Experiencing Interruptions?

The Face

Mia tries to break up with Tim, but isn't honest about her feelings. Instead she lets a sock puppet do the talking. But at night, the reason why she's afraid of being blunt is made apparent when Tim's true face, the way only she sees him, is revealed.

  • Andreas Mortensen
    Director
    The Yellow Jacket, A Hot Room, Caroline, Come Thee Light, All I Need, Fading Memories, My Armageddon, Dark Clouds
  • Andreas Mortensen
    Writer
    The Face, The Yellow Jacket, Phantom Questions, A Hot Room, Se, Caroline, Come Thee Light, All I Need, Fading Memories, My Armageddon, Dark Clouds
  • Andreas Mortensen
    Producer
    A Hot Room, Se, Caroline, Come Thee Light
  • Johan Valentin Falklind
    Producer
    The Yellow Jacket, A Hot Room, Se, Caroline, Come Thee Light
  • Charlie Gustafsson
    Key Cast
    The Åre Murders, Love Forever, A Taste of Hunger, The Restaurant, In the Name of God
  • Emelie Dahlskog
    Key Cast
    Borg McEnroe, The Emigrants,
  • Andreas Mortensen
    Music
    The Yellow Jacket, Se
  • Andreas Mortensen
    Editor
    The Yellow Jacket, A Hot Room, Caroline, Come Thee Light, All I Need, Fading Memories, My Armageddon, Dark Clouds
  • Johan Valentin Falklind
    Cinematography
    The Kingdom of Fish, Love Thy Neighbour, The Yellow Jacket, A Hot Room, Se, Caroline, Come Thee Light
  • Albin Abrahamsson
    Color Grade
    Pleasure, Godland, The Thin Blue Line, The Gullspång Miracle, Exodus
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Ansiktet
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Horror
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 4, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    185,000 SEK
  • Country of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Country of Filming:
    Sweden
  • Language:
    Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • British Horror Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 4, 2025
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • British Horror Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 4, 2025
    World Premiere
    Best Short Film
  • British Horror Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 4, 2025
    World Premiere
    Best Actor
  • British Horror Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 4, 2025
    World Premiere
    Best Director [nominee]
  • Abertoir International Horror Festival of Wales
    Aberystwyth
    United Kingdom
    November 15, 2025
    Welsh Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Abertoir International Horror Festival of Wales
    Aberystwyth
    United Kingdom
    November 15, 2025
    Welsh Premiere
    Meliés d'Argent [nominee]
  • Light Till Dark Fantastic Film Festival
    Örebro
    Sweden
    March 26, 2026
    Swedish Premiere
    National Competition
  • Light Till Dark Fantastic Film Festival
    Örebro
    Sweden
    March 28, 2026
    Swedish Premiere
    National Short Film Honorary Award
  • Frölunda Filmfestival
    Gothenburg
    Sweden
    May 16, 2026
    Gothenburg Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Splatter (2026)
    Distributor
    Country: Sweden
    Rights: Video on Demand
Director Biography - Andreas Mortensen

Andreas Mortensen is an award winning screenwriter, director and producer from Sweden, with roots in arctic Norway.

He's the co-founder of production company Duga Film, for which he has written and directed over ten projects, receiving international critical acclaim.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Face is a surreal but true story about being trapped in an abusive relationship, and how domestic violence is invisible from the outside. A dark comedy which morphs into a horror film with retro film aesthetics.

The absurdity of the opening scenario, with a guy pouring his heart out to a sock puppet, is inherently funny. But there are no jokes added, as none are needed nor welcome. It’s not a breakup story with an anthropomorphic sock; it’s a story of navigating manipulation and emotional entrapment.

So through the bizarre nature of the film’s first half, the emotion is played completely straight, performance-, visual-, and music-wise, with hints of the darkness that will come in the second half’s change of perspective. The horror comes from seeing Tim the way Mia sees him, and through that transition between viewpoints and genres, the style remains consistent. Something we worked very hard for, in order to keep the film’s unique tone and identity intact.

A deeply personal story for me, inspired by both personal experiences, and my parents’ relationship. The monstrous footsteps I heard as a child walked past my room, and the horror in the film grew from me realizing that many people do share a bed with it.

But my own experiences of living with a manipulative partner lack a level of fear that women in abusive relationships endure. As a man living with a woman, the physical fear of someone larger, who can easily overpower me, isn’t there. Thinking of the level of fear I’ve experienced in a violent relationship, I have immense empathy and grief for those who endure that which I didn’t.

And so, we don’t portray the violence overtly, as I don’t see that as my story to tell. With The Face, we do portray the physically imposing figure that an abusive partner is, but we do not illustrate the violence on screen.

The final shot is of a hole punched angrily in the wall, as I feel that an image of a broken wall is a symbol for a violent home.

Andreas Mortensen
(writer/director/producer/editor/composer)