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Universe 25

A mysterious entity. A bizarre psychological experiment. Imprisoned in “The Room,” a woman can’t know anyone longer than 30 days. It’s difficult to say what’s worse: knowing that anyone she cares about will disappear, or that they might be replaced by someone worse. With no hope of escape, she must confront the absurdity of her new existence.

Universe 25 is an allegory for a universal human dilemma: how can you find happiness when everything (and everyone) in life is transient? Where is hope in the face of relentless adversity? A must-watch for fans of sci-fi, psychological horror, and character-driven dramas alike.

  • David Tappan
    Director
  • Kelly Tappan
    Writer
  • David Tappan
    Writer
  • Andrew Reisfeld
    Producer
  • Juan Herrera
    Producer
  • David Tappan
    Producer
  • Victor Lord
    Producer
  • Kelly Tappan
    Key Cast
    "Mel"
  • Kalen Parrot
    Key Cast
    "Antonio"
  • Josephine Valentina Clark
    Key Cast
    "Manon"
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Thriller, Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    37,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • ScreamFest Horror Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    October 15, 2023
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Lund Fantastic Film Festival
    Lund
    Sweden
    November 1, 2023
    International Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Boston SciFi Film Fest
    Boston, MA
    United States
    February 15, 2024
    East Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Int'l Horror & Sci Fi Film Festival (Phoenix Film Festival)
    Phoenix, AZ
    United States
    April 14, 2024
    Arizona Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Juggernaut Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    April 20, 2024
    Midwest Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Indy Film Fest
    Indianapolis, IN
    United States
    April 25, 2024
    Indiana Premiere
    Official Selection
  • PopCon International Film Festival
    Indianapolis, IN
    United States
    April 26, 2024
    WINNER - Best Sci-Fi/ Fantasy
  • Chicago Horror Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    May 4, 2024
    NOMINEE - Best Editing, Best Sci-Fi Horror Short
  • First Contact Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival
    Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
    United States
    May 18, 2024
    New Jersey Premiere
    NOMINEE -- Best Live Action Film, Best "First Contact" Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cinematography
  • Comic Con International Independent Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    July 26, 2024
    San Diego Premiere
    WINNER -- Best Horror/ Suspense Film
  • Motor City Nightmares International Film Festival
    Detroit, MI
    United States
    July 27, 2024
    Michigan Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Gen Con Film Festival
    Indianapolis, IN
    United States
    August 1, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Ravenheart International Film Festival
    Oslo
    Norway
    August 21, 2024
    Norway Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sci-Fi-London Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    September 14, 2024
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Nashville Film Festival
    Nashville, TN
    United States
    September 20, 2024
    Southeast Premiere
    WINNER - Best Graveyard Short
  • Planet 9 Film Fest
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    September 22, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Glendale International Film Festival
    Glendale, CA
    United States
    September 26, 2024
    WINNER -- Best Sci-Fi Short Film
  • H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
    Portland, OR
    United States
    October 4, 2024
    Pacific Northwest Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Temecula Valley Film Festival
    Temecula, CA
    United States
    October 12, 2024
    San Diego Premiere
    WINNER -- Golden Poppy Audience Award
  • Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival
    Brooklyn, NY
    United States
    October 14, 2024
    New York Premiere
    FINALIST
  • Fargo Fantastic Film Festival
    Fargo, ND
    United States
    October 17, 2024
    North Dakota Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Jose International Short Film Festival
    San Jose, CA
    United States
    October 24, 2024
    San Jose Premiere
    Official Selection
  • The Micheaux Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    October 27, 2024
    WINNER -- Outstanding Sci-Fi
  • SModcastle Film Festival
    Atlantic Highlands, NJ
    United States
    October 24, 2024
    WINNER -- Best Director; NOMINEE -- Best Short Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Actor in a Short
  • Imagine Fantastic Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    October 28, 2024
    Netherlands Premiere
    Official Selection
  • FilmQuest
    Provo, UT
    United States
    October 31, 2024
    Utah Premiere
    WINNER -- Best Sci-Fi Short Film; NOMINEE -- Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing
  • Lee Strasberg Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    November 9, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival
    Pittsburgh, PN
    United States
    November 21, 2024
    Pennsylvania Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Fransisco Independent Film Festival
    San Fransisco
    United States
    February 6, 2025
    WINNER - Jury Prize: Best Short Film
  • Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema
    Idyllwild, CA
    United States
    March 4, 2025
    NOMINEE -- Best Featurette, Best Director (Featurette), Best Screenplay (Featurette), Best Actress (Featurette), Best Actor (Featurette), Best Cinematography (Featurette) Best Original Score (Featurette), Best Sound Design (Featurette), Best Editing (Featurette)
  • The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival
    San Fransisco
    United States
    April 13, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Capital City Film Festival
    Lansing, MI
    United States
    April 5, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Philip K. Dick Science Fiction and Supernatural Film Festival
    New York, NY
    United States
    April 2, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Mirada Corta Short Film Festival
    Mexico City
    Mexico
    April 5, 2025
    Latin American Premiere
    Semifinalist
Director Biography - David Tappan

David Tappan is an award-winning director known for his unique ability to merge character-driven narratives with high-concept storytelling.

Tappan’s short film, Universe 25, premiered at the 2023 ScreamFest. It later won Best Sci-Fi Short Film at FilmQuest 2024 and Best Graveyard Short at the Oscar-qualifying Nashville Film Fest in 2024. Kevin Smith's SModcastle Film Festival awarded him with Best Director for his work on the project. The film was further honored at the 2024 Comic-Con International, where it won Best Horror/ Suspense Film. Over 30 film festivals have granted the film official selections and awards, including prestigious Méliès fests such as Lund Fantastic and Imagine Fantastic.

Tappan co-founded Level 11 Films with his sister and writing partner, Kelly Tappan. Universe 25, their flagship project, has received critical acclaim. It has been described as “an awe-inspiring cinematic feat” by Overly Honest Reviews and “about as good as a Sci-Fi short gets” by Film Threat. A feature-length adaptation is currently in development.

Tappan's goal is to shine a mirror at audiences, representing the collective madness of humanity and illuminating the thin path we each must walk to find our peace. By blending elements of horror, sci-fi, and thriller, Tappan transports audiences to unfamiliar worlds -- not only to entertain, but to more vividly capture the dilemmas we all face in life.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

We made this film with the belief that genre audiences crave thought-provoking cinema. We want to be removed from our familiar world not only to be entertained, but because it can more vividly capture the human experience. Our Sci-Fi/ Thriller is an allegory for a universal human dilemma: how can you find happiness when everything in life is transient? Where is hope in the face of relentless adversity?

With anxiety and depression defining our generation, my hope is to help audiences find the power that lies on the other side of pain. This film has been a labor of love for nearly two years and I’m excited to share it with the world.

"If we do not learn to perceive the mystery and beauty of our present life, our present hour, we shall not perceive the worth of any life, any hour.” - Philip Kapleau