Experiencing Interruptions?

Pioneer

Fed up and exhausted with his life, a man takes drastic and revolutionary steps to escape his burnout.

When things go wrong, he's reminded of his friend's apprehension towards his decision and battles with whether being a pioneer was ever worth it in the first place.

  • Dillon Sienko
    Director
  • Ebrahim Ebrahim
    Assistant Director
  • Dillon Sienko
    Writer
  • Ebrahim Ebrahim
    Script Supervisor
  • Dillon Sienko
    Story by
  • Corey Clemente
    Story by
  • Ebrahim Ebrahim
    Story by
  • Dillon Sienko
    Producer
  • Corey Clemente
    Key Cast
    "Pioneer"
  • Ebrahim Ebrahim
    Key Cast
    "Friend"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 8, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.40:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • SHINE Online International Film Festival

    Official Selection
  • Big Sur Film Festival
    Carmel, California
    United States
    Official Selection
  • APEX Film Awards
    Worthing, West Sussex
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • 4theatre selection

    April 1, 2023
    Winner - Best First Time Film
  • Bestlov Film Festival

    Finalist - Best Low Budget Film; Finalist - Best Actor (Corey Clemente), Finalist - Best Poster
  • Robinson Film Festival (International Film Festival)

    Semi-Finalist
  • Paradise Film Festival

    Winner - Best Sci-Fi Film
  • Multi Dimensional Independent Film Festival

    April 24, 2023
    Exceptional Achievement - Best Low Budget Film; Finalist - Best Poster
  • Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    Honorable Mention - Best Short Film
  • WIFA FEST (World Indie Film Awards)

    Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • Boston Short Film Festival
    Boston, MA
    United States
    July 3, 2023
    Online international premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Bay International Film Festival
    Morecambe
    Quarter Finalist
Director Biography - Dillon Sienko

Dillon Sienko is a software engineer, musician, self-published author, and an award-winning filmmaker with degrees in astronomy and computer science. He has a long-time love of film and literature, and imbues all of his creative works, whether it be music, written word, or film with a sense of place and story.

Dillon is determined to make sure those stories are motivated by the real world, even when the world of the story is in itself fantastical. Dillon grew up in Western Massachusetts, heavily influenced by the countless science fiction movies he watched. He now lives in Boston, where he’s still watching movies. For more information on Dillon and his work, visit www.dillonsienko.com.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I sat down to write this short film, I was struggling. It was going to be my first short, and I had a core of an idea, but it was nothing more than a hodge-podge of interesting story beats and cool framing.

Life was particularly stressful at the time, and my exhaustion was getting the better of my creativity. When I eventually sat down with my two friends (who also happen to be the two starring actors) we all quickly realized that this could be the story of how we were all feeling - burnt out, tired, stressed, stuck - feeling like there had to be something better. From there, it was just a matter of writing how we were feeling. It didn't take long before this became a short we hope can be relatable for quite a few folks right now, for anyone feeling stuck like we were.