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NUMINOUS

DCP Available

Numinous is a 7 minute animated short inspired by Michele's true story. Stranded in a deadly snowstorm and succumbing to the cold, she finds refuge in a rocky cavern as the boundary between life and death begins to dissolve. In the stillness, she experiences a profound encounter that transforms her understanding of existence, revealing a mysterious realm of beauty, connection, and transcendence. Numinous is a moving exploration of survival, the human spirit, and the extraordinary that can emerge in life's darkest moments.

  • Cynthia Matty Huber
    Director
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Dennis Aig
    Producer
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Jeff Steen
    Producer
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Felicitas Funke
    Producer
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Michele Van Cleve Carroccia
    Key Cast
  • Aram Aram Mandossian
    Music Composer
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • William Lake Springstead
    Sound Design
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Scott Sterling
    Colorist / Finishing Editor
    Hard Twist "Through the lens of Barbara Van Cleve"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 6, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    126,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    annimation
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Available
Director Biography - Cynthia Matty Huber

Cynthia Matty-Huber is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, director, producer, and cinematographer whose work explores the enduring relationship between people, land, and the changing landscapes of the American West. With a background in still photography, she brings a distinctive visual style and deep sense of humanity to stories that celebrate resilience, heritage, and the lives of those often overlooked.
Raised in New England, Cynthia earned a bachelor's degree in film and photography before completing a Master of Fine Arts in Science and Natural History Filmmaking at Montana State University. Her transition from photography to documentary filmmaking was driven by a passion for authentic storytelling and a fascination with the rugged beauty and vanishing traditions of rural America.
Her acclaimed documentary trilogy following Montana rancher John Hoiland includes Where Home Has Always Been, I Am Still Here (2019), and For Love of the Land (2021). I Am Still Here received multiple festival honors, including a nomination for Best Documentary Short at the Big Sky Film Festival, while For Love of the Land earned recognition on the national festival circuit for its poignant exploration of legacy, stewardship, and the future of family ranching.
Cynthia's feature documentary, Hard Twist: Through the Lens of Barbara Van Cleve, continues her commitment to telling visually rich stories rooted in the American West. Through intimate character portraits and cinematic imagery, her films preserve disappearing ways of life while examining the cultural and environmental forces shaping the region today.
Whether behind the camera as a cinematographer or leading a production as director, Cynthia Matty-Huber creates documentaries that are both emotionally resonant and visually compelling, inviting audiences to connect with the people and places that define the American landscape.

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Director Statement

As a filmmaker, I am drawn to stories that illuminate the complexities of being human. My work explores the spaces where memory, identity, resilience, and connection intersect, seeking authenticity over certainty and emotion over spectacle. I believe cinema has the power to create empathy by inviting audiences into experiences that may be unfamiliar, yet deeply recognizable.