Ghost of the Game
LOGLINE: The girlfriend of a deceased athlete is haunted by the ghost of her former partner.
SYNOPSIS: Maya and her friends Dierdre and Joe exit a sports arena. The game was dedicated in honor of Maya’s now-deceased boyfriend Tyler. Maya’s friends offer to walk with her as she quietly mourns Tyler’s death, but she insists on walking alone. Maya wanders alongside a series of empty athletic fields, the bleachers towering above her. She checks her phone, reminiscing on the home screen - an image of her and Tyler happy together. Suddenly, a loud bang echoes through the bleachers next to her. She stops in her tracks, tracing the noise. After a brief pause, she continues walking, ignoring it. Another bang. Maya, now curious, holds out her phone, revealing an image of her and Tyler on her screen. She turns on her flashlight and approaches the bleachers. Maya ascends the steps and faces a void of darkness. She calls out Tyler’s name. There is no response. Maya begins to walk away, now confused and scared. Then - a chorus of banging. Maya breaks into a sprint…
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James HartranftDirectorOpening Doors, The Red Carpet
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James HartranftWriterOpening Doors, The Red Carpet
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James HartranftProducerOpening Doors, The Red Carpet
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Andrew KempskiCinematographyOpening Doors
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Alicia BroganKey Cast"Maya"Opening Doors
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Ciara KelleyKey Cast"Dierdre"
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Mahdi ShahKey Cast"Joe"
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Henry InglesKey Cast"Tyler"
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Danielle HerbertFirst Assistant Director
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Ellie HigginsSecond Assistant Director
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Melissa HowardCamera First Assistant
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Daniel de BruynField Sound Mixer
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Sarah PetryBoom Operator
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Melissa HowardGaffer
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Joseph BielloGrip
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Emma ScherzerGrip
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James HartranftEditorOpening Doors, The Red Carpet
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James HartranftScore
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Project Type:Experimental, Short, Student
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Genres:Horror, Suspense, One-Take
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Runtime:5 minutes
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Completion Date:February 13, 2024
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - DeSales University
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The North Film Festival - New York CityNew York City, New York
United States
February 28, 2025
Nominated -
Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (UMFF)Lilburn, Georgia
United States
October 14, 2024
Honorable Mention -
Student Cuts Film FestivalLjutomer
Slovenia
May 9, 2024
International Premiere
Official Selection
James Hartranft is a photographer, screenwriter, and script analyst. He majored in Cinematography and Film Production at DeSales University and minored in Digital Art 3D Design and Mathematics. Some of his recent films include "Carved", "Opening Doors", "Ghost of the Game", "Now Streaming", and "The Red Carpet - A Found-Footage Film".