In a future where culture is clicks, the ultimate social media celebrity fights to keep her popularity when a computer virus corrupts her systems—and saves her soul.

 

STATUS: Now Available: Watch it now on DUST »

Hashtag Festival Laurels

A massive THANK YOU to all the festivals and all our viewers we met on the Hashtag Film Festival Tour! It was a blast and we are so honored to be a part of so many great festivals and meet so many people around the world and talk Hashtag, science fiction, and the impact of stories.

 

Watch HASHTAG Online on DUST

 

Watch the trailer:

 

 

Winner of 4 “Best of” festival awards with 17 nominations, Hashtag is a sleek, smart, and sexy view of a looming future where social media dominates every moment of our lives. A science fiction short film, Hashtag follows “X”, the ultimate social media celebrity, a charismatic influencer commanding the attention of over 800 million online followers. The film stars Gigi Edgley as “X”, the world’s top social media celebrity, Juliet Landau as the voice of A.I. assistant “Te’a”, and Erryn Arkin as the mysterious stranger.

Hashtag won the top shorts prize “Best Short Film” at Gen Con Film Fest, “Best Sci-Fi Short” at FilmQuest, “Best International Sci-Fi” at New Renaissance Film Fest, “Best Social Media Story” at Sydney Indie Fest, as well as “Honorable Mentions” at both Dragon Con Independent Film Festival and Heroes International Film Festival.

With 22 official selections, Hashtag has screened on 4 continents at some of the most prestigious festivals including HollyShorts, LA Shorts, Comic-Con International, Sci-Fi-London, and Blue Planet Science Fiction Film Festival in Nanjing, China.

A superior and nuanced actress, Gigi Edgley is well known for her role as “Chiana” in Syfy Channel’s internationally acclaimed science fiction series Farscape, and the host of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge. She has also had a leading role in the Australian series, Rescue Special Ops and appeared in USA Network’s TV miniseries, The Starter Wife. More recently, she appeared in the Star Trek Continues episode “Come Not Between the Dragons” as well as a number of short sci-fi films and her first music video, Closer. Gigi is also a co-producer helping Hashtag come to life.

 

Cutting a dashing figure on screen, Erryn Arkin, also a writer and producer, has appeared in a number of TV shows, including Home and Away (in Australia), CSI (in the US), and the horror movie, The Killing Hour. He is also developing an independent feature film, Leaving Angeles.

 

Juliet Landau, is the voice of “Te’a”, the AI assistant in the Hashtag world. A superb actress on stage and screens of all sizes, Juliet is known for her many roles including “Drusilla” in Joss Whedon’s Emmy and Saturn winning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and “Loretta” in Tim Burton’s Academy Award winning Ed Wood as well as her numerous voices from Lois Lane to the Little Sisters in some of the biggest animated series, films, and video game series. Juliet is also currently working on a vampire documentary, A Place Among the Undead.

 

Hashtag is directed and co-written by Ben Alpi (Cowboy Creed, Silver Lining) who was inspired by a TED talk to write a story about our culture’s obsession with speed. Ben approached veteran sci-fi writer, Kevin Rubio (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ben 10, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, TROOPS), to co-write the script and the present incarnation of Hashtag was born. Hashtag is an original, imaginative and thought-provoking tale in the tradition of The Twilight Zone. Through the medium of classic science fiction storytelling, our writers weave a disturbing story of our looming future as a social media society obsessed with information and fame.

 

To make Hashtag a reality, we have assembled an amazing team. Producing the film is Jyotika Virmani (Cowboy Creed), along with Bob Alpi (Cowboy Creed) and Gigi Edgley (One Step Ahead, Nobody Knows). Other Cowboy Creed team members include: Director of Photography, David Berry (Judas Kiss, Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II); Production Designer, Meg Savage (The Skeptic); Composer, Joe Terrana (Cowboy Creed, Cuban Sandwich Crisis, The Gita, Magadog); Film Editor, Jeff Handy (Cowboy Creed); Line Producer, Erik Goodrich (Beyond Scared Straight, Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II); and Sound Editor, Ralph Miller (Star Trek: Renegades, Cowboy Creed, Judas Kiss). Joining this team is our visual effects supervisor, Deke Kincaid (The Chronicles of Riddick, The Water Horse, Pirates of the Caribbean series, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Deja Vu); our Post Production Coordinator, Rick Arthur; Anibrain, an award winning visual effects and creative studio based in India; and over 30 VFX artists from around the world, including Doctor Who alum, Brett Jones, and WETA artists, Christian Poullay (Avengers: Infinity War, Justice League, Game of Thrones) and Rob MacBride (Mortal Engines, War for the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).

 

Hashtag is a US-Australian Co-Production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions.

 

CREDITS:

Director/Co-Writer: Ben Alpi
Producer: Jyotika Virmani
Co-Writer: Kevin Rubio
Starring:
Gigi Edgley
Erryn Arkin
Simone Alex
and
Juliet Landau as the voice of Te’a

with
Todd Tucker
Leo Camacho
Chelsea Rebecca
Michael Anthony Jr.
Sarah Sterling
James Janisse
Linae Boehme

 

Co-Producers: Gigi Edgley and Robert A. Alpi, Jr
Director of Photography: David Berry
Production Designer: Meg Savage
Editor: Jeff Handy
Composer: Joe Terrana
Visual Effects Supervisor: Deke Kincaid
Key Makeup & Hair: Lisa Hansell
Supervising Sound Editor: Ralph M. Miller

 

Line Producer: Erik “Gooch” Goodrich
1st Assistant Director: Jared Hoy
1st Assistant Director (Hollywood): Lucas Bessey
Script Supervisor: Shawn Tira
1st Assistant Camera: Christina Hitchcock
1st Assistant Camera (Hollywood): Curt Sova
2nd Assistant Camera: Lauren Pollock
Gaffer: Kyle Warmack
Gaffer (Hollywood): Anderson Lau
Key Grip: Rob Richards
Best Boy Grip: Marcus Caracci
Best Boy Electric: Andrew Gorrell
Best Boy Electric: Walker Forshee

Art Director: Steve Karman
Costumer: Jamie Costin
Art Department Swing: Dickie Flicks & Jeff Waters

Post Production Coordinator: Rick Arthur

 

“Dress” Sequence Visual Effects by
Anibrain VFX

 

Executive Producer: Jesh Krishna Murthy
Executive Producer: Mark E. A. de Sousa
Compositing Lead: Pravin Hodage
Compositor: Rahul Roy
3D Supervisor: Mangesh Awate
FX Artist: Satyajit Barwal
Lighting Artist: Vikas Shinde
Animation Artist: Keshav Khatake
Rigging Artist: Amit Sahani
Texturing Artist: Sukhram Dabre
Production Coordinator: Aditya Kulkarni

 

Visual Effects Artists
Christian Poullay
Rob MacBride
Austin Ramsey
B. Jones
Ilan Fremder
Chris Harnwell
Neal Hallford
Michael Struck
Jisook Moon
Carlos Aldana
Max Rodas

 

Visual Effects by
Biota Studios

 

Music Producer: David John

 

Key Set Production Assistant: Adam Rady
Production Assistants: Mallory Clark & Stephanie Wander

 

Poster Artwork by: Scott Deyett
Press Consultant: Ilyce Meckler
PR Consultant: Sharon Handy

 

Produced by Runic Films and Little Empire Productions

 

Funding for this motion picture was raised in part with Kickstarter.

 

 

A Special Thanks to all the Backers of Hashtag!

 

Rita Lewis Paula King
Jennifer Brookes Clare Millar
Christopher Schiller
Danielle Cormier Molly McLaughlin
Carol Crouse
In Memorium
Linda Webb Cleveland
Carmella Monaghan Mark & Tanya Zipeto
Just Jo JovanMatthew Jock
Ragnar “Redgoat” MacHaggis Mauree Kimball
In Memorium
Jeremy Kordek
Susan Dickerson David T Brass
Cris Bailiff & Rochelle Braaf
J.E. Ellis
B TD Reed
Kevin Anderson
Tom Hanberg Nat Kulynycz
Linda Holmes Stewart
Vincent Bellitto
Christian Wilson
Sharon Handy
Kurt Carley gaile t. brown
Dane Farscape aka Wowdane James Szajda
Heather Canik-Thomas Jean Orrico
Nick Cook Dr Yogesh Virmani
Christopher L. Jorgensen Rachel Rock
Graham Stokes Kate Pratt
Magdalenha Antonio M. Oliveira
Rik Alvarez Proud Mom
J.T. Tepnapa Jeff Handy
Patrick C Heiden Julie Frost
Eric Schwarzer Michael Hartmann
Jim Shires
Shelley Rossell Stephen Costello
Dave and Lisa K J. Weber
Webberly Rattenkraft Paul Rabogliatti
Guinevere Boyd Ash McGavin
Steven Manuel Jeff Laurie
Tracy Lovett The Das Family
Chris Kellogg & Pete
Richardson
Joel Bellucci John Harrell
Michael Lindemuth Jennifer Bravo
Desha Lang
R. Kubicek Manpreet and Shashank
Kevin Clements Geoff Steele
Gayla and J.J. James W. Armstrong-Wood
cyberaug Jeff & Dee Timi
Steve Lettieri Stephanie Reddoch
KBTibbs Michael Singleton
Jennifer and Jason Elizabeth Jefferson
Jeanette Casey John R. Stoyle
Jesse W Jackson Robert Alpi Sr.
An Elegant Weapon podcast
Michael G. Munz Paul Bryson
Tom Iwancio Lari & Charlie Johnson
reo_swe Carissa Avenhouse & Rand
Ratinac
Allen Gould Jeff “Woody” Wodarcyk
AF
Alexander J capbiker
Lindsay Gobin Dianne Munro
Jerry D’Antonio
Joni Selkäinaho
Ohma
Michael “The BreauxShow”
Breaux
Divinedaydreams
Britt Martin Todd L. Coffman
Ken Carpenter Julie Hanks
Cyndi Kwiecien Teresa DuVall Fritz
A Kearns
Cathie Botelho Chris Rattray
Monica Pearce
Amanda Vinson Paul Hickman
Daniel Blanche Philip Ward
Thomas Mercer Clifford and Michelle Merz
ph08n1x Michael C. Pinson
Jamie Wallace
Amy A. Bishop Kevin McKenzie
Bob and Pat McNamee OE Frinsdorf
Kielen King Jason Robinson
Ryan Wendling
Evil Kitten Andrew J. Yeckel
Dominik Schütz Eric Korngold
Joanne Junor Reid
Derek “Pineapple Steak”
Swoyer
Robert Muhlig
Emily C Cohen
Michele W. Gary Tucker
Linae Terrana Heather Parra
Olivia Rose
Cynthia Lin
Rick Shelton
Keith Roberts Timothy Bogart
Vulfie Munson Christian Oestreich
Adrian Barnett Karl Puder
Scott Campbell
Daniel Goggin Colin Schworer
David Hastings
Thomas P. Donnelly Henry, Cori, Bean, Millie, and
Eric Ruszkowski
Michael Hudson
Michael Tehan
Denesh Bhabuta
Martin Unsworth David J. Paul
Bill Conn Scott Deyett
Helen McBride Tricia Robertson
Wendy Puz
Rod Meek Karen Costopoulos
Michael B. Amowitz Ryan Lee
Janelle ‘Smiley’ McLeod Mathew Frank
Robin D Brian Smith
Leslie Mele Keith and Dinah Shugarts
Tina Stitzer Will Turcan
Brian S Weis Jason Philp
Matthew Taylor Leonard Pace
Renu and Saju Joseph
Brad Hackworth Tammy Stockfish
Dan Bonjorni
John Lindquist
Valerie Kroehn
Stew ‘Chocobo Sage’ Sizer
Kevin Guthrie and Angela
Fitch
Cindy Bamford
Matúš Nerád
James Clark

 

Photographed on the Red Scarlet-X.

 

Lighting Equipment provided by Luka Grip & Lighting, Burbank, CA and Bayonet Lighting, Los Angeles, CA

 

Filmed at IllusionLuka Studios, Burbank, CA and the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, Hollywood, CA

 

Music recorded at MusoSolus.