Sci-Fi Short Film "Zilly's War" | DUST
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- A brilliant but antisocial young woman on a four year mission to an alien planet faces her inner demons while realizing there may be a more immediate danger onboard her own ship.
"Zilly's War" by John M. Broadhead
Connect with the Filmmakers:
www.reflection...
www.johnmbroadh...
/ reflectionfilmsllc
"Zilly's War" Credits:
Eve/KATYIA SHURKIN
Young Eve/LILY WINDER
Drew/RON WEISBERG
The Teacher/FRANK GREEN
Mr. Gladstone/JEFF POOLE
Eve’s Mother/TALAYA MARTINEZ
Eve’s Father/ERNESTO WATCHMAN
Mr. Duncini/MIKE OSTROSKI
Interviewer/KATE COOK
Suited Man/JAY BROADHEAD
Girl Student /JESSY STONE MONTOYA
Girl Student/GRACE BROADHEAD
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It's worth noting that this short film was entirely created by a crew of about seven people. Four of us built the spaceship with whatever we could find at the hardware store. It took us six months. Our budget was nonexistent, and we paid for it with our day jobs. The CGI work was all done by one of our team members, who painstakingly crafted the visuals of the spaceship while learning how to animate. It was a prime example of a passion indie project, and we think the passion really shows through!
You all did an excellent job! And I hope one day you will find somebody who is willing to give some money for realizing the whole story. Much luck bro!
@@AcapulKero Thank you! Until then we'll just keep making the best films we can!
Well, you guys did a wonderful job! I liked it. I hope it gains traction and picked up for a series or something. Very good!
Nice film guys
Cool but why the girl fixation ? ...
Haha, he pulls out an engagement ring, her response is "I want to go as far away from you as is humanly possible, for real though" 🤣💔🤯
Accurate summary.
Thank you all for watching our short film! This is a proof of concept piece that we would love to expand into a series. But for now, please enjoy what we've made!
Feel free to hit us with any questions or comments about the film, the story, or our filmmaking process. We would love to chat about it!
Thank you! In the meantime if you're interested in knowing more of the story, check out the novella!
less smooching please, otherwise very well made.
@@ReflectionFilmsLLC where do we find that?
@@soelvfaks1 I can't post external links in this comment section, but if you search for "Zilly's War" and "John M Broadhead" you will find it!
i do hope that there will be more to come. it was very captivating
Unbelievably professional looking for such a small team. Bravo!
Thank you! We aim high!
Wow! Chapter one is a go. Even a full lenght movie would be great. I love SciFi. Greetings from Acapulco.
We would love to continue telling the story as a feature or a series. In the meantime, check out the novella the story is based on!
Everything a good scifi film needs. Felt like a whole movie condensed here.
That's such an encouraging comment!
The cliff-hanger word is ''Yet''. Awesome special effects. This needs to be a full-length film.
No It doesn't. There are already 100 movies with the same exact storyline.
Phenomenal in every way. I love how this story was woven together with the flashbacks and such. Surprisingly well done visuals as well as writing, camera work, editing, and acting. I am legitimately excited to continue the series.
Thank you so much! There were several versions of the edit before we found an effective flow between the story and the flashbacks. We're excited to be able to share it with everyone now!
Very well done hope you're able to continue!👍👍
Thank you for watching. We hope so too!
This was awesome , i know Dust is only the platform for this short movie but Dust is doing a great job in putting yhese vids out. Now to the creators of the short , absolutely incredible and how i know when watch a vid like this is , it makes me want more. It makes me feel like this could be afull length movie. Just awesome . Thank u
We're so encouraged to hear you enjoyed the short. We can't wait to continue expanding on the universe we started here!
OK.......that was great. Thank you so much to all who worked on Zilly. If you make it full-length, or better yet a series, I'll watch it.
Your response means a lot! We would love to continue telling the story, with the means to do so!
I enjoyed the script, the acting, and the visuals. You really did a fantastic job bringing it all together. The ending left me confused, but perhaps that was intentional being it is only "chapter one." Thanks for putting your passion into this and bringing it to life!
It looked to me as though the captured samples have taken on accelerated growth... and may even display signs of intelligence. The unexpected physical appearance of the onboard AI shortly before the "alert" might be a hint as to the cause.
@@ou7shined972 You're on to something!
Is the AI's name HAL? 😉
Hollywood needs to learn something from this movie. 24 minutes of cinema entertainment at its best. Low budget but no low quality. 🎉❤😊
Your response is incredibly encouraging. Thank you!
A24?
Captivating story. Enchanting actress. Filmmaking really keeps the audience's attention.
Thank you for watching! We're so glad you enjoyed what we created. We can't wait to make more!
Excellent work. That's about all there is to it.
Remarkable film with many questions and insufficient answers.
Thanks for watching! We would love to continue telling the story, as there is much more to tell and many questions to be answered!
and the next part is where?
i'm waiting - impatiently
but it is well done-thx
WOW! Impressive & beautiful. I really enjoyed this, the details including the story from childhood on was heartfelt.
I love the part where she told her abusive mom, essentially, "I hate you so much I'm going light years away to get away from you."
Every women in the first world
You never get away, until you make peace with your monster.
@@MrNate-jd1ncexcuse me?? I love my mother and cherish her. I would die for her. She obviously had a bad childhood, think before you insult a large population of the world
Left me wanting more! Congratulations to all involved for creating such an intriguing film.
Thanks so much for watching!
You have huge amount of talent very well done
@@donkenmuir9504 Much appreciated!
One of the best on Dust. Building the character through flashbacks was wonderful. The story and focus was on the person, rather than the 'aliens', making this unique and beautiful. Looking forward to more chapters. Amazing work!
You’re dedicated and patient and one doesn’t have to go far to see that you’re on to something here. I’m not sure if they would select a person with no heart ties. If there was a crew of five or so, maybe; but the psychology of a person who will conceivably be an emissary of the human race and its culture makes her an unlikely choice. In any case, bravo! Please, keep going. You’re doing great! thank you.
Very interesting! As I watched her go through her time on the ship and having to deal with being so ahead of others and the family situation, I found it a lonely time that she seemed to have...although not entirely. For awhile I'd wondered if she had any love in her for anyone, but saw that she did, even when things were painful. I'm glad she shared some of her life with her boyfriend, too.
Really great efforts from your team, and when it's a small team able to do so much in a short film, it really shows the passion you all have for your art! I hope to see more, myself. :D
I'm so glad Eve's character resonated with you. She's a complicated character, certainly, who has evoked a number of different responses from viewers! We're so glad that you have enjoyed it. We have some more projects coming up and we aim ever higher and higher!
And if you are interested in seeing where Eve's story takes her, there is a novella of the same name that expands upon the story. It's available online!
@@ReflectionFilmsLLC Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know, it's definitely exciting stuff to watch for! 😃
Hi ReflectionFilmsLLC guys. Sci Fi fan here, speaking only for myself. I thought the production quality was solid, had a 2001-esque feel to some of the spaceship scenes. However to me it had no "hook". No sense of danger or urgency. Like waiting for a story to emerge if I can get through this chapter. 23 minutes is a long time.
Hi, and thanks for your input! It was admittedly tricky trying to discover the pacing, the ebb and flow of what amounted to a "teaser" for the main story (that currently exists in novella form). What we ended up doing is something risky, that works for some viewers and doesn't for others. Thanks for giving our film a chance!
I haven't read the book, but the synopsis sounds interesting. I hope it gets the "Smile treatment." I'd live to see a full length feature.
Thank you! In a perfect world we'd like to turn this into a series. The story goes some insane places!
Weird, but good and very well produced, written, acted, filmed, illuminated and scored. Three thumbs up from me!
"Weird" is fine with us as long as it was enjoyed. We aim to make projects that feel original and fresh!
Oh what a labour of love. For a first time out of the gate, this is awesome. Thanks, Reflection Films, for showing us how it is done.
Keep at it! I really enjoyed "Chapter One"! I was worried that "proof of concept" meant a pointless sequence with great visuals.. but this was coherent (and great visuals) and very engaging! Thanks!
Thank you! It was a little tricky figuring out the best way to structure the story without diving too deep into the plot that we intend to unfold. I'm glad you found it so effective!
Wonderfully done! I think so many of us don't really hate people but that we'd prefer our own company instead of being in or going to any of those "have to" events of our lives. Ignorant, abusive and selfish individuals have no place in my life and I can identify with Eve. Great movie and I hope there will be a continuation for sure!! Cheers!!
She was an introvert but later she thought she wanted someone in her life and I suppose she got bored with loneliness.
Wonderfully atmospheric, from the music to the costuming to the scene composition. Acting, too: as an asocial introvert myself, the actresses playing the main character were believable as the same person at different times in her life. More than a few echoes of '2001', but those could hardly be avoided and felt more like tributes than anything.
Ultimately Zilly is shown as a flawed, eccentric but earnest person who finds courage even in her isolation. Whatever the internal or external threats, she accepts that she alone has to deal with them, because her own choices brought her to this point.
We got incredibly lucky finding our two actresses in Katyia and Lily, who were both so natural in their personification of this very specific, difficult character. We definitely feel that we succeeded in creating something evocative. Thank you for watching!
Zilly is the nickname of the planet. Eve is the astronaut.
Thank you!
Great stuff. Exceptional visuals. And SILENCE. Awesome flex for a ‘short’. Thanks to all who created this.
Thank you for watching. We're glad you had such a positive response!
This is one of favorites so far. ❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!
Wow! Love the short film! Waiting for more adventurous episods!👌👍
Absolutly Excellent thank you All
Thank you! We're so grateful the film is being seen and appreciated!
I'd enjoy to see events unfold in the next chapter! just enough intrigue to draw you in wanting more! good job from everyone involved. great casting, set and storytelling!
Thank you for watching! The next chapter doesn't exist yet, but we'd love to get around to tell it! Feel free to explore the expanded story in the novella of the same name!
Excellent! Really well done! Great story, character and acting! Next ep please! The animation reminded me of 2001 . .
I NEED PART TWO THIS WAS SO GOOD
And we really really want to make a Part 2! For now, there's the novella.
The idea of isolation is well executed....however, not in a million years would humans ever send ONE explorer on a fact finding mission. Not just because it would be a threat the astronaut's mental health, but there would have to be more people to ensure systems are running smoothly and to maintain checks and balances on health, and ship functionality.
A corporation would. Gotta keep those costs down.
Awesome. It didnt scream low budget. I definitely wanted more.. to know what was gonna happen. Grsat job!
Thank you!
"Pavane for a Dead Princess," eh? How appropriate! Yes -- keep going; onward to Chapter 2.
It's a great concept I think would translate well into a feature length film.
I thought Eve was gonna be in some kind of suspended animation, guess I misinterpreted that?
BTW, you CLEARLY have much higher quality hardware stores than me if you really built your sets with those resources.
I thought this was very well done. It leaves just enough questions and mystery to make me want to know.
Awesome story line! Great acting and music! Thanks!
Do another one!
More! I need more! Loved the retro synth sounds in the red alert near the end. Thanks
Thank you for watching! We have a full series planned out for this story, if it attracts enough attention. We really want to do more!
I love these sci fi films !! space is so intriguing ! you have to be very open minded ! I can understand her dilemma ! sometimes I just want to spend all day bu my self
a very talented actress, hope to see more of her in the future
Katyia is extremely talented and a wonderful person. I'll make sure she sees your comment!
@@ReflectionFilmsLLC 🙂
Bravo. Job very well done! Encore!!
Can't stop but to wonder how much effort went into the each of these wonderful movies! Blessings!
That Was Really Good, Wish This Was A Full Tv Show. You Can See The Hard Work That Went Into It.
Well done. Looking forward to part 2. Hope it’s soon.
Thank you for watching! We would love to continue the story as soon as we can!
So, not (yet) a horror film like Life (2017) but certainly not going to plan. Eve did a wonderful job of portraying someone who probably never describes themselves as "happy" and all they want is peace. I can really relate to that, and she never appeared sad while in space but she didn't regret going to space for several years and didn't appear bored, despite being clearly a very smart person who might struggle without constant stimulation and challenges to occupy their mind. She was right where she wanted to be. I really enjoyed this short (chapter one ... of?)
"It's a cold machine, Space". Great line.
Brilliant thanks. Look forward to PT 2😀
Great actors, great set. It takes both.
I've been watching quite a few of the short films on UA-cam of late, and I find it somewhat grating that practically every one of them has people gushing in the comments about how amazing everything was, when that's rarely the case. For Zilly's War, however, I think it's warranted.
I found the film genuinely intriguing, both in the character and her embrace of isolation, as well as her situation in orbit above this newly discovered planet. Had this been a standalone tale, I would have been impatient with the pacing, but as it appears to be an introduction to a greater story, I appreciate the time taken to establish the character a bit more.
Oddly enough, a detail I found somewhat jarring was that she wore a bra on a ship where she is the only person present, and likely in gravity lower than earth standard. It's nothing catastrophic, of course, and I'm not suggesting revealing shots would have been more appropriate, but it took me out of the suspension of disbelief for a moment when I saw that.
Now, I've never been aboard a ship, earthbound or otherwise, when some sort of emergency has occurred, so I can't really make a proper comparison, but the excessive flashing red lights in the corridor toward the end seemed like it would be more disorienting than helpful. Perhaps it was considered cinematic and was chosen for style, but it seemed a bit over the top.
All in all, though, an intriguing film. Looking forward to the continuing story.
Most films on DUST are incredible. Each in it's unique way. Factor in budget and resources, its incredible what these artists can do
The weight of the breasts would not be an issue, but their inertia would be an issue. They would always resist a change of direction, particularly if they are large. A bra would help keep them from flopping all over the place.
@@Brigadier_Beau It wasn't that she was wearing a bra at all, but that it looked to be an underwire specifically. Some kind of support would be fine, obviously, but the style she wore didn't look particularly like it was made for comfort, but rather appearance.
I could be entirely mistaking it, and as I said, it was hardly a big deal in the overall story, but simply something that occurred to me.
@@coreyc47 Yes, really.
If you're watching a period piece and someone pulls out a sword that wasn't historically known to have been invented or in common use at that time, that would raise eyebrows, at least among those knowledgeable about such things.
Likewise, an actor using an American southern accent while portraying an Englishman still living in England would seem to be somewhat out of place, no?
I already stated that it was a minor detail, and that I simply happened to notice it. Are the creators required to make everything perfectly "correct" in order to avoid that kind of distraction? Of course not. They're more focused on the overall characterization and story, but I still imagine they want to create as genuine an environment as they can.
Love it! Can't wait for more!
Fabulous work here. The concept of such a planet is fascinating and I really hope to see this one day as a series.
We hope to be able to complete the story as well. Thank you!
You rock
Excellent!
Thank you. An interesting idea on current topics for people who run away from society and the noise of this world while making their dreams come true.
who did the music?
The Ravel "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte" was a nice touch.
The movie was very well put together and filmed. I’m just wondering if I was supposed to give two hoots about the main character, because I didn’t. I’m not big into character’s emotional traumas and backstories unless that’s a big part of the story. Maybe hers will be a couple chapters down the road, but…I’d rather have spent more time on Zilly and its inhabitants.
Your perspective is shared by some other viewers I've spoken with. The truth is, the film is very much intended as a melancholic character study set against the backdrop of alien mysteries. The fully developed story (as currently found in the novella) gets into much more thrilling story territory later on, but I wanted to begin with the introspection that lies at the story's heart. A specific storytelling choice it was, that may not resonate with all viewers, but I appreciate you giving the film a watch!
Her traumas etc are the very reason she is in space
great visuals and story
Thank you for watching!
"Space the final frontier"
That single line greatly shows how truly unprepared we are for what it implies
Thank you for a great video
When you really think about it, how many missions have been sent off of our planet that the public doesn't know about. You know for damn sure if they told us about 2 Voyagers they probably sent 4... World governments have proven, especially over the last few years, that they lie over and over and over...
Wonderful job
This is interesting film. I think everyone is waiting for the next chapter. Story must be continued
Probably one of the best shorts on Dust. Beautiful and so wonderfully put together. Absolutely epic.
Kudos to all the team behind this.
Love it.
11/10
It means so much to hear this. Thank you for watching and enjoying!
I'm looking forward to the upcoming chapters.
We hope to do more in the future! There IS a novella that tells more of the story.
@@ReflectionFilmsLLC The novel written by John Broadhead? Yeah, I looked into it.
@@nathangregory_ That's the one. Also the film's director/writer.
@@ReflectionFilmsLLC I just hope you keep the series running. Looks like you have a good story to tell that people will enjoy. Carry on.
Brilliant,👏 my only comment is a little more patience ,stillness, and more confidence in your excellent camerawork. 👏 Bravo 👏 You're better than you think❤️Cameras are 👌 the best 🎬 actors.
Fantastic and beautiful
Thank you for watching!
Good acting, easy to follow storyline & very professional looking.
Thankyou all, i enjoyed it for itself.
One word from me "SUPERB"
Brilliant!!!
We appreciate you!!!
Respect from Russia. I liked the flashbacks.
Thank you for watching!
very professional looking
Am I really going to watch someone sip coffee for 5 minutes? No I’m not
That's fair.
Maybe it's Tang.
I would watch her sipping almost any drink for as much as 12 minutes!
Bello! Ne voglio ancora! Love from Italy.
Grazie!
If you want more, there is a novella telling the full story!
I never wanted 23 minutes and 44 seconds of my life back more than after watching this.
That is the risk we all take when watching any motion picture. Of course, there's always someone like you who has to whine and grumble about it despite the fact that you cannot make a better alternative.
@@richardsteele8161 Not enjoying something isn't set to the concept that you need to be able to produce something better to criticize. Touch grass.
So so cool would love to see the next chapter 😊
And we can't wait to make the next chapter. Thank you for watching!
Excellent work, all acknowledgements to the creators. If this was the Chapter 1, will there be a Chapter 2 and when?
Thank you for your acknowledgment! As of now, a Chapter 2 would depend on being given access to a larger budget to craft a full series. The story is all there and ready to go though, as told in the novella!
This was fantastic! Good acting, easy to follow storyline, the ship sets were so realistic, and fantastic music score. Everything so professional. Well done!
Well done! I look forward to the next chapter.
SPOILER:
I didn’t get it. She was selfish and arrogant due to her abusive mother and a plant possibly killed her after becoming sentient? It just wasn’t for me, to slow developing, but I’m sure others enjoyed it.
Absolutely phenomenal. Can't get closer to perfection. The flashbacks gave just the right amount of structure for the lead roll. Congratulations for a job well done. Ready for the next installment.🎉🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
Great job on graphics, scenery, plot and all else. If you can take some constructive criticism, I have just one. The main character came across as very aloof and didn't make me feel any sympathy for her. I have a hard time believing she was the best candidate for the job. Very nice acting ,if that was what you were going for. I would have expected a great deal of enthusiasm for the discoveries at a new planet, but she seemed very bored. She is very beautiful! My pet peeve for sci-fi is that no one has yet to come up with a creative way to explain gravity on spaceships. Not your fault.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment! The character's aloofness was in fact a written quality, meant to represent who she was. Her internal struggles, as someone torn between antisocial behavior and loneliness, is meant as the driving force between many of her actions (as will hopefully become clearer if we are able to make the rest of the series at some point. The novella tells the full story.)
I like the concept. Needs some work in terms of pace and narrative structure but the core of it is pretty interesting
Thank you for watching! In hindsight, we probably dedicated too much time to the meditative montage sequence. Lesson learned!
@@ΘαλήςΧαϊδόπουλος-υ6ρ That's much appreciated!
What a great set! The flashbacks were a bit (a lot) too much and I actually felt swindled to have suffered through them merely for a few vine tentacles through a peephole. The set was really cool though.
visually awesome ....5 stars of five... ill love to understand ..can anyone tell me what was the whole synopsis?
Brilliant story telling, especially the scene on earth with Drew. Hoping Chapter One means there is a chapter 2 coming! Edit: Welp, never mind. No chapter 2 coming. 😰
Not yet! While it is very much a proof of concept, a full story arc is planned out. Check out the novella!
It’s definitely well executed. Lots of thought and depth … it’s reminiscent of a book which I read about thirty years ago, and now will keep me up all night trying to think of it’s name… in any case, excellent.
@@rolffigueiredo3786 Thank you! This is based on a novella written by the short film's director. But if you can think of the title of that other book, let us know!
Left me feeling wholly unsatisfied😧
Thumbs up for her saying Zed and not Zee.
Marvelous work, but like Solaris, I have no idea of what it is about, other than a spaceship from Earth is contaminated by something reminiscent of kelp. Help me understand!
Thanks
Another good short sci-fi movie from DUST could've been a bit longer to show what the danger was.
✨Congratulations on a job well done! Excellent work, and love the special effects! Thank you for sharing, looking forward to part 2! ✨🥀✨
We very much hope we get to make Part 2. Thanks for watching!!
Well done! It seems, sometimes a low budget force artists to bring more creativity in their projects, in opposite to recent blockbuster-cinema. Though, of course, i wish you to get more financial support in future for bigger movies. But, stay creative!
Thank you thank you! We agree with you, on all counts!
I loved it, very professional & so seductive....but I have to say I want the rest of the story!...please
Why thank you! This is the first time I've heard the word "seductive" applied to this film, and it's my new favorite descriptor! I'm glad the project succeeded in its intended impact!
If more story is what you want, I can't offer a Chapter Two (yet), but I can direct you to the novella of the same title that completes the story!
Congratulations sir nice project
Thank you so much for watching!
Besides the fact that there's no way a mission like this would be 1 manned, pretty great short.