Echoes

An ordinary family outing becomes a waking nightmare when a young mother loses her children and her search for them forces her to confront the echoes of a past she cannot escape.

  • Mark Kerins
    Director
    All the Wrong Friends
  • Elliot Mayen
    Director
  • Elliot Mayen
    Writer
  • Mark Kerins
    Producer
  • Brent Turman
    Producer
  • Brina Palencia
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Sci-Fi
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 26, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    5,700 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Green Bay Film Festival
    Green Bay, WI
    United States
    March 4, 2018
  • Wildwood Film Festival
    Appleton, WI
    United States
    February 17, 2018
    World Premiere
    Best Drama
  • Pasadena International Film Festival
    Pasadena, CA
    United States
    West Coast / California
  • Deep in the Heart Film Festival
    Waco, TX
    United States
    March 25, 2018
    Texas
    nominee: Best Actress in a Short
  • Capital City Film Festival
    Lansing, MI
    United States
    April 11, 2018
  • Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival
    Vero Beach, FL
    United States
    June 8, 2018
    Florida premiere
  • SENE Film, Music and Art Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    April 24, 2018
  • Indy Film Fest
    Indianapolis, IN
    United States
    April 26, 2018
    Indiana
  • Hill Country Film Festival
    Fredericksburg, TX
    United States
    March 24, 2018
  • Philadelphia Indie Film Festival
    Philadelphia, PN
    United States
    May 3, 2018
  • USA Film Festival
    Dallas, TX
    United States
    April 27, 2018
  • NY Latino Film Festival presented by HBO
    New York, NY
    United States
    August 24, 2018
    New York Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Indie Gathering
    Hudson, OH
    United States
    August 11, 2018
    Best Sci-Fi Short, Best Editing (Short)
  • Cindependent Film Festival
    Cincinnati, OH
    United States
    August 24, 2018
    Official Selection
  • San Antonio Film Festival
    San Antonio, TX
    United States
    August 5, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Seattle Latino Film Festival
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    October 9, 2018
    Official Selection
  • San Jose International Short Film Festival
    San Jose, CA
    United States
    October 13, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Royal Starr Film Festival
    Royal Oak, MI
    United States
    October 12, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Eau Claire World Film Festival
    Eau Claire, WI
    United States
    October 20, 2018
    Official Selection
  • REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    October 29, 2018
    Official Selection
  • REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium New York
    New York City, NY
    United States
    November 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Ojai Film Festival
    Oak View, CA
    United States
    November 4, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Rockport Film Festival
    Rockport, TX
    United States
    November 3, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Eyecatcher Film Festival
    McAlester, OK
    United States
    November 10, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Berlin Sci-Fi Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 17, 2018
    European premiere
    Official Selection
  • Atomacon
    North Charleston, SC
    United States
    November 30, 2018
    Best Short
  • Other Worlds Austin
    Austin, TX
    United States
    December 7, 2018
    Best Editing (Short)
  • Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival
    Tampa, FL
    United States
    December 8, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Weihnachtsfilmfestival (Christmas Film Festival)
    Berlin
    Germany
    December 21, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Tally Shorts Film Festival
    Tallahassee, FL
    United States
    January 26, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Dallas VideoFest AltFiction
    Dallas, TX
    United States
    February 9, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Door County Short Film Festival
    Sister Bay, WI
    United States
    February 16, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Nacogdoches Film Festival
    Nacogdoches, TX
    United States
    February 22, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Beloit International Film Festival
    Beloit, WI
    United States
    February 22, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Mysticon Independent Film Festival
    Roanoke, VA
    United States
    February 24, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival
    Oklahoma City
    United States
    March 8, 2019
    Best Director - Short
  • San Diego Latino Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    March 17, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Fargo Film Festival
    Fargo
    United States
    March 21, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Twisted Dreams Film Festival
    Milwaukee
    United States
    April 7, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Richmond International Film & Music Festival
    Richmond
    United States
    April 26, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival
    Muskogee, OK
    United States
    April 27, 2019
    Official Selection
  • NOVA International Film & Music Festival
    Fairfax
    United States
    April 9, 201
    Best Visual Effects
  • River Bend Film Festival
    Goshen, IN
    United States
    May 2, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Roxbury International Film Festival
    Boston, MA
    United States
    June 27, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Cincy Fringe Festival
    Cincinnati, OH
    United States
    June 14, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Chain NYC Film Festival
    New York City, NY
    United States
    August 9, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Grapevine Film Festival
    Grapevine, TX
    United States
    October 5, 2019
    Best Short Film
  • Tri-Cities International Film Festival
    Richland, WA
    United States
    October 12, 2019
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Mark Kerins, Elliot Mayen

Mark Kerins earned bachelor's degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Valparaiso University, then transitioned from science to film after discovering he enjoyed making and watching movies more than working in a lab. He went on to earn MA and Ph.D degrees in film from Northwestern University, and now teaches film production and post-production in the Division of Film & Media Arts at Southern Methodist University. As a scholar, his research focuses on film sound design; his book "Beyond Dolby (Stereo)," on the use of digital surround sound in movies, was published in November 2010 by Indiana University Press and won a Godbey Lecture Series Authors Award. As a filmmaker, he works primarily in editing but has also directed a variety of films and music videos.

Elliot Mayén is a filmmaker with a background in photography, design and music. Originally from Mexico City, Elliot came to the United States at a very early age and quickly assimilated into (and became obsessed with) American culture. He picked up his first camera in high school and has been working with moving images ever since. Elliot’s professional career has spanned various creative fields from stage to screen, with several stops along the way. As a filmmaker, Elliot has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos, and commercial videos for clients across a broad range of industries. His work had focused on exploring the tensions that reside in the space between perceived reality and objective truth. Elliot earned his BA in Film-Video from Southern Methodist University and is currently a Producer at DHD Films in Dallas, TX.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Having had previous successes in various collaborative arrangements, Mark Kerins, Elliot Mayén and Brent Turman set out to create a narrative piece that would maximize each of their talents. Kerins and Mayén called upon their creative strengths and, focusing on the theme of loss (a recurring motif in their individual work) concocted a script that, although relatively short, became a much larger and more complex film than originally intended. Turman, on the practical side, pushed on the production's ambitions and secured what would become some of the largest sets any crew member had worked on.

For the lead role, the trio approached Brina Palencia, a talented former collaborator with skills beyond her traditional casting. With a lead secured, the script was further refined to capitalize on Palencia's talents and the available resources for the spartan production budget (including Kerins' children).

Many hands contributed their time and energy to the production of this film. This massive undertaking brought together current SMU students, alumni, and faculty. The filmmakers are proud of this effort not only for its technical and aesthetic merits, but also for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of collaborators. The final product is a testament to the skill and dedication present in our local filmmaking community.