I forget that it’s pretty much Halloween season now, even with the deluge of horror projects in my inbox at times. Otherwise, I’ve always been and will be a keen supporter of actress Maria Tran (Tracer, “Last King Of The Cross”) who is just off the official launch of the Echo 8 trilogy project amid a series of workshops aimed bolstering local Australian indie film creatives.
Par for the course is her latest shortfilm endeavor, Midnight Never Sleeps, a chilling 9-minute psychological horror film directed by Tran from a script by film partner Elizabeth H. Vu. The cast is led by Ana Thu Nguyen whose credits include The Spy Who Never Dies, Get Free, and Suka, as well as upcoming thrillers Primitive War from director Luke Sparke, and Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat 2 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
In Midnight Never Sleeps, Nguyen stars as a pregnant wife left alone to finish a painting, only to be haunted by a demonic entity. The short also marks a premiere effort in the horror arena for Tran who is best known for crafting a bevy of micro budget action shorts in her burgeoning career, including her collaborative history with film colleague Adrian Castro who also serves as editor on the short.
“I have a lot of respect for the horror genre,” said Tran. “Making this short let me find the right balance of tension, atmosphere, and psychological depth to create real fear, an emotion that truly connects with people.”
Midnight Never Sleeps was filmed back in June and has been officially selected to have its world premiere on October 12 at the Ritz Cinema, Randwick, for the Aussie Shorts Showcase of the first-annual Dark Night Film Fest (DNFF). The short comes in line as as part of a special gala screening event showcasing ten of the best Australian short films from young, emerging, and established filmmakers. Audiences will also have the opportunity to vote for the Best Aussie Short Film Audience Award, with the winner announced during the Closing Night Awards Presentation.
The shortfilm was commissioned by Arts and Cultural Exchange (ACE) in partnership with Phoenix Eye Films,
Catch the trailer below, and a behind-the-scenes look at the short!
https://youtu.be/UukxF4ENIPY
https://youtu.be/UukxF4ENIPYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGjA6ViYNA
