Private Project

ENTROPY

LOGLINE
In the course of conducting experiments on memory and time during the pandemic, a lovesick scientist with a morbid fear of rejection, makes an unexpected connection.

SYNOPSIS
The night sky, New Jersey. Our protagonist, BRIAN AU, gives a small VO speech about how darkness represents the passage of time. Then we see Brian hard at work in his lab. He is on a Zoom date with a girl named NADINE, but we see from his labelling of her as a "Memory Participant" that the date also serves as testing for Brian’s paper. He tells another Zoom date, LAURA, that he studies “the role of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics in signaling the amygdala to either remember forwards or backwards in time.” He makes an observation – after his subject makes an excuse to end the call – that the further into the encounters he goes, the fuzzier the memory of his subject. With CALLIE, Brian confesses that he does not wish to propose or say “I do” with his partner first, but, rather, expects the girl to make the first move (so that he would never have to risk getting rejected). Callie asks - how does he know this will happen when the time comes? Recognizing that he doesn't have the answer, Brian goes back to the drawing board. He takes a chance on a new hypothesis and a new Zoom date to disastrous results. On the brink of giving up, he decides to collect data on one more participant - a fellow PhD and scientist - but immediately regrets the decision when MIMI FRANK begins by berating Brian about his methodology, and criticizing his online profile. He tells her that he changes his name “Au, Brian” to “O’Brien” so his dates won’t take a hard pass on him before they get to know him. (Because they see an Asian last name.) Remorseful, Mimi asks Brian to turn his video on. Seeing he likes Star Trek, she shows off her Star Wars R2-D2 tote bag. They question each other about why they want to control time in their own way. Mimi reveals she wanted to stop time because her mother passed away from COVID. She says Brian’s paper helped, but there are some theories that could use further testing. They agree to meet in person. They work together, go on walks, and eventually share their first kiss. After they make love, Mimi contemplates if she wanted to stop time for selfish reasons. She rewired her brain to stop the pain of losing her mother. Later, the couple attends a Zoom church service, where the priest gives a sermon on entropy, and how love is not subject to time. The film ends with Mimi and Brian moving in together.

  • Dan Chen
    Director
  • Dan Chen
    Writer
  • Dan Chen
    Producer
  • Kathryn Milewski
    Producer
  • Chris Cayden
    Producer
  • Dan Chen
    Key Cast
    "Brian Au"
  • Lily Greenwald
    Key Cast
    "Mimi Frank"
  • Cris Colicchio
    Key Cast
    "Priest"
  • Callie Jean Lewis
    Key Cast
    "Madelyn"
  • Emily Su
    Key Cast
    "Callie"
  • Peri Rohl
    Key Cast
    "Nadine"
  • Kathryn Milewski
    Key Cast
    "Laura"
  • Renee Ray
    Cinematographer
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Romance, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 17, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Stockholm City Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    July 6, 2021
    World Premiere
    Winner, Best Actor Short Film, Dan Chen / Official Selection
  • Nightpiece Film Festival
    Edinburgh
    United Kingdom
    August 25, 2021
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Distributor Outreach Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    August 7, 2021
    US Premiere
    Winner, Best Sci Fi / Official Selection
  • Jane Austen International Film Festival
    Bath
    United Kingdom
    September 16, 2021
    Short Arthouse Film: Best Actor; Dan Chen / Official Selection
  • New Faces New Voices Festival
    Brooklyn
    United States
    September 28, 2021
    New York City Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Short Film Awards
    South Orange
    United States
    November 19, 2021
    Nominee (Best Supporting Actress, Lily Greenwald; and Best Actor, Dan Chen)
  • Timeless Awards
    Wroclaw
    Poland
    September 25, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Poppy Jasper International Film Festival
    Morgan Hill
    United States
    April 6, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Festival Angaelica
    Pasadena
    United States
    December 21, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Midnight Soul
    Lulea
    Sweden
    January 17, 2022
    Official Selection
  • New York Nil Gallery
    New York
    United States
    January 7, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Texas Short Film Festival
    San Antonio, Texas
    United States
    April 30, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Hilltop Festival of Diversity and Inclusion
    Birmingham, Alabama
    United States
    April 7, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival
    Watson
    Australia
    April 29, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Tournadeau Music and Film Festival
    Putnam, CT
    United States
    August 26, 2022
    Official Selection
  • SATX Cinema Showdown
    San Antonio, Texas
    United States
    April 26, 2022
    Official Selection
  • The Independent Film and Art Festival
    Columbia, MD
    United States
    July 29, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Raw Science Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    August 1, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Korea International Short Film Festival
    Seoul
    July 4, 2022
    Finalist
  • Taking Up Space Film Festival
    Scranton, PA
    United States
    October 7, 2022
    Official Selection
  • The Art of Movie Making Film Festival (TAMMFF)
    Fulton, New York
    United States
    June 9, 2023
    Winner, Best Use of New Technology / Official Selection
  • Cosmo Genetics Film Festival
    San Cristobal de las Chiapas
    Mexico
    April 4, 2023
    Official Selection; Finalist, Best Screenplay; Finalist, Best Actor
  • Alpha Arts Film Festival
    Newton, NJ
    United States
    May 6, 2023
    Official Selection
  • WILDsound Daily Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 25, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Sci-On!
    Reno, NV
    United States
    May 1, 2023
    Honorable Mention, Live Action Films - Theme: Transcending Time / Official Selection
  • Indie Shorts Mag Short Film Festival

    July 13, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Cape Town Squad International Film Festival
    Capetown
    South Africa
    November 11, 2023
    African Premiere
    Winner, Best Sci-Fi / Official Selection
  • Ekurhuleni International Film Festival
    Germiston
    South Africa
    November 29, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Saskatchewan International Film Festival
    Saskatchewan
    Canada
    Official Selection
  • Global Bengaluru International Film Festival
    Bengaluru
    India
    December 2, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Attain to Fame Film Festival
    Sarasota, FL
    United States
    May 12, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Rutherford Film Festival
    Rutherford, NJ
    United States
    May 23, 2024
    Official Selection
  • The Mini Melba Cinema
    Guthrie, OK
    United States
    June 24, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Thurrock Screen Culture Festival
    Grays, Essex
    United Kingdom
    August 26, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Pretoria Film Festival
    Pretoria
    South Africa
    July 26, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Power24 International Film Festival
    Durban
    South Africa
    August 23, 2024
    Official Selection; Award Winner, Best International Short Film
  • "Nomad 2024: The Infinite Sky" Film Festival
    Naryn
    Kyrgyzstan
    September 19, 2024
    Kyrgyzstan premiere
    Honorable Mention
  • SacFilm Challenge Music & Film Festival
    Sacramento, CA
    United States
    September 21, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Sussex International Film Festival
    Hailsham, East Sussex
    United Kingdom
    November 14, 2024
    Official Selection
  • OUTPUT Film Festival
    Aarhus
    Denmark
    October 26, 2024
    Official Selection
  • West Lothian Film Festival
    Edinburgh, Midlothian
    United Kingdom
    July 18, 2025
    Honorable Mention
  • Othismos Film Festival
    Rizziconi
    Italy
    October 31, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Monterey County Arts Expo
    Pacific Grove, CA
    United States
    September 20, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Sugar Loaf Film Festival
    Chester, NY
    United States
    September 27, 2025
    Official Selection
  • The DjârFogo International Film Festiva
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    November 3, 2025
    Quarter-Finalist
Distribution Information
  • FilmHub
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Dan Chen

Dan Chen is an actor best known for his work in film and television. When not on set, he enjoys working in education at an independent school for girls in Manhattan, and as a college adjunct professor (including a course on Art and Social Change). He is a graduate of Cornell University, Brooklyn Law School, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Dan is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild (now SAG-AFTRA) and earned his SAG card with a guest starring role on the HBO hit series THE SOPRANOS. Between teaching and acting, Dan feels blessed to be able to do what he loves. He is represented by Central Artists Talent Agency in Burbank, California.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This is a deeply personal movie for me. As an Asian-American actor, I began writing, directing, and producing my own content as a way to cast myself in roles that I am not often considered for in the U.S. and, for that matter, in most Western countries. The most elusive role for me (and, anecdotally, for every other Asian male actor I know) is: the romantic lead.

So I play BRIAN AU, the romantic lead in ENTROPY, and a character who is near and dear to my heart. He is, in essence, as I imagine all characters are with their creators, a version of me. Perhaps the most obvious parallel, is with Brian’s reluctance to lead with his Asian identity. For example, I hate qualifying myself as an Asian-American actor rather than just describing myself as an actor. And, likewise, the character of Brian, if given the choice (which of course he isn’t), would rather just be called “American” rather than “Asian-American.” He explains in the film that he doesn’t want people to “take a hard pass on [him] before they get to know [him]...because they see an Asian last name.”

I wanted this to be an underdog story without playing the race card, but I found it hard to entirely separate the two. There is a scene in this (where Brian explains how he came to use the name O’Brien for his online profile) that I initially resisted including, but gives us another glimpse into why Brian is the way he is. It shows a subtle (or maybe not so subtle) act of racism directed at Brian that serves to remind him how many people will judge him, and even reject him, based on his race before they even “get to know him”.

So Brian hides behind a Star Trek avatar and experiments on ways to “remember forward in time” to avoid the people who might hurt him in this way. And he misses the point when he confesses to one of his more serious (but, ultimately, failed) “Zoom Dates”, that he’ll only marry someone if they ask him first, and if they promise to say “I do” first at the wedding (so that he doesn’t risk getting burned by putting himself out there first and then having the girl change her mind).

In a way, I took the same approach in casting the lead actress for Entropy. I did not invite anyone to audition before they read the entire script first (and knew that they would be playing the romantic interest opposite an Asian actor) -- so that they wouldn’t change their mind upon seeing the race of their onscreen love interest (which I have also seen happen).

Ultimately, in the process of making Entropy, I discovered that acceptance, like love, comes when you’re not looking for it. But also that there is no acceptance without first being seen. I hope that my experiment with this project, and the transparency of my process, leads to less invisibility for Asian-Americans, and encourages everyone, of every background, to allow themselves to be seen, accepted, and loved for who they are.