Mirror's End
After losing his sister to an illicit drug that allows users to jump between dreams, Mark dives into the dream world to find her. But something sinister follows him back. Now trapped in a haze of confusion, he’s forced to question everything—unable to tell if he’s still dreaming or if his nightmares have followed him into reality.
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Ethan PowellDirector
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Ethan PowellWriter
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Luca VinesWriter
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Ethan PowellProducer
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James PlatelKey Cast"Mark"
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Ethan PowellKey Cast"Oliver"
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Beth WilkinsonKey Cast"Autumn"
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Angus PriceKey Cast"Stalker"
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Horror, Thriller
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Runtime:21 minutes 27 seconds
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Completion Date:September 8, 2024
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Production Budget:5,000 AUD
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:Australia
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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:Yes
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Student Project:No
Ethan Powell is an emerging talent in the film industry, with only a year of experience in screen acting but over 50 projects to his name, including speaking roles in locally produced Indie Feature Films. He is making a name for himself in Perth and will be one to watch in the future.
Driven by a passion for storytelling, Ethan delved into screenwriting earlier this year, penning a feature film and several shorts. His dedication to the craft culminated in his directorial debut with the short film Mirror's End. In tandem with his directorial journey, Ethan founded Nightmare Narratives, a production company devoted to crafting spine-chilling horror films that push the boundaries and reinvent the genre.
Mirror’s End marks the start of Ethan's journey as a director, but it’s far from the end. He’s already developing and writing new projects that are even more personal and haunting. As the creative force behind Nightmare Narratives, Ethan is set to bring more spine-chilling stories to life in Perth. Keep a close watch—things are about to get a lot creepier.
After waking from a nightmare, some people experience a lingering sense of dread or hallucinations known as "hypnopompic hallucinations," "where elements of the dream briefly carry over into waking life".
Mirror’s End was born from a vivid dream I had, where I found myself being followed by a mysterious man. When I confronted him, he revealed something deeply chilling—he could see me sleeping, and I was forbidden from waking up. What followed was a terrifying chase through an ever-shifting dreamscape. Each time I thought I had escaped, I would wake up—only to realize I was still dreaming, trapped in a relentless nightmare. This cycle of false awakenings and the growing fear that I couldn’t tell what was real sparked the idea of 'Dream Jumping,' where dreams are no longer a safe escape, but instead, a gateway to something far more terrifying and uncontrollable.
The title Mirror’s End came from a moment of staring into a mirror, wondering—where does the reflection truly end? How deep does it go? This idea of endless reflections sparked a connection to dreams. Just like with mirrors, I began to question: what are dreams, really? How far can we plunge into the subconscious, and when, or where, do they stop? This title reflects the unsettling idea that both mirrors and dreams might lead to places far beyond what we can see or understand.
Mirror's End is rooted in a fear that’s deeply personal to me—the fear of sleep itself. There are nights where I find myself trapped in relentless nightmares, unable to wake no matter how hard I try. What’s terrifying is that, in the dream world, your subconscious comes alive, and it pulls out fears you never even knew existed. In my waking life, I don’t feel like I have many fears. But in my dreams, I have no control. That’s what scares me the most—being at the mercy of something I can’t escape, where even the deepest parts of my mind turn against me. It’s a darkness that feels all too real.