Experiencing Interruptions?

The Keeping Cost

A husband stuck in a perpetual cycle of enacting revenge on the man who killed his wife, carries on as an outside force observes the events.

  • Travis Darkow
    Director
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, Maladroit, The Shape of Evil
  • Travis Darkow
    Writer
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, The Shape of Evil, Maladroit, Servile(?), Jakob's Cove, How Did We Get Here? Caged, Voyeur, Severance, Retail Therapy
  • Travis Darkow
    Producer
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, Maladroit
  • Chris Isaacson
    Producer
  • Travis Darkow
    Key Cast
    "Husband"
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, Maladroit
  • Kelsey Darkow
    Key Cast
    "Wife in Photograph"
  • Chris Isaacson
    Cinematography and Steadicam
  • Travis Darkow
    Sound Design and Editing
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, Maladroit
  • Travis Darkow
    Editing and Color Grading
    Elliot, Goodbye Tomorrow, Roadside, A Pursuit Most Putrid, REZZUREKT, Bad Blood, Deadcember, Elizabeth, Silence in the Aftermath, Snow Blind, Synapse, October Scout, The Denier - REEL 1: Fun in the Sun, The Denier - REEL 2: Show Stopper, The Denier - REEL 3: House Call, The Denier - REEL 4: Day at the Beach, The Denier - REEL 5: Yard Work, The Denier - REEL 6: Beddy Bye, Bunny Boy, Maladroit
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Science Fiction, Sci Fi, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    50 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 15 Second Horror Film Challenge
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    October 31, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Hollywood Blood Horror Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    April 5, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence, Italy
    April 2, 2020
    Finalist
  • Hollywood Blood Horror Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    April 5, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • Hollywood Blood Horror Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    April 5, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Editing
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence, Italy
    April 2, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Editing
  • The Lift-Off Sessions April 2020
    Pinewood Studios
    United Kingdom
    April 12, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Austin After Dark Film Festival
    Austin, TX
    United States
    June 14, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Cult Critic Movie Awards
    Kolkata, West Bengal
    India
    April 22, 2020
    Finalist
  • Montreal Indie Short Film Awards
    Montreal
    Canada
    May 13, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Crown Wood international Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    June 14, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Film
  • Accolade Global Film Competition
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    June 2, 2020
    Official Selection
  • The IndieFEST Film Awards
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    August 4, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Monthly Indie Shorts

    United States
    June 1, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Vesuvius International Monthly Film Fest

    May 30, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Vesuvius International Monthly Film Fest

    May 31, 2020
    Winner - Best Editing
  • Madras Independent Film Festival
    Chennai
    India
    June 8, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Eastern Europe International Movie Awards

    June 2, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Eastern Europe International Movie Awards

    June 2, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Editing
  • Eastern Europe International Movie Awards

    June 2, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • Madras Independent Film Festival
    Chennai
    India
    June 8, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Accolade Global Film Competition
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    June 6, 2020
    Award of Merit Special Mention: Film Short
  • Accolade Global Film Competition
    La Jolla, CA
    United States
    June 6, 2020
    Award of Merit Special Mention: Editing
  • Independent Shorts Awards
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    June 20, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Hitchcock Film Awards

    United States
    July 10, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Crypticon Seattle Horror Film Festival
    Seattle, Washington
    United States
    September 18, 2020
    Official Selection
  • The IndieFEST Film Awards
    La Jolla, California
    United States
    August 4, 2020
    Award Winner
  • Reel Horror Fest

    United States
    November 1, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Venice Shorts
    Venice, California
    United States
    September 7, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Oregon Scream Week Horror Film Festival
    Wilsonville, Oregon
    United States
    October 8, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Oregon Scream Week Horror Film Festival
    Wilsonville, Oregon
    United States
    October 8, 2020
    Award Winner - Best Dark Science Fiction Film
  • Bleedingham Horror Film Festival
    Bellingham, Washington
    United States
    October 30, 2020
    Official Selection
  • The Horror Movie Awards
    Seattle, Washington
    United States
    October 31, 2020
    Best Film - Silver Tier Winner - Screened at Crypticon
  • Cult Movies International Film Festival
    Online Event
    February 3, 2021
    Semi-Finalist
  • Adbhooture Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    January 30, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Adbhooture Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    January 30, 2021
    Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Short Film
  • Gold Star Movie Awards
    Online Event
    February 5, 2021
    Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Short Film
  • Cult Movies International Film Festival
    Online Event
    February 3, 2021
    Award Winner - Best Short Horror Film
  • HorrorHound Film Festival
    Milford, Ohio
    United States
    March 19, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Foreman Empire Productions International Film Festival
    Atlanta, Georgia
    United States
    March 26, 2021
    Award Nominee
  • Honor Film Festival
    Online Event
    August 17, 2021
    Finalist
  • Honor Film Festival
    Online Festival
    August 17, 2021
    Award Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short
Director Biography - Travis Darkow

My name is Travis Darkow, I was born in Bremerton, Washington, where I currently live with my wife and our two dogs, Jax and Laika. I have had a passion for writing and creating since I was very young. I was always writing stories, usually about aliens or monsters, or making my own little comic books. As I got older I never stopped writing, all through school I took as many writing courses as I could and my passion only grew over the years. I enjoy all aspects of writing. I write poetry, I love writing and playing music, and have written fifty to a hundred original songs. I have about a dozen or so children's books that I have written as well. My greatest passion though is film. I absolutely fell in love with movies when I was a kid, and found that my absolute favorite thing in the world is writing and directing films. I've written, directed and edited around two dozen short films since the seventh grade, and in June 2019 I completed my first feature length horror/sci-fi film called Goodbye Tomorrow. Since then I've completed two other features called Bunny Boy, and Elliot. I am currently writing and directing short and feature length original films, as well as developing an ever expanding list of original pilots and feature length screenplays that I have been hard at work writing. Crafting stories and creating whole new worlds that didn't exist before has always brought me much joy. It is truly my favorite thing in the world and I will never stop creating as I pursue my dream of working with talented and like-minded people to craft films.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Horror and science fiction has been my passion for as much of my life as I remember. I recall watching the original House on Haunted Hill and Humanoids From the Deep with my grandpa when I was about 7 years old, and something clicked in my young brain at that point. A feeling that I had found something that spoke to me on a different level than anything else has ever done since. Creating horror, to me, is creating a terrifying environment where you can run around this disturbing playground, and by the end of it, feel relieved. Maybe relieved to just be done with the creepy visuals and sounds of a horror film. But also relief from releasing fears you have built up inside yourself, in a safe and engaging way. My favorite horror films are the ones that straddle the line between horror/science fiction, and psychological thriller or mystery. I love nothing more than leaving a theater, or sitting through the credits of a movie at home, and not being able to get what you just saw out of your head. Movies that make you think deeply about the world, and our relationships to the horrors and tragedies that occur here I find to be absolutely fascinating. These are the types of films I hope to craft as I continue my journey of writing and directing horror based films. I put a lot of thought and energy into crafting worlds full of foreshadowing and blink and you'll miss it details, and I strive to keep growing and pushing forward in my pursuit of my true passion.