“Crossing Acheron” Is an Official Selection of the 2023 Coney Island Film Festival

Big news! I’m happy to announce that my sci-fi short film, CROSSING ACHERON, was selected for the 2023 Coney Island Film Festival, continuing its festival run. It was previously shown at the 2021 New York Pause Film Festival, the 2021 New Haven International Film Festival and the 2023 Chicago Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest. I’m excited that my film—made in the depths of the pandemic and tackling themes of both disease and loss—has maintained its widespread appeal, even after the return to ‘normal life.’ 

Crossing Acheron imagines a world not so different from our own, in which rampant plague and brain-altering technology are inexorably intertwined. A woman finds herself faced with an impossible decision: end her life by uploading her consciousness to an AI generated world that contains the soul of her deceased mother, or live out her days in an unfriendly city riddled with illness. 

Although the technology in the film seems like an unlikely innovation, Elon Musk and other Silicon Valley giants have a demonstrated interest in the consolidation of human consciousness with machines. Despite the idea’s chilling implications, there are those who not only believe in its feasibility, but believe that such a technology is an imminent reality. 

In an era mediated by invasive AI, Crossing Acheron is a contemporary reflection on Descartes classic assertion—“I think, therefore I am”—asking crucial questions about what it means to have a mind, what it means to be alive and what it means to die. How does the capacity to digitize a consciousness change us existentially, individually and ethically? 

It’s exciting to know that the film will be up on the big screen once again! 

The Coney Island Film Festival will take place May 5-7, 2023. Those interested in watching a screener or writing a review may contact me through this website. Thank you!

Crossing Acheron - A film written and directed by Benjamin Reeves
‘Crossing Acheron,’ a sci-fi short film from screenwriter and director Benjamin Reeves, is an official selection of the 2023 Coney Island Film Festival.

2022 Blow-Up Arthouse Film Festival selects Crossing Acheron as semi-finalist

It’s wonderful to see that Crossing Acheron, a strange little labor of love I made during the height of the pandemic, continues to connect with viewers. The Blow-Up Arthouse Film Festival in Chicago is a great venue, and I am pleased to announce that their committee has selected our film as a semi-finalist.

Crossing Acheron is a science fiction short film about a woman who is faced with an existential choice: Live out her days in a cold city in the midst of a plague or forsake her mortal coil and upload her consciousness to an AI generated world where she can joined her deceased mother. While it’s science fiction right now, these sorts of possibilities may be closer on the horizon than we think.

The festival is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 8–9, 2023, and more info is available here. As always, reviews or industry folks interested in watching a screener may contact me through this website. Thanks!

“Crossing Acheron” Premieres at 2021 New York Pause Film Festival

I am incredibly excited to announce that Crossing Acheron premiered at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in downtown Brooklyn as part of the 2021 New York Pause Film Festival presented by the Katra Film Series and Bowery Film Festival. The cast and crew had worked incredibly hard to create this film during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, without any assurance that it would ever screen live. Seeing it on the big screen was an amazing experience.

In addition to the New York Pause Film Festival, the film is also an Official Selection of the 2021 New Haven International Film Festival, and we hope this is just the beginning of its festival run.

Feel free to reach out for a press kit or digital screener.

Crossing Acheron - A film written and directed by Benjamin Reeves

 

New accolades for “Kane the Gunslinger” and “Influencers”

There’s some more big news on the screenwriting front! In the last few weeks, both KANE THE GUNSLINGER and INFLUENCERS have had some major breakthroughs on their journey to the silver screen. Obviously there’s still a long way to go before either project goes into production, but the continued support from readers, mentors and labs is a huge boost.

KANE THE GUNSLINGER was an official selection for the prestigious 2020 Stowe Story Labs, where I pitched to a range of producers, managers, and other entertainment professionals. The Lab also offered some incredible lectures and talks from industry leaders and screenwriters, as well as the opportunity to workshop works-in-progress with peers.

KANE THE GUNSLINGER also recently earned an eight on The Blacklist! For those who are not familiar with it, The Blacklist is one of Hollywood’s top spots for discovering new scripts, and only roughly 2% of scripts earn of rating of eight or higher. Obviously that rating is merely an indication of one reader’s taste, but every little bit counts.

Over on the INFLUENCERS front, Director Robert Gregson and I were excited to be an official selection and attend the 2020 Northeast Filmmakers Lab. We honed our pitch, made some great connections, and received invaluable information as we embark on the journey of developing the film. We’ve been further buoyed by successes in two high profile annual screenwriting competitions. INFLUENCERS was a second rounder for the 2020 Launch Pad Screenplay Competition and is a quarterfinalist—and still in the running—for the FinalDraft Big Break Competition.

Breakthroughs for “Influencers”

I have two exciting announcements on Influencers. The project—a neo-noir thriller feature I wrote and which was co-created with director Robert Gregson—has advanced to the second round of the prominent Launch Pad Feature Screenplay Competition. It also an official selection for the 2020 Northeast Filmmakers Lab, and Gregson and I are excited to pitch the project and advance it that much closer to production. For more info on Influencersyou can view the logline and teaser trailer here. To request the script, or with any questions, please reach out via the contact page.

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