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.
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Travis DarkowDirectorElliot, 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
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Travis DarkowWriterElliot, 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
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Travis DarkowProducerElliot, 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
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Chris IsaacsonProducer
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Travis DarkowKey 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
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Kelsey DarkowKey Cast"Wife in Photograph"
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Chris IsaacsonCinematography and Steadicam
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Travis DarkowSound Design and EditingElliot, 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
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Travis DarkowEditing and Color GradingElliot, 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
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Project Type:Experimental, Short
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Genres:Science Fiction, Sci Fi, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
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Runtime:10 minutes 25 seconds
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Completion Date:February 28, 2020
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Production Budget:50 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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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:No
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Student Project:No
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15 Second Horror Film ChallengeSeattle, WA
United States
October 31, 2020
Semi-Finalist -
Hollywood Blood Horror FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
April 5, 2020
Official Selection -
Florence Film AwardsFlorence, Italy
April 2, 2020
Finalist -
Hollywood Blood Horror FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
April 5, 2020
Award Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short Film -
Hollywood Blood Horror FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
April 5, 2020
Award Winner - Best Editing -
Florence Film AwardsFlorence, Italy
April 2, 2020
Award Winner - Best Editing -
The Lift-Off Sessions April 2020Pinewood Studios
United Kingdom
April 12, 2020
Official Selection -
Austin After Dark Film FestivalAustin, TX
United States
June 14, 2020
Official Selection -
Cult Critic Movie AwardsKolkata, West Bengal
India
April 22, 2020
Finalist -
Montreal Indie Short Film AwardsMontreal
Canada
May 13, 2020
Official Selection -
Crown Wood international Film FestivalKolkata
India
June 14, 2020
Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Film -
Accolade Global Film CompetitionLa Jolla, CA
United States
June 2, 2020
Official Selection -
The IndieFEST Film AwardsLa 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 FestivalChennai
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 FestivalChennai
India
June 8, 2020
Semi-Finalist -
Accolade Global Film CompetitionLa Jolla, CA
United States
June 6, 2020
Award of Merit Special Mention: Film Short -
Accolade Global Film CompetitionLa Jolla, CA
United States
June 6, 2020
Award of Merit Special Mention: Editing -
Independent Shorts AwardsHollywood, CA
United States
June 20, 2020
Official Selection -
Hitchcock Film Awards
United States
July 10, 2020
Semi-Finalist -
Crypticon Seattle Horror Film FestivalSeattle, Washington
United States
September 18, 2020
Official Selection -
The IndieFEST Film AwardsLa Jolla, California
United States
August 4, 2020
Award Winner -
Reel Horror Fest
United States
November 1, 2020
Official Selection -
Venice ShortsVenice, California
United States
September 7, 2020
Official Selection -
Oregon Scream Week Horror Film FestivalWilsonville, Oregon
United States
October 8, 2020
Official Selection -
Oregon Scream Week Horror Film FestivalWilsonville, Oregon
United States
October 8, 2020
Award Winner - Best Dark Science Fiction Film -
Bleedingham Horror Film FestivalBellingham, Washington
United States
October 30, 2020
Official Selection -
The Horror Movie AwardsSeattle, Washington
United States
October 31, 2020
Best Film - Silver Tier Winner - Screened at Crypticon -
Cult Movies International Film FestivalOnline Event
February 3, 2021
Semi-Finalist -
Adbhooture Film FestivalKolkata
India
January 30, 2021
Official Selection -
Adbhooture Film FestivalKolkata
India
January 30, 2021
Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Short Film -
Gold Star Movie AwardsOnline Event
February 5, 2021
Award Winner - Best Science Fiction Short Film -
Cult Movies International Film FestivalOnline Event
February 3, 2021
Award Winner - Best Short Horror Film -
HorrorHound Film FestivalMilford, Ohio
United States
March 19, 2021
Official Selection -
Foreman Empire Productions International Film FestivalAtlanta, Georgia
United States
March 26, 2021
Award Nominee -
Honor Film FestivalOnline Event
August 17, 2021
Finalist -
Honor Film FestivalOnline Festival
August 17, 2021
Award Winner - Best Sci-Fi Short
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.
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.