About the Film
We Stellar Remnants is a science fiction short film about Deacon, a blue-collar starship pilot who's responsible for harvesting the energy from dying stars. His only companion is the ship's onboard AI, Gibraltar, a humorless and cold-hearted being. What first appears to be a routine mission becomes a personal crisis for Deacon when he realizes he's been sent to harvest humanity's original Sun, and he's forced to decide whether to continue his mission or sacrifice himself for a chance at saving life on Earth.
The film will be shot in the NYC metro area in mid-late April, and will be completed by the end of May 2024.
This film is being produced in partnership with the Elfenworks Foundation, a California-based climate advocacy nonprofit, and Ideas United, an Atlanta-based media production company.
About the Filmmaker
Ben Senior is an independent writer, director, and producer based in Chicago, IL.
Ben Senior wrote and directed his first feature film during his Senior year of high school, the no-budget dramatic romance The Fall (2019), shot by and starring other high school students. It screened at a variety of festivals including The Orlando International Film Festival, The Seattle Film Festival, and YoungFilmmakers NY, in addition to winning several awards including the Rising Star Filmmaker Award at the Method Fest Film Festival.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Senior wrote and directed his second feature, Headwaters (2022), about a reclusive matriarch and her family. The film is currently in post production, and is scheduled to be released by the end of the year.
In the fall of 2021, Senior was invited along with 50 other filmmakers to study with legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog on the island of Lanzarote in the Spanish Canary Islands. During the 11-day program, Senior wrote, shot, and edited Hasta Siempre, a short film about two best friends exploring an abandoned hotel. As of 2022 the film is being considered for festival selection, and is available to watch online.
During the summer of 2022, Senior wrote and directed his third feature, Glass Houses (2023), about an aimless high school graduate and amateur photographer who tries to secure his spot in a prestigious art school. The film is currently in post-production and will be released Summer 2024.
How Your Donation Helps
Donations will go towards:
- High-quality VFX work in post-production, to design Deacon's ship and the outer space environments.
- Hiring a professional cast and crew out of New York City, and providing them with compensation for their work.
- Festival submissions and other distribution expenses, in order to publicize the film after it's completed.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you are unable to donate, there are other ways you can help! Please contact us at ben@2ndnaturestudios.net if:
- You have a connection at a green screen studio, warehouse, or other similar space in the NYC metro area.
- You own a restaurant or catering business in the NYC area, and would be willing to cater our shoot at a small discount.