EXCLUSIVE: Paul Jun’s Filmocracy and John Fitzgerald’s iGems are given an Oscar qualifying run today for Angad Aulakh’s short movie The Atomic Dream.
The short is set in the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination and the era’s pervasive nuclear fears and tells the story of Frank (Guy Kent), his estranged mother-in-law Sophia (Marchand Storch), and her curious relationship with an enigmatic teddy bear named Rodney. When Frank stops by to check in on Sophia, he finds himself confronting her grand fantasies that the very fate of humanity is at stake, as well as her worrisome relationship with Rodney.
Indian-Ameircan filmmaker Aulakh is an alum of Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative for diverse and minority filmmakers in film/TV. The short has also been selected for the curated platform Shorted and will debut on the service at the end of the year.
The Atomic Dream made its U.S. premiere at the 32nd Annual IFS L.A. Film Festival and went on to play the Amsterdam International Film Festival, Stockholm Film & TV Festival, Tokyo Shorts, Prague International Film Festival, Montreal Independent Film Festival and Rotterdam Independent Film Festival. Kent and Storch earned both individual and ensemble acting nods in several short film categories at those fests.
The Atomic Dream is produced by Kent and Aulakh, along with Taylor Sardoni (Crypt TV’s Splintered). The short was shot by Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Charlie Wuppermann (Kedi) and scored by award-winning composer Tim Despic (Lionsgate’s Fall).