ABYSSOPHOBIA

Alone in the vast, dark ocean, a swimmer's exhaustion turns to terror as he realizes his desperate isolation might not be solitude, but surveillance.

  • Mo Ayouch
    Director
  • Mo Ayouch
    Writer
  • Mo Ayouch
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Supernatural, Psychological
  • Runtime:
    1 minute 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 14, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    35 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Morocco
  • Country of Filming:
    Morocco
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mo Ayouch

Emerging from a background in digital art and graphic design rather than traditional film school, Mo Ayouch embraced generative AI as a powerful collaborator to overcome practical filmmaking limitations and explore new visual frontiers. Months of intense experimentation with prompting, curating AI-generated imagery, and developing unique workflows culminated in his debut experimental short, ABYSSOPHOBIA. As a first-time filmmaker, Ayouch represents a new wave of creators harnessing AI not just as a tool, but as a medium.

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Director Statement

My debut short film, ABYSSOPHOBIA, is a hauntingly fluid experiment leveraging AI to depict the psychological weight of the deep ocean and, metaphorically, the fear of the unknown. The film showcases surreal, ever-shifting visuals—an aesthetic uniquely suited to AI generation—guided by custom prompting. It offers a compelling, unsettling glimpse into the future possibilities and potential "anxieties" of AI-assisted cinema.