doctor (Ana Ularu), visits Aaron in the hospital to inform him she will heal him via an experimental medical procedure.

The experiment seems successful as Aaron awakens to find he has a new, healthy (and handsome) body.  However, he quickly learns the dark secret behind the procedure - as well as the price he must pay for his new vitality.

Written and directed by filmmakers The Brothers Lynch, TRIAL is captivating sci-fi from start to finish.

The film successfully marries its provocative premise with terrific cast performances. Of special note, Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones) and Tom Cullen shine as wounded Aaron and new Aaron respectively.

The film also boasts a highly polished, atmospheric look due to its exceptional cinematography and overall production design.

Watch TRIAL here ...

Bottom line - TRIAL is an outstanding sci-fi short that makes for a singular viewing experience.

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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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

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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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: Pixel Theory: Pandora's Box - A Virtual Reality Cautionary Tale

The award-winning, Spanish language sci-fi short film Pixel Theory: La Caja de Pandora (Pandora's Box) is a gorgeous, haunting, and tragic tale about the dark side of virtual reality (VR).

The short is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a mysterious cyborg has conquered the globe.

All of humanity is plugged into a VR landscape where everyone appears as highly idealized versions of themselves.

Everyone participates in a series of deadly tournaments called "Extreme Hologames," which serve to distract the populace from the devastation and destitution of the real, physical world.

However, one man (Javier Páez) defiantly chooses to permanently disconnect from the VR environment after the death of his beloved wife.

His son, Javier (Ismael Fritschi), desperately tries to convince his father to accept the world order and plug back in.

The father adamantly refuses, and both men passionately try to sway the other to accept his worldview.  All the while, a dangerous threat approaches that threatens all their futures.

Like the similarly themed, outstanding short Uncanny Valley, Pixel Theory writer and directer Daniel Hernández presents a bleak future where human connection has been sacrificed due to technological sedation - with disastrous results.

Watch the impressive Pixel Theory below. The short is in Spanish with English subtitles ...

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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: KARA - An Unofficial Star Wars Film

KARA is the extremely impressive, unofficial fan film set in the Star Wars universe.

The film opens on the titular Kara (Andra Nechita) and her father Markus (Peter Arpesella) marching across a vast desert.

While they are making their trek, they witness a spectacular dogfight in the sky above them between Imperial TIE fighters and a squad of rebel X-Wing fighters.

Athena (Daniela Flynn), one of the rebel squad leaders, ejects after her X-Wing is heavily damaged in the battle.  

She lands near Kara and Markus' location. After determining they are not Imperial agents, she decides to join them on their trek to the nearest rebel base.

However, stormtroopers quickly catch up to them, and a firefight ensues.

During the hottest part of the battle, a secret is revealed to Athena that signifies a turning of the tide in favor of the rebellion.

With KARA, writer and director Joe Sill has produced a short that looks as if it could be a deleted scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Sill has paid remarkable attention to detail in terms of mimicking the production design, tone, and style of the iconic sci-fi films.

But what makes this short truly an achievement is within its seven minute runtime, you are introduced to the three protagonists and become fully invested in their plight.

This is because there is a very human and poignant story at the core of this visual effects showcase.

Watch KARA here ...

The vision, style, and technical proficiency on display in KARA has convinced me Joe Sill is a young talent who will leave an indelible mark on filmmaking.

If the force is with us.

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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: RAIN - The Electrifying Storm Fan Film

RAIN is the extraordinary new fan film based on the Marvel Comics superhero Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm.

In the X-Men comics, Storm is the daughter of a Kenyan princess. She is also a powerful mutant with the ability to control the elements themselves.

She is regal, intelligent, aristocratic, resilient, compassionate, beautiful, and FIERCE.

Unfortunately, the lackluster way her character has been written and depicted in the X-Men film franchise by FOX has long been a source of dissatisfaction and aggravation by fans of the character.

In the X-Men films, Storm is reduced to little more than window dressing - a grave disservice to such a rich, iconic character.

RAIN was birthed out of creator and star Maya Glick's frustration with those milquetoast cinematic depictions.

Glick decided to produce her own onscreen version of Storm that honors the heroine's dynamic and complex character.

I won't divulge any of the short film's plot because of spoilers.  I just encourage you to watch and revel in RAIN ...

With RAIN, Glick has wildly succeeded in creating an onscreen depiction of Storm that is a worthy tribute to the character's power, presence, and strength.

Fans of the character will be glad RAIN has arrived.

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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: TEMPLE - A Mesmerizing Cyberpunk Thriller By Nguyen-Anh Nguyen

Let me cut right to it - take 9 minutes out of your day to watch TEMPLE, the dynamic cyberpunk thriller by Nguyen-Anh Nguyen starring Osric Chau and Yue Qi.

Set in the year 2045, cybernetic enhancements to the human body have become commonplace. 

Ironically, a deadly virus has emerged that causes the human body to reject its own living organs.

Against this grim backdrop we meet Oz (Chau), a man wiling to take desperate measures to secure a cybernetic organ replacement vital in saving the woman he loves.

TEMPLE explodes onto the screen with dazzling visual effects and explosive fight choreography. 

The world hinted to in the short by director/producer Nguyen is dark, mysterious, and compelling. 

Film lead Osric Chau has been a personal favorite ever since I saw him in the live action web series Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, and as the prophet Kevin Tran on the CW's long running series Supernatural.

Watch TEMPLE on YouTube ...

TEMPLE is an outstanding, visionary short film that is proof-of-concept for a planned feature. Hopefully we will get the opportunity to revisit this fascinating dystopia.   

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Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding sci-fi, horror, and fantasy short films by downloading our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films.

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SOS: Save Our Skins - Two Geeky Brits Face The Apocalypse

The sci-fi/horror/comedy web series SOS: SAVE Our Skins is the story of Ben (Nat Saunders) and Stephen (Chris Hayward), two geeky Brits who awaken on the first day of their New York vacation at a science fiction convention to discover they are the only human beings left in the city.

As the gravity of their situation dawns on them, they realize the enormity of their crisis - not only are they the only two people left in New York, they may be the only humans left on the planet.

As the men try to piece together the cause of this global catastrophe, they stumble upon a strange television broadcast that serves as their only clue. 

However, as Ben and Stephen prepare to embark on their quest to find out the truth behind the apocalypse, they soon discover they are not as alone as they thought.

Watch the official trailer for SOS: Save Our Skins ...

The 13-episode web series - created by leads Hayward and Saunders -  is a hybrid between satire and love letter to geeky pop culture.

Pop culture references fly fast and furious, with frequent nods to iconic genre properties such as Dr. Who, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Walking Dead, and others.

 It's as if The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and Shaun Of The Dead got together and had a love child. The series gleefully revels in its dry British humor and wit.

Of course, the premise of the show would fall flat if the two leads were not able to shoulder the burden.

That concern is quickly alleviated as Chris Hayward and Nat Saunders prove to have a relaxed chemistry in their roles as the dim-witted series leads.

Another highlight of the series is its cinematography - especially during the initial episodes set in New York.

The "city that never sleeps" appears completely deserted, which is deeply unsettling to see. Those visuals immediately immerse you into the plot. 

Kudos to the production team for pulling off such an impressive feat on an independent film budget!

Watch all 13 episodes of SOS: Save Our Skins on its official YouTube channel.

To find out more about the production, visit the series Tumblr blog.

If you are a fan of geeky pop culture, dry British comedy, and post-apocalyptic dramas, you will find much to enjoy in SOS: Save Our Skins.

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