Prepare to Enter Harsh Reality, a Brand New Cyberpunk Thriller
Are you the type who plays too much video games, is always on the computer and doesn’t get outside very much? Do you like the type of science fiction that Philip K. Dick and Paul Verhoeven unleashed back in the day? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve just discovered the next promising short film for people like us.
Prepare to step into a neon-drenched future dystopia with Harsh Reality, relive the glory days of edgy sci-fi action with a message about our relationship with technology, and bask in the synthy goodness. The film tells the story of a professional gamer who’s kidnapped and subjected to a mind-altering VR program. And who knows? With the way technology is evolving, that will probably happen someday. So let’s enjoy our freedom while we can, but in the meantime, we can support Harsh Reality and enjoy that too.
The film is directed by Iain Marcks (American Cinematographer Magazine), whose films have previously appeared on Fandor and ShortsTV. Starring will be comedian and pro gamer Jeff Seal, Chris Manley (Cirque du Soleil), and Shaina Feinberg (This American Life). Joe Yanick, of the excellent noisemakers Syndromes, will serve as a Producer while, Antoni Maiovvi, the co-founder of the sublime Giallo Disco Records, will bring the glorious synths. Capping off the team is Assistant Director, Heather Buckley (We Are Still Here) and Director of Photography, Eduardo Mayen (El Rey’s “From Dusk Till Dawn”).
For updates check out the Energeia Films Facebook page, and if you’d like to support the campaign then head on over to Indiegogo and check out the perks.
Synopsis:
HARSH REALITY is set in Central City, a teeming metropolis that was on the verge of bankruptcy until a cartel of banks and multinational conglomerates stepped in to take control of its sagging infrastructure. Known as the Central Provisional Authority Corporation, they’ve created a utilities monopoly, replaced the police with a private security force, shuttered the public University, and begun mass deportations. Meanwhile, the citizens of Central City have begun to organize and resist the hostile takeover.
This is not a future that will be, but one that might be.
Our influences range from RoboCop, The Twilight Zone, and Max Headroom, to the work of Philip K. Dick, Douglas Rushkoff, and Harlan Ellison — but HARSH REALITY is part of a larger original narrative that includes two feature films, one of which — ZERO SUM — has already been written and is in development, to be followed by THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
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