Overview

In a future devastated by extreme heat, wind, and fire, young Riley and her father, Dutch, survive as nocturnal scavengers sheltering in an underground basement. Their daily ritual of opening a battered mystery can provides a fleeting moment of joy, until an unexpected visitor changes their lives.

Contribution

Matthew Solomon served as both Production Designer and Costume Designer, developing the environment and character wardrobes as one cohesive visual world. The distressed clothing, improvised supplies, weathered surfaces, and practical survival details ground the film’s dystopian setting while revealing how Riley and Dutch have adapted to life underground.

The basement sanctuary balances hardship with traces of family life, allowing the production design and costumes to communicate history, scarcity, protection, and the relationship between father and daughter without relying on exposition.

Selected Credits

Writer, Producer, and Director: Ben McHugh

Production Company: Brooklyn Oz Productions

Starring: Madelyn McHugh, Ben McHugh, Kerri Romeo

Director of Photography: Alice Millar

Production Designer: Matthew Solomon

Costume Designer: Matthew Solomon

Original Music: James Vader

Executive Producers: Sheldon Garnett, Elizabeth McHugh, Robert Ruff, Shirley Ruff

Runtime: 13 minutes, 40 seconds

Released: April 20, 2022

Selected Recognition

Best Short Film — New York International Film Awards

Best Actress: Madelyn McHugh — New York International Film Awards

Best Short and Best Director — Miami Indie Film Awards

Best Sci-Fi Short — New York Short Film Festival

Best Female Cinematographer: Alice Millar — Toronto Women Film Festival

Best Youth Artist: Madelyn McHugh — Toronto Women Film Festival

Best Concept and Rising Star Award — Brightside Film Festival

Official Selection — Chain NYC Film Festival