Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Subscribe to DUST on YouTube: bit.ly/2aqc5vh
🪐 You are entering a fictional zone: reality has been suspended.
A young detective must solve a murder with the help of a hologram copy of the victim.
"Alpha Test" by Stephen Packer
📶 Connect with the Filmmakers:
instagram.com/sphillipe
instagram.com/drivethrupictures
instagram.com/adam.camporeale
🎥 More About "Alpha Test":
In a near-future crime experiment, detective Esther is partnered with a holographic copy of a murder victim to solve the mystery of their death. But when the hologram begins to malfunction and ask forbidden questions, Esther challenges the rules of the program, triggering a deeper unraveling. Alpha Test is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller about memory, identity, and the true cost of simulation.
🎬 Director’s Statement:
We’re already using generative AI to recreate deceased loved ones, but what if we used that same technology to solve murders? The film really grew from that idea, but I wanted it to also be a critique of startup culture and how we as a species will inevitably pervert a power like that and use it for personal gain.
🎞️ About the Film:
Director/Writer - Stephen Packer
Producer - Adam Camporeale
Cinematographer - Nick Frayne
Production Designer - Ben Allen
First AD - Jack Langford
Location Sound - Nick Steele
Costume Design - Megan Oxenham
HMUA - Kaz Gower, Emily Davis, Beverley Freeman
Casting Director - Lucy Mclaughlin
Composer - Alex Olijnyk
Sound Designer/Mixer - Lee Yee
Colourist - Nicholas Hower
Visual Effects - Jack James Troisi
Cast:
Anna McGahan
Tim Phillipps
Mark Saturno
Henry Cooper
Connect with DUST:
Website 🌐: watchdust.com
Follow Us on Facebook 👍: facebook.com/watchdust
Follow Us on Instagram 📷: instagram.com/watchdust
Follow us on TikTok 📱: tiktok.com/@watch_dust
#DUST #scifi #shortfilm
Submit Your Short Film: filmfreeway.com/alterdustsubmissions
NOTE: Only completed shorts will be considered. Unsolicited scripts or pitches will be immediately deleted without review.
About DUST:
DUST is a thriving community of storytellers, working together to present thought-provoking science fiction stories. Beyond our longstanding presence on YouTube, DUST also operates ALIEN NATION, a free streaming tv channel available on Google TV, Pluto TV, DIRECTV, Sling, TiVo, Freevee, Fubo, Roku, CW, LG, Plex, Samsung TV+, Tablo, TCL+, Tubi, Vizio, & Fumo.
Learn how to Watch ALIEN NATION on TV: https://linktr.ee/futureawaits
Listen to the DUST podcast:
Apple: bit.ly/DUST-Audio
Spotify: bit.ly/DUST-Spotify
Stitcher: bit.ly/DUST-Stitcher
Castbox: bit.ly/DUST-Castbox
iHeart: bit.ly/DUST-iHeart
About Gunpowder + Sky:
Creating content that resonates and impacts pop culture conversation, by empowering creators to take risks and experiment relentlessly in the pursuit of novel stories and formats.
Subscribe to DUST on YouTube: bit.ly/2aqc5vh
🪐 You are entering a fictional zone: reality has been suspended.
A young detective must solve a murder with the help of a hologram copy of the victim.
"Alpha Test" by Stephen Packer
📶 Connect with the Filmmakers:
instagram.com/sphillipe
instagram.com/drivethrupictures
instagram.com/adam.camporeale
🎥 More About "Alpha Test":
In a near-future crime experiment, detective Esther is partnered with a holographic copy of a murder victim to solve the mystery of their death. But when the hologram begins to malfunction and ask forbidden questions, Esther challenges the rules of the program, triggering a deeper unraveling. Alpha Test is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller about memory, identity, and the true cost of simulation.
🎬 Director’s Statement:
We’re already using generative AI to recreate deceased loved ones, but what if we used that same technology to solve murders? The film really grew from that idea, but I wanted it to also be a critique of startup culture and how we as a species will inevitably pervert a power like that and use it for personal gain.
🎞️ About the Film:
Director/Writer - Stephen Packer
Producer - Adam Camporeale
Cinematographer - Nick Frayne
Production Designer - Ben Allen
First AD - Jack Langford
Location Sound - Nick Steele
Costume Design - Megan Oxenham
HMUA - Kaz Gower, Emily Davis, Beverley Freeman
Casting Director - Lucy Mclaughlin
Composer - Alex Olijnyk
Sound Designer/Mixer - Lee Yee
Colourist - Nicholas Hower
Visual Effects - Jack James Troisi
Cast:
Anna McGahan
Tim Phillipps
Mark Saturno
Henry Cooper
Connect with DUST:
Website 🌐: watchdust.com
Follow Us on Facebook 👍: facebook.com/watchdust
Follow Us on Instagram 📷: instagram.com/watchdust
Follow us on TikTok 📱: tiktok.com/@watch_dust
#DUST #scifi #shortfilm
Submit Your Short Film: filmfreeway.com/alterdustsubmissions
NOTE: Only completed shorts will be considered. Unsolicited scripts or pitches will be immediately deleted without review.
About DUST:
DUST is a thriving community of storytellers, working together to present thought-provoking science fiction stories. Beyond our longstanding presence on YouTube, DUST also operates ALIEN NATION, a free streaming tv channel available on Google TV, Pluto TV, DIRECTV, Sling, TiVo, Freevee, Fubo, Roku, CW, LG, Plex, Samsung TV+, Tablo, TCL+, Tubi, Vizio, & Fumo.
Learn how to Watch ALIEN NATION on TV: https://linktr.ee/futureawaits
Listen to the DUST podcast:
Apple: bit.ly/DUST-Audio
Spotify: bit.ly/DUST-Spotify
Stitcher: bit.ly/DUST-Stitcher
Castbox: bit.ly/DUST-Castbox
iHeart: bit.ly/DUST-iHeart
About Gunpowder + Sky:
Creating content that resonates and impacts pop culture conversation, by empowering creators to take risks and experiment relentlessly in the pursuit of novel stories and formats.
