Hi, I am Josh Wright, the co-director of Diabolus Ex Machina and I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to consider contributing to our campaign. I, along with my brother/co-director Bryan Wright and long-time friend/co-creator Julian Safrit, started Cinester Dark Films to bring our horrifying vision to life. With over 20 years of experience between us, with your help, we can create the film we envisioned as it should be.
![]()
In the summer of 1981, a rather plain gaming cabinet crept into the arcades of Portland, Oregon, almost undetected. The cabinet is described as having no logos or artwork other than the teal words on the lighted marquee that read "Polybius." Game-play was described as a shoot-em-up with space travel and puzzle elements. It was your basic arcade game, that is, until you reached level 10. Once you reached the 10th level, various subliminal messages buried deep within the game's coding began to reveal themselves to the game's player. Men dressed in black suits would have the arcades closed while they collecting data from ports located on the back of the machines.
Reports of people having migraines, loss of time, nose bleeds, night terrors, and even suicidal thoughts made there way through the whispers of the arcades. There was only one common link between these reports: they have all played Polybius.
Just before news broke of the game, every Polybius cabinet disappeared. Seemingly overnight, they vanished. No explanation.
It was as if they never existed.
![]()
From renting cameras and lenses to building lighting rigs and finding the perfect talent, making a professional-quality movie is extremely expensive. We have prepared a chart below to show exactly how your funds will be allocated.
![]()
![]()
Our passion and determination will drive us to make our film regardless of the outcome of this campaign. Even with the limited gear that we currently have, we can still deliver an exciting and entertaining short film even if we are unable to make our goal. However, the more supporters who join us on the journey to make Diabolus Ex Machina, the closer we can get to having the final product look and sound as top-notch and terrifying as possible.
![]()
Sharing your excitement about our film is every bit as important as choosing a perk. We value any and all support you are willing to give, even if you choose not to contribute financially to our film.
Below are just a few ways you can spread the message of Diabolus Ex Machina. We hope that even if you do buy a perk, you still want to tell your friends all about it!
Share this campaign
"Like" our Facebook page (linked below)
Follow us Instagram (especially if you want cool behind the scenes photos)
And if you decide to would like to contribute to the film, but prefer not to receive any of the associated perks, we also welcome donations to our PayPal.