News

Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are delighted to announce the release of the original Hashtag short film soundtrack by composer Joseph Terrana. The atmospheric and thumping electronic album is available wherever you get your music.

Including…
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
…and more!

And, be sure to also check out Joseph’s other great work.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT DUST
DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films, and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are thrilled to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, has exceeded a total of 1 million total views. Hashtag premiered May 28th exclusively on DUST, and is now available anytime on their online channels including YouTube:

Alpi says, "With all the upheaval these days, what a great gift for the holidays! With 50 production crew and 30-plus visual effects artists from 10 countries (including two studios), 1,000,000 views is a real testament to all the hard work that was put into this film. It’s also a nice feather in our caps as we look to expand Hashtag into a feature film or series."

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and "X" (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of "Te'a".

Edgley adds, "A million views! We’re really honored that so many people have seen Hashtag. It’s an important message as well as a beautiful film.”

Hashtag has been honored with four festival awards including the top shorts prize "Best Short Film" at Gen Con Film Fest, “Best Sci-Fi Short” at FilmQuest, “Best International Sci-Fi Short” at New Renaissance Film Fest, “Best Social Media Story” at Sydney Indie Fest, an "Honorable Mention" at Dragon Con Film festival and Heroes Film Festival, and has been nominated for another 14 awards. Hashtag has been accepted to 18 film festivals and 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 co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT DUST
DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films, and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are honored to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, has exceeded a total of 500,000 views. Hashtag premiered May 28th exclusively on DUST, and is now available anytime on their online channels including YouTube:

Alpi says, “It’s quite a journey to go from a concept all the way to completing a film. It’s another to have half a million people see it! 500,000 views is fantastic. We have had a great festival run, meeting film goers and filmmakers from around the world, so this is icing on the cake. DUST has done a wonderful job and it would not have been possible without a great cast and crew, the support of our Kickstarter Backers, our families, friends, and fans. I like to think with the upheaval we’re all experiencing right now, Hashtag is a nice get-away.”

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”.

Edgley adds, “We had a wonderful time chatting with viewers on launch day back in May. It’s always lovely to speak to audience members to hear not only what they think about the film, but what they think about the questions Hashtag is asking. I think a lot of us feel like “X” as we work from home and try to stay connected on social media. I’m glad we have movies to keep us company, too!”

Hashtag has been honored with four festival awards including the top shorts prize “Best Short Film” at Gen Con Film Fest, “Best Sci-Fi Short” at FilmQuest, “Best International Sci-Fi Short” at New Renaissance Film Fest, “Best Social Media Story” at Sydney Indie Fest, an “Honorable Mention” at Dragon Con Film festival, and has been nominated for another 14 awards. Hashtag has been accepted to 17 film festivals and 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 co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT DUST
DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films, and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are proud to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, will premiere Thursday, May 28th at 7AM PT exclusively on DUST, the premium science fiction brand. Director/co-writer Ben Alpi, star Gigi Edgely and producer Jyotika Virmani will be on hand to chat with viewers in the comments on YouTube.com/WatchDUST from 10-11AM PT.

UPDATE: Watch it right here:

Alpi says, “It is fantastic to be releasing Hashtag into the world and we are honored to be a partnering with DUST to do it. I’m dedicated to unlocking perspectives and provoking thought with my work. So, we are thrilled to be launching on DUST because their global reputation is built on that same concept of exploration. I intended Hashtag to be a conversation starter about social media and DUST is the perfect place to expand that discussion. Their audience is an amazing, vibrant community and we’re delighted to be sharing Hashtag with them and the rest of the world.”

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”.

Edgley adds, “Hashtag is very near and dear to me. Ben has put so much of himself into it, as have many others in the cast and crew, and it was so great to see it getting the recognition it deserves at film festivals. And it’s just phenomenal that now it’s going to be available on DUST for anyone to see. It was lovely to play beautiful “X”, such a complex and troubled soul, I can’t wait for more people to meet her and the world of Hashtag.”

Hashtag has been honored with 17 film festival acceptances and won the top shorts prize “Best Short Film” at Gen Con Film Fest, “Best Sci-Fi Short” at FilmQuest, “Best International Sci-Fi Short” at New Renaissance Film Fest, “Best Social Media Story” at Sydney Indie Fest, an “Honorable Mention” at Dragon Con Film festival, and has been nominated for another 14 awards. ‘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.

Hashtag premieres exclusively on DUST Thursday, May 28th at 7AM PT across their YouTube, Facebook, and IGTV.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT DUST
DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films, and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions’ are proud to announce that Hashtag, our prescient science fiction short film, will continue its festival tour! Extending onto 4 continents, with 4 award wins, 14 nominations, and now 17 acceptances.

[This post has been updated with the most current information. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the last events of the tour have been postponed. We will update when we have dates! Stay safe out there!]

Hashtag is a thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the top online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”, and Simone Alex.

X lives the dream; she’s connected, adored, and instantly validated by her hundreds of millions of followers. The ultimate influencer, celebrities like her are all we watch, all we listen to, all we care about. Yet one thoughtless remark reveals how fragile the tower of public adoration really is.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

SYDNEY, Australia, Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are proud to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, has won BEST SOCIAL MEDIA STORY at Sydney Indie Film Festival!

Alpi says, “We would really like to thank Festival Director Shailla Quadra, staff, and judges of the Sydney Indie Film Festival for this honor awarding Hashtag Best Social Media Story. We really hope that our film can encourage health research and education into the effects of social media onto ourselves and our society as a whole. And this is a nice feather in the cap of our cast and crew, not to mention our Kickstarter backers whose support made this film possible!”

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

The reviews are in! FilmThreat.com gives our short sci-fi film Hashtag a score of 9 out of 10! Check out Bobby LePire’s incredibly thoughtful review of Hashtag!

Hashtag was a huge labor of love so we’re very glad you appreciated it.

-Ben
Director/Co-Writer, Hashtag

PROVO, Utah, Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are excited to announce that Hashtag, their prescient science fiction short film, has won BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM at FilmQuest film festival! Director and co-writer Ben Alpi was on hand to accept the award.

Alpi says, “Many thanks to Festival Director Jonathan Martin, Assistant Director Jonna Jackson, and the Filmquest staff and judges. It is a massive honor for Hashtag to win Best Sci-Fi at FilmQuest. With three years of work, this is a great award for all the cast and crew and their outstanding performances and craftsmanship. And thanks to our Kickstarter backers for their support!”

Hashtag is a short science fiction thriller that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the supreme online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. It also stars Erryn Arkin and Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”.

Hashtag‘s next screening will be in Rhode Island for our premiere in that state at the Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival, October 21 & 26, 2019. Don’t miss it on the big screen!

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions are incredibly honored to announce that Hashtag, our prescient science fiction short film, will go on tour this summer! With an excellent reception at the fantastic SCI-FI-LONDON in last week, we are embarking on a film festival tour now spanning 3-continents. Stay tuned as we update the following as more acceptances come in. We hope to see you out there!

Hashtag is a thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the top online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”, and Simone Alex.

X lives the dream; she’s connected, adored, and instantly validated by her hundreds of millions of followers. The ultimate influencer, celebrities like her are all we watch, all we listen to, all we care about. Yet one thoughtless remark reveals how fragile the tower of public adoration really is.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Runic Films and Little Empire Productions prescient science fiction short film, Hashtag, will screen as an official selection at the prestigious SCI-FI-LONDON film festival next week, MAY 18, 19, and 21st. SCI-FI-LONDON 2019 brings together the best science fiction and fantastic film from around the world. Hashtag will screen inside “Shorts Programme 3” at the Stratford Picturehouse. Director/co-writer Ben Alpi, and producer Jyotika Virmani will be on hand to enjoy the sci-fi-filled week. »tickets

Alpi says, “We were thrilled when SCI-FI-LONDON accepted Hashtag as an official selection. We often talk about the film as a conversation starter for social media issues and we’re really excited to expand the conversation with all the great cinemagoers and filmmakers at SCI-FI-LONDON.”

Hashtag is a thought-provoking short science fiction drama that examines a looming future where social media dominates our lives and “X” (Gigi Edgley), the top online celebrity, finds the true cost of her popularity. The short film also stars Erryn Arkin, Juliet Landau as the voice of “Te’a”, and Simone Alex.

X lives the dream; she’s connected, adored, and instantly validated by her hundreds of millions of followers. The ultimate influencer, celebrities like her are all we watch, all we listen to, all we care about. Yet one thoughtless remark reveals how fragile the tower of public adoration really is.

SCI-FI-LONDON seeks avantgarde films that you may not see elsewhere in mainstream sci-fi film & television. Join us at our mind-bending, brain-fueling film festival. SCI-FI-LONDON tickets are available at https://sci-fi-london.com/production/shorts-programme-three/.

Virmani adds, “Louis Savy and his staff have shown a tremendous amount of dedication to sci-fi cinema and are very welcoming to independent filmmakers. Ben, Gigi, myself, all of us, could not be happier to be a part of SCI-FI-LONDON.”

The “Shorts Programme 3” screenings of Hashtag will take place in the evenings on 18, 19, and 21st of May 2019.

A co-production of Runic Films and Little Empire Productions, Hashtag is an ambitious vision of our possible future in the tradition of classic science fiction storytelling. For more about the project, please visit https://runicfilms.com/hashtag.

ABOUT RUNIC FILMS
Runic Films is a Los Angeles-based film production and entertainment company developing original properties for film and television. Runic was founded in 2001 to return visual storytelling to its roots and uphold the traditions of myth and legend. Today, Runic Films harnesses cutting-edge technology and visual effects to create amazing worlds for dramatic tales grounded in humanity.

https://runicfilms.com/
@runicfilms
https://www.facebook.com/runicfilms

ABOUT LITTLE EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS
Little Empire Productions is the creative partnership of Gigi and Jake Edgley to create and promote music, comic books, and films that enlighten, intrigue, and rock your world. Spanning the Pacific between Australia and Los Angeles, Calif., Little Empire Productions mission is to create great art straight from the heart and soul.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jyotika Virmani
Runic Films
email
Ph: 747-245-5559

###