FROM BEYOND Genre Short Premières At Fantasia: Watch The Trailer

Contact with extraterrestrial life forms would be an event of Earth-shattering, Belief-shattering proportions, and there sure is no shortage of films about the subject. From intelligent thought-pieces to epic monster flicks, we've seen plenty of first contacts and last contacts. So it's a bit surprising to see a short film kind of sum it all up into one 13-minute package. Yet that is exactly what From Beyond does.

Norwegian writer-director Fredrik S. Hana is known here favourably for his surprisingly playful documentary Codename: Nagasaki , which our Shelagh Rowan-Legg reviewed last November.

Here, he channels a much different vibe. Using a combination of found footage, news clips, ominous sound and some unclear but very effective creature (?) designs, he creates a mood piece which leaves no doubt that we'd be in for a ride if this would ever happen for real. Science, fear, wonder, religion, performance art... all reactions are there. Fredrik doesn't miss much.

From Beyond (no relation to the eighties' Lovecraftian film) will have its world première at Fantasia 2022 as part of the Shorts section, and a trailer has just been made available. Go check it out, and note who the people are who recommend the film at the start. There's some interesting names among them, and I can only agree with them!