The Best In Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Films, Web Series, and Othe Closely-Related Media
In the captivating fantasy short film JAGON, a princess and her royal guard are pursued by sinister forces deep within a mist-filled forest. When the fleeing princess drops a precious relic, a mysterious hunter discovers it - which leads him to the princess and to witnessing a manifestation of great power by an ancient force.
Read MoreIn the award-winning, fantasy short REBOOTED, Phil is a stop motion skeleton hoping to find work in Hollywood now that his heyday as a star of creature features is long behind him. But in the modern era of CGI and motion capture created monsters, Phil is finding his journey back to stardom more difficult than he imagined.
Read MoreBubbly Brown Sugar is a modern fantasy web series about love, sex, destiny and the powerful connection shared by human beings.
Read MoreJuju: The Web Series is the story of three millennial African-American women who are best friends navigating modern life in New York City. They also happen to be powerful witches just coming into their power.
Read MoreThe fantasy short film DISPEL is the story of a girl’s heart-wrenching battle with a terrifying monster for the soul of her mother. Starring Eris Baker (This Is Us) and featuring Gina Torres (Pearson, Firefly).
Read MoreIn Irish and Scandinavian folklore, a selkie is a seal that can transform into a human while on land. In the modern fantasy short SELKIE, the titular sea creature is captured while in her human form. Trapped and lonely, she enters into a stifling relationship with the human who captured her.
Read MoreViral superhero fan film STATIC by David Kirkman is based on the Milestone Comics character of the same name. Teenager Virgil Hawkins struggles to balance his family life and school while fighting crime as the superhero known as Static.
Read More
TRACY BUCKLES is a six-episode fantasy web series best described as Harry Potter with a sharp comedic and adult edge.
Written and directed by Robin Nyström, the web series follows its titular young protagonist on her quest to free herself from a curse cast by a dark mage (Macie Wilson). The potent curse allows her to be seen, but not heard.
The only person who can hear her is a young man called No One (Sergio Gavidia) who also has been cursed by the same dark mage to be heard, but not seen.
Realizing their peculiar conditions make them perfect allies, Tracy and No One seek the help of an inept wizard - think Dumbledore sans the competence - named Waxel (Gale McNeeley) and his longsuffering wife Lucinda (Rosh Wright).
However, Tracy (Ana Lake) is NOT your typical fantasy heroine.
She is a foul-mouthed, weed-smoking, aspiring actress. She is also fearless, possesses an indomitable spirit, and is keenly empathetic - which are her true magical powers.
Lake is a revelation as Tracy. Her acting chops take a role that could come off as extremely abrasive and instead creates a nuanced portrayal of a young woman overcoming adversity while coming into her own.
The supporting cast acquits themselves very well, too. Gavidia and Lake have sparkling chemistry as two people who become the best of friends through shared suffering.
Gale McNeely has a charming absent-minded professor vibe he brings to the role of the bungling wizard Waxel. Rosh Wright completes the series’ comedic alchemy as Waxel’s critical, but loving, spouse.
TRACY BUCKLES is an apt analogy for those who have ever felt unseen and unheard, as well as the triumphant feeling that comes when one finds their unique voice and place in the world.
Watch the complete series by clicking on the image below…
Listen to our EYE ON SCI-FI podcast interview with TRACY BUCKLES writer and director Robin Nyström!
Experience our official 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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In the striking fantasy short THE WATER PHOENIX, a mermaid fights for her freedom after being betrayed by the one she loves.
Written, directed by, and starring Bola Ogun, the short follows a captured mermaid named Anya, who is on public display in an aquarium.
It soon is revealed the marine biologist (Joseph Dixon) who found her is reneging on his promise to set her free.
With the aquarium's owner planning to transfer her to Japan, Anya takes matters into her own hands to gain her freedom and return to the sea.
Ogun's aquatic fantasy is a remarkable short film for many reasons, but chief among them is it centers a Black woman as an iconic mythical creature.
Frankly, it is still annoying that well into the 21st century, nuanced onscreen representations of Black people in fantasy remain ridiculously inadequate - when present at all.
Pictured right: Bola Ogun as Anya
Fortunately, independent fantasy projects like the web series AVANT-GUARDIANS and THE WATER PHOENIX are helping to expand these representations by telling compelling narratives centering Black women.
Due to Ogun's clever writing, the short is also a keen metaphor for how women become trapped in controlling relationships, as well as the triumph experienced when they take their power back.
Technically, THE WATER PHOENIX also boasts dazzling underwater cinematography and visual effects.
Finally, the short heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in filmmaking.
Dive into THE WATER PHOENIX here...
Listen to our EYE ON SCI-FI podcast episode featuring THE WATER PHOENIX!
Experience our official 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!
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What if you could discover the exact moment and manner of your death?
Meet Jade, the young woman who can tell you.
Created, written, directed by Erin Good and produced by Taylor Litton-Strain, JADE OF DEATH is a six-episode dark fantasy web series introducing the titular Jade (Bernie Van Tiel), a woman with the supernatural gift to foretell the exact moment and manner of death of anyone she meets.
Haunted by her past and isolated by her powers, Jade takes refuge in her job as a fortune teller for a nighttime carnival.
There, she finds solace through her friendship with co-worker George (Yoshi Hausler) and the emergence of a tender romance with fellow carnival denizen Maya (Jordan Cowan).
However, Jade's reverie shatters after she encounters Wilkins (Nikolas Hope), a sinister figure who knows about Jade's gift - and who possesses dark powers of his own.
Wilkins represents malevolent forces who want to use Jude because of her gift. They soon discover underestimating her is a mistake.
JADE OF DEATH introduces to the genre of dark fantasy a new feminist and lesbian heroine in a class all her own.
Move out of the way, Buffy.
Van Tiel is a revelation as Jade. Her textured and nuanced performance conveys emotional vulnerability underscored by keen intelligence and steely independence.
JADE OF DEATH is an alluring and chilling fantasy-noir with a mesmerizing protagonist who deserves a prominent spot among the most memorable heroines of the genre.
Watch the official season one trailer…
The complete six-episode first season is now available on the official YouTube channel of the series.
Additional note: the first season ends on a cliffhanger. My fingers are crossed that we see more of Jade - and I’ll bet yours will be, too.
Experience our official 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:
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What if legendary creatures from folklore such as the Loch Ness monster, bigfoot, the chupacabra, and the yeti actually existed?
In the steampunk fantasy The Ningyo: Episode One they do.
Created by Miguel Ortega and Tran Ma, the short is set in Los Angeles in the year 1911. The story centers on the exploits of Professor C. Marlowe (Rodrigo Lopresti), a paleontologist who believes in the existence of ningyo - mermaids from Japanese folklore believed to grant imomortality to any who catch them and eat their flesh.
Marlowe's obsession with the ningyo causes him to fall into disfavor with the scientific community.
Despite the disdain and ridicule from his peers, Professor Marlowe claims he possesses a map which will lead him to the location of the fabled ningyo.
However, his claims about the map come to the attention of mysterious parties who will stop at nothing to acquire it. Forces including a wealthy Japanese aristocrat portrayed by acclaimed actress Tamlyn Tomita (The Karate Kid, Real Artists).
The Ningyo is a lavish production whose steampunk aesthetic seems heavily influnced by authors such as Jules Verne.
Stunning set pieces include a rambling, gilded mansion containing an otherworldly menagerie of cryptid creatures, to an ocean submersible that could be the sister ship to the famed Nautilus from Verne's classic novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
The visual and creatue effects are jawdropping, and defy the popular misconception that independent genre films are inherently B-level and can not compete with bigger-budget mainstream fare.
But don't my word for it, watch this magnificent short here...
There are plans for the story of The Ningyo to be continued in future installments. To discover more about this extraordinary production, visit the short's official page on Facebook.
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The web series Avant-Guardians is like nothing you have ever seen before.
Alesia C. Etinoff As Razz
The supernatural dramedy tells the story of guardian angel Razz (Alesia C. Etinoff), whose 12 year old human charge is destined to become the third Black president of the United States - if he can survive adolescence.
In an attempt to understand her ward - as well as humanity and its countless issues - Razz goes into therapy with archangel Dr. Hanniel (Zainab Johnson).
It is during these sessions this heavenly dynamic duo take on many timely topics including trans/homophobia, racism, bullying, and sexism, with wit, piercing insight, and much, much humor.
The seven episode series was created by Etinoff as an outlet for her commentary on the tumultuous times we are grappling with.
The result is a funny and moving rumination on the human condition that is never sanctimonious, preachy, or pretentious.
Etinoff also turns on its head the usual staid, saccharine depiction of angels by injecting it with a liberal dose of Black woman magic.
Seeing two Black women portraying powerful and wise angelic beings stylishly swaddled in their own agency is magnificent to behold.
Zainab Johnson as Dr. Hanniel
It also highlights just how ridiculous it is that Hollywood is still dragging its feet when it comes to providing meaty, nuanced roles for Black women.
Because each of the seven episodes is only between one to five minutes in length, binge watching this smile-inducing, consciousness-raising web series is strongly encouraged.
At the end, it is teased we may see more of Razz and Dr. Hanniel in the future.
I'll definitely say Amen to that!
Watch the official Avant-Guardians trailer here...
And catch the complete series on its official YouTube channel: Avant-GuardiansTheSeries.com.
Listen to our EYE ON SCI-FI podcast interview with AVANT-GUARDIANS creator and star, Alesia C. Etinoff!
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