30 Minutes Left

At the end of their lives, an elderly couple enters a futuristic simulation that restores their youth, giving them just thirty minutes to rediscover each other, relive fragments of their past, and say a final goodbye before death.

  • Stephan Eigenmann
    Director
  • Stephan Eigenmann
    Writer
  • Nahla Zenati
    Writer
  • Luke Antonio
    Producer
  • Stephan Eigenmann
    Producer
  • Erik Thurston
    Key Cast
    "Peter"
  • Cheryce Livingston Livingston
    Key Cast
    "Debra"
  • Patrick Dingman
    Director of Photography
  • Ada Zhang
    Editor
  • Nahla Zenati
    Art Directors
  • Luke Antonio
    Art Directors
  • Jesse Cullen
    Location Manager
  • Brandon Eliott
    1. Assistant Director
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 18, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    15 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Stephan Eigenmann

Stephan Eigenmann is a Swiss-Austrian filmmaker based in Zurich. He studied directing and writing at the Colorado Film School and holds a Master’s in Creative Producing from ZHDK. 30 Minutes Left is his fifth short film, following PURE, REWIND, AMONG US, and By the Sea. His work often explores grief, memory, and emotional connection through quiet, visually poetic storytelling.

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Director Statement

30 Minutes Left is a film about love, memory, and saying goodbye, not in fear, but in full awareness. I wanted to explore what it might feel like to be given one last moment of clarity, one last chance to hold the person you’ve lost, even as the clock runs out.

Grief is a central theme in my work, but this story isn’t just about loss, it’s about presence. It's about how we remember, what we hold onto, and how even in the face of death, love can feel eternal. The simulation at the heart of the film is surreal and futuristic, but the emotions are grounded in something deeply human: the need to reconnect, to make peace, to say "thank you" and "I love you" one last time.

With 30 Minutes Left, I tried to create a quiet farewell that feels both intimate and expansive, a cinematic space where time pauses long enough for two souls to find each other again.