Private Project

Checked Bags (Short)

A combat veteran is traveling by a civilian airline. The airline now requires all passengers to check their emotional baggage before boarding any flight. After checking his bags, the man experiences the serenity of becoming unburdened by the guilt and trauma that he carries inside all the time.

  • Mark Cline
    Writer
  • Mark Cline
    Director
  • Mark Cline
    Editor
  • Mark Cline
    Sound
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    120 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • London Movie Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    BEST PICTURE
  • Silver Mask Live Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    June 17, 2023
    BEST ANIMATED SHORT
  • Walla Walla Movie Crush
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    July 5, 2023
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • The Film Collective Short Film Festival
    Bensalem, PA
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • One-Reeler Short Film Competition
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    AWARD OF MERIT
  • Tennessee Int'l Indie Film Festival Year 7
    Franklin, TN
    United States
    August 2, 2023
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Cinema Soup Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    September 16, 2023
    BEST EDITING
  • Mindfield Film Festival
    Albuquerque, NM
    United States
    FINALIST - DIAMOND AWARD - BEST EDITING
  • Mindfield Film Festival
    Albuquerque, NM
    United States
    FINALIST - DIAMOND AWARD - BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
  • The IndieFEST Film Awards
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    AWARD OF EXCELLENCE - EXPERIMENTAL
  • The IndieFEST Film Awards
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    AWARD OF EXCELLENCE - DRAMATIC EFFECT
  • F3: Queen City Film Festival, Film Curation, & Film Awards
    Cincinnati, OH
    United States
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
  • F3: Queen City Film Festival, Film Curation, & Film Awards
    Cincinnati, OH
    United States
    BEST MICRO SHORT
  • FEEDBACK Under 5 Minute Film Festival
    ONLINE
    Canada
    BEST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FILM
  • Delco Film Festival
    Nether Providence Township, PA
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Direct Monthly Online Film Festival
    Canton
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Veterans Film Festival
    San Francisco , CA
    United States
    October 3, 2023
    BEST ANIMATED SHORT
  • Mentone Film Festival
    Mentone, CA
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Wild Rover Film Festival
    Tampa, FL
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Bucks Fever Film Fest
    Doylestown, PA
    United States
    October 15, 2023
    Honorable Mention - Emerging Experimental
  • International Festival of Arts and Experimental Short Films
    Roma
    Italy
    BEST MICRO SHORT
  • International Festival of Arts and Experimental Short Films
    Roma
    Italy
    BEST ANIMATED SHORT
  • Seguin Film & Arts Festival
    Seguin, Texas
    United States
    October 28, 2023
    BEST SHORT SHORT
  • Red Dirt Film Festival
    Stillwater, OK
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Indie House
    Barcelona
    Spain
    BEST SOUND DESIGN
  • Indie House
    Barcelona
    Spain
    BEST EDIT
  • Indie House
    Barcelona
    Spain
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
  • The Flight Deck Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 18, 2023
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • 2023 Directors Circle Festival of Shorts
    Erie, PA
    United States
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • Cinematography & Photography Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    BEST SUPER SHORT FILM
  • Great Wonders Uplift Film Festival
    Webb City, MO
    United States
    OFFICAL SELECTION
Director Biography - Mark Cline

Mark started his path in the entertainment sector in the mid 90’s while supporting his friend's musical aspirations. He spent the rest of the 90’s serving in the U.S Navy seeing the world. After completing his service obligation, he entered the Information Technology field where he is still employed to this day.

While he claims IT is his ‘real job’, Mark considers his work in entertainment as his real passion. This has led him to helping other creative types complete their own projects as well as his own. Having acted as director, writer, gaffer, sound designer you name it, if help was needed, Mark was there.

Most recently he has won several screen writing accolades and looking forward to continuing writing and making independent films.

Mark currently resides in Missouri with his wife, two cats and dog.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I had drawn a crude sketch on a dry-erase board consisting of a pair of feet dragging a large suitcase. I knew then what the subject of this story was: We all carry some baggage around. Some baggage is large, others small. The owners of the bags are unique, just like the weight and the contents. But that’s about as far as it went.

I then saw a writing exercise post challenging fellow screenwriters to a one-page script. It was a long time since I’ve done a one-pager so I fired up Final Draft and got writing. Within four hours of constant revisioning, ‘Checked Bags’ was officially born.

‘Checked Bags’ was always meant to be an animation. Cory (Harrill) and I spent a few months meeting to discuss the concept. However due to some scheduling conflicts, Cory and I decide to press to pause our collaboration efforts.

Sometime had past and Cory had shared out a new music video that was made by text to image Artificial Intelligence technology by Kaiber.ai. At that point, my only intention was to play with an AI to see what it could do. I was blown away!

Immediately I started feeding prompts into the AI interface, making a few choices with the style of the production and BAM! AI totally enabled ‘Checked Bags’ to be created from a one-page script to the finished short film in six days total.