Private Project

A Hunting Incident

Two hunters venture out in the vast Maine wilderness. A secret between old friends means only one will make it back alive.

  • Matthew James Thompson
    Director
  • Matthew James Thompson
    Writer
  • Zein Zubi
    Producer
  • Fred Lehne
    Key Cast
  • Rick Zahn
    Key Cast
  • Matt Schaff
    Editor
  • Kelly Jeffery
    Director of Photography
  • Ron Beach
    Production Designer
  • David Tabbert
    Costume Designer
  • Grayson Sanders
    Original Score
  • Stephen Vincent
    Casting Director
  • Sig De Miguel
    Casting Director
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 16mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Hollyshorts Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    August 9, 2019
    West Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    August 22, 2018
    World Premiere
    Official Selection, Best Cinematography
Director Biography - Matthew James Thompson

Matthew James Thompson is a filmmaker based in New York city. A native New Englander Matthew began his career in skateboarding and transitioned into Editing for commercials and films before becoming a Director. His short film August Heat premiered at the Oscar-Qualifying Rhode Island Film Festival where he received the “Directorial Discovery” award - and won “Best of the Fest” at the HP Lovecraft festival in LA. His film “the american city” about decaying infrastructure in the United States received a Vimeo Staff Pick and a special invitation to be featured at the London Lift Off Film Festival. His film “Write” is a meditation on memory and was purchased by Field Notes notebooks. It went on to win awards at Hatch, IAC, Addys, and was featured in the Lurzer’s archive of 2016, Forbes and Adweek.

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Director Statement

When I was 10 years old I watched Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" with my Grandfather in his house in Maine - ever since then I've been obsessed with thrillers. "A Hunting Incident" is close to home for me being set in rural Maine and is a companion piece to a feature script of mine. I wanted to capture an old friendship with few words, a dark secret in a vast countryside where the audience is unsure of who to trust. For me the film is really about honor and betrayal, but I set out to create a minimalist environment where the audience can explore with the characters.