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Blight

Amidst a global exodus from earth, two brothers must confront their differences about leaving their home forever. 

  • Markus Hoeckner
    Director
    Ntxhais (Daughter)
  • Markus Hoeckner
    Writer
  • Barkhad Abdirahman
    Writer
  • Mario Howard
    Producer
  • Mahamed Salad
    Producer
  • Aaron Huber
    Producer
  • Markus Hoeckner
    Producer
    Ntxhais (Daughter)
  • Barkhad Abdirahman
    Key Cast
    "Abdi"
    Captain Phillips (2013), Watu Wote (2017), A Stray (2016)
  • Mahamed Salad
    Key Cast
    "Jamal"
  • Vienna Howard
    Key Cast
    "Vee"
  • Aaron Huber
    Director of Photography
    Ntxhais (Daughter)
  • Vanessa Miles
    Production Design
  • Jeff Sherman
    Production Design
  • Daniel Dehaan
    Music
  • Markus Hoeckner
    Editorial
  • Tina Wallace
    Visual Effects
  • Ben Waten
    Visual Effects
  • Brian Thompson
    Visual Effects
  • Dustin Padgett
    Visual Effects
  • Christopher Ray
    Visual Effects
  • Francesco Alfieri
    Visual Effects
  • Josh Garza
    Visual Effects
  • Michael Pickering
    Visual Effects
  • Ryan Markley
    Visual Effects
  • Nick Hillyard
    Colorist
  • Connor McLevish
    Sound Design
  • Tony Perella
    Locations
  • John Barry
    Locations
  • Tony Borglum
    Locations
  • David Gamligo
    Production Assistants
  • Tyce Howard
    Production Assistants
  • Tyler Bantley
    Production Assistants
  • Armel Wanatambwe
    Production Assistants
  • Ian Fritz
    Production Assistants
  • Giavonna Howard
    Production Assistants
  • Rich Cuddihy
    Armourer
  • Sev Pearman
    Grip & Electric
  • Alan Traverna
    Grip & Electric
  • Jeff Villars
    Grip & Electric
  • Alex Just
    Grip & Electric
  • Colton Fossen
    Gaffer
  • Zach Pirolli
    Camera Department
  • Vaughn Potter
    Camera Department
  • David Wilson
    Assitant Directors
  • Joy Ford
    Assitant Directors
  • Amanda Yates
    Script Supervision
  • Aida Lane
    Script Supervision
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    drama, sci-fi
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Somali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Markus Hoeckner

Markus Hoeckner is a German-American filmmaker based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His documentary short "Standing Rock" marked his festival debut at the 2017 DOC NYC and Cleveland International Film Festival. In 2018, he secured the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Fund to learn screenwriting with support from FilmNorth (a 2021 Sundance Film Festival partner). Markus also achieved two-time finalist status for the competitive Jerome Hill Fellowship. In 2019, the Minnesota State Arts Board granted him funding to direct his first narrative short, "Nxthais (Hmong for “Daughter”), which premiered at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival and gained recognition on the short film streaming platform OMELETO. Currently, Markus’ second short film, “Blight,” starring Somali-American actors Barkhad Abdirahman and Mahamed Salad, is beginning its 2024/2025 festival season. This film stands as one of the first sci-fi films with a Somali lead cast. Currently, Markus is working on his first feature film screenplay based on the book, "Canoeing With José".

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