Private Project

The Return

Years after the disappearance of her sister on a camping trip, Amy returns to the same forest to find closure. This time, however, she checks into a mysterious inn.

  • Niko Baumbach
    Director
    Love Letters, Remember, No Escape
  • Niko Baumbach
    Writer
    Love Letters, Remember, No Escape
  • Niko Baumbach
    Producer
    Love Letters, Remember, No Escape
  • Carolina Espinosa
    Key Cast
    "Amy"
  • Marina Hutchinson
    Key Cast
    "Claire"
  • Kot Takahashi
    Key Cast
    "Tom"
  • Frangene Andrews
    Key Cast
    "Margot"
  • Dominic Olivo
    Key Cast
    "Clarence"
  • Lio Guillot
    Director of Photography
  • Jeffrey Hanson
    Musical Score
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Horror, Mystery
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 25, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    872 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Blackmagic RAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.4:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Santa Clara University
  • No Coast Film Festival
    Emporia, Kansas
    United States
    September 18, 2021
    World Premiere, North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Another Hole in the Head Film Festival
    San Francisco, California
    United States
    December 5, 2021
    California Premiere
    Winner of Best Student Film
  • Tokyo Film Awards
    Tokyo
    Japan
    Japan Premiere
    Silver for Best Student Film
Director Biography - Niko Baumbach

Niko Baumbach grew up in Larkspur, California and has been a filmmaker since age seven. He has made at least one film a year for the last 15 years and has explored a number of genres. His current favorite is Horror. As a recent graduate from Santa Clara University, he is pursuing a career in the film industry.

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Director Statement

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
- Orson Welles

It had been a dream of mine to make The Return for two years before I finally made it happen during the summer of 2020. While the pandemic made production especially challenging, it forced me to be more creative and resourceful. I have become a better filmmaker because of it and am thankful for my extremely talented and supportive team. A year later, we have finally wrapped post production and I could not be more excited to share this little horror story with the world!

Check out @the_return_film on Instagram for BTS content!