Experiencing Interruptions?

Alekto

Policewoman Julia Forward is kidnapped by the Alektro Corporation and is being transported in a Body Transport Unit from Earth. Distraught and unaware of where she is, she awakens in a clearing surrounded by dense forest. Primitive armed warriors surround her and begin to close in. A chase proceeds but she is unable to flee and is captured.

She is taken to a Stoneage community, caged like an animal - their prisoner. Here she meets their depraved leader and space traveller, Olsndot. He is the only human that she can communicate with, here where ever she is. Tentatively he begins to trust her and finally reveals important information about the Corporation. Julia's world, as she knows it, is destroyed.

Alektro is a science fiction short film which invokes questions about conspiracy theories and the entire evolution of Man. An earthling is kidnapped into space, discovering parallel dimensions that she could have never imagined.

(available Subtitles: English/French/Spanish)

  • Thomas Kaufmann
    Director
  • Michael Mehring
    Writer
  • Michael Mehring
    Producer
  • Beate Malkus
    Key Cast
  • Ecki Hoffmann
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Alekto
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    70,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    Switzerland
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Solothurner Filmtage
    Soloturn, Switzerland
    January 24, 2015
  • Macabre Faire Film Festival
    Rockville Centre NY
    January 16, 2015
    Best Foreign Short
  • Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival
    Miami
    January 23, 2015
    Best Actress - Runner Up
  • SENE Film, Music & Arts Festival
    Rhode Island
    March 21, 2015
    Best Sci-Fi Short
  • Best Shorts Competition
    La Jolla, CA
    April 7, 2015
    Award of Excellence Special Mention: Television – Pilot Program
  • Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood (Summer)
    LA, CA
    July 1, 2015
    Best Narrative Short, Best Actress, Best Cinematography
  • Phoenix Comicon Film Festival
    Higley, Arizona
    May 28, 2015
    Best International Film
  • Roswell Film Fest and Cosmicon
    Roswell NM
    July 2, 2015
    Short Film Grand Prize
  • The ZONE Film Festival
    Houston, TX
    May 22, 2015
    Best Series Episode, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design
  • Zed Fest Film Festival
    Burbank CA
    November 8, 2014
    Best Poster
  • Fantasporto, FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA DO PORTO
    Porto
    February 27, 2015
  • Boston Science Fiction Film Festival
    Boston
    February 6, 2015
  • Sci-Fi London
    London, UK
    May 28, 2015
  • Tri-Cities International Fantastic Film Festival
    Richland WA
    September 27, 2014
    North American Premiere
  • Indie Fest USA, International Film Festival
    Garden Grove CA
    October 16, 2014
  • Fargo Fantastic Film Festival (ValleyCon)
    Fargo ND
    October 24, 2014
  • Sci-Fi Film Festival
    Parramatta, Sydney
    November 16, 2014
  • Cannes Short Film Festival
    Cannes, France
    November 19, 2014
  • Montgomery Film Festival
    Montgomery, Alabama
    January 30, 2015
  • NowOrNever International Film Festival
    Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
    February 27, 2015
    Spain Premiere
  • California Womens Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    January 23, 2015
  • 300Minutes International Filmfestival
    Karlsruhe, Germany
    May 16, 2015
    German Premiere
  • London Independent Film Festival
    London, UK
    April 24, 2015
    UK Premiere
  • Digitalmation Awards
    online Festival
    April 8, 2015
  • Manhattan Film Festival
    New York
    June 23, 2015
  • Tenerife International Film Festival
    Tenerife, Spain
    July 7, 2015
  • Top Shorts
    online Festival
    July 1, 2015
  • Film Quest
    Provo Utah
    June 18, 2015
    Utah Premiere
  • From the Beyond
    Stoughton, WI
    August 8, 2015
  • Anti Hero Production Genere Fest
    Burbank CA
    June 30, 2015
  • Festigious
    online Festival
    November 1, 2015
  • North Jefferson Independent Film Series
    Gardendale, Alabama
    July 25, 2015
  • FARCUME: Festival de Curtas-Metragens de Faro
    Faro, Portugal
    August 26, 2015
    Honorable Mention in the fiction category
  • Unreal Film Festival
    Memphis, TN
    September 30, 2015
  • Dark Matters Film Festival
    Albuquerque, NM
    September 11, 2015
  • Indie Film Festival
    Switzerland, online Festival
    October 4, 2015
  • Prestige Music Award
    Eureka, CA
    August 7, 2015
    Gold Winner in Movie Score
  • Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist
    Kiev
    October 24, 2015
  • European Film Festival
    Berlin, Germany
    October 25, 2015
  • Napa Valley Film Festival
    Napa, CA
    November 11, 2015
  • CEBU INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    Cebu, Phillipines
    August 20, 2015
    Asian Premiere
  • Puerto Rico Horror Film Festival
    San Juan, Puerto Rico
    October 22, 2015
    South America Premiere
  • NYC Independent Film Festival
    New York, NY
    October 12, 2015
Director - Thomas Kaufmann
Director Statement

In the genre of science fiction, I’m interested in the representation of negative visions of the future, a dystopia. These include conspiracy theories, as they are told in Alekto. We wanted to show from the perspective of an individual, the situation and how this affects society. These properties are indicated in our short film. Once you understand this, hopefully you get the idea of where it could lead.
For this reaction it was important to me that the viewer experience the plot on the ropes together with protagonist Julia. The sensation of her problem and the secondary characters that are always shown from their perspective. You will not know more than they know themselves. Representing a mixture of futuristic machines as opposed to stoneage life I felt it as a special personal challenge to portray.