Hunger - A Short Film

When a vegan gets turned into a zombie, she finds herself in a world where her deeply ingrained lifestyle conflicts with the new-found need to eat flesh to survive. As she stumbles across a now alien landscape, she meets other zombies and humans that will test her resolve. Will the last vestiges of her previous life keep her from succumbing to the base desire to eat human meat? Or will she remain true to herself, even in un-death, and even if it means her demise?

  • CJ Barnes
    Director
  • CJ Barnes
    Writer
  • CJ Barnes
    Producer
  • Kat Cross
    Key Cast
    "The Protagonist"
  • Fatima Dinis
    Key Cast
    "The Jawless Zombie"
  • Steve Davidson
    Key Cast
    "The Eyeless Zombie"
  • Aaron Jones
    Key Cast
    "The Pretty Zombie"
  • Chris Lacher
    Key Cast
    "The Fleeing Human"
  • Tom Souness
    Key Cast
    "The Feeding Zombie"
  • Jess Young
    Key Cast
    "The Partner"
  • CJ Barnes
    Key Cast
    "The Thief"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 18, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    5,500 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Monster Fest Traveling Sideshow
    Brisbane
    Australia
    May 26, 2018
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Horrorfest

    Honorable Mention
  • Aphrodite Film Awards - July

    Semi-Finalist: Best Short Film
  • Royal Wolf Awards Film Festival - July

    Winner: Best Horror Short - Gold, Best First Time Filmmaker
  • WNY: Film, Art, and Music Event
    Batavia, Gennessee County, New York
    United States
    August 11, 2018
    West New York Premiere
    Winner: Best First Time Filmmaker, Nominee: Best Cinematography, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Special FX
  • Things 2 Fear Film Festival
    Bunker Hill, WV
    United States
    October 1, 2018
    West Virginia Premiere
    Honorable Mention
  • Boobs & Blood International Film Festival 2018
    North Hollywood, CA
    United States
    October 6, 2018
    US West Coast Premiere
    Best Zombie Short
  • Gorst Underground Film Festival
    Gorst, WA
    United States
    October 6, 2018
    Washington State Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Artist's Forum Festival of the Moving Image
    New York City, NY
    United States
    October 12, 2018
    New York City Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Open World Toronto Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    October 18, 2018
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Horror-Rama Toronto 2018
    Toronto
    Canada
    November 3, 2018
    Winner: Best Scream Queen 2018
  • PDXtreme Underground Film Festival
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    January 5, 2019
    Oregon Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Crashlanded
    Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
    United States
    February 15, 2019
    Midwest Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Bridgslaughter Horror Film Festival
    Somerset
    United Kingdom
    February 15, 2019
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Puka Entertainment Productions
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - CJ Barnes

Born in Portland, Oregon, CJ Barnes has had a fascination with cinema and spent much of his youth writing and developing original screenplay ideas.

While he continued to write frequently, he didn't get his first taste of production until he was in Macau, working with various film and TV crews, both as actor and cast manager.
He has spent the past 12 years away from his home country, living abroad in Macau, France, on board a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, and in Australia, where he now makes his home. During that time, he wrote often, produced an animated show, did videography for a number of artists and performers, and worked with a number of music, film, and stage performers.

CJ finally took his first plunge into filmmaking: writing, directing, and producing his first film, "Hunger - A Short Film". The film has been well received, garnering thirteen Official Selections and two wins for Best Horror Short in the Royal Wolf Film Awards and Best Zombie Short in the Boobs & Blood International Film Festival 2018. The effort also saw him win two Best First Time Director distinctions, from the Royal Wolf Film Awards and WNY Film, Art, & Music Event.

CJ has begun pre-production work on his follow up project, Love Thy Neighbour, which aims to up the ante in both scope and production quality.

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Director Statement

"I used to think that the true joy of filmmaking would be the glitz and the glamour. But filmmaking is very hard, very personal work and is rarely glamourous. The true joy is not in the limelight, but in the creation of something...not just your own creation, but sharing the process with the other people on set. I may have been the driving force behind this film, but somewhere along the lines it stopped being MY film and became OUR film. That is the true joy of filmmaking, that's when it starts being fun."