Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A lonely schoolteacher's day takes a dark turn when her beloved pet rabbit mysteriously disappears.
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Galapagos by Kyle Sims
kylemsims.com
"The title was meant to suggest the film’s core theme: evolution. The Galapagos Islands are where Darwin developed his theory of natural selection, and between the evolution of the teacher character and the biodiversity of the film, Galapagos felt like a subtle but evocative nod. An early edit even included an insert of a Darwin poster on the wall (which we ended up cutting for time), but other references are sprinkled in throughout – from the design of the end credits to those specimens in the jars in the biology classroom – giving that sense of ‘evolution no more’. In other words, look what happens to these creatures who don’t evolve fast enough to avoid getting caught… it’s ultimately the unspoken question the student asks the teacher: will you be prey? Or will you evolve fast enough to become the predator?"
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Galapagos with our exclusive interview with writer/director Kyle Sims
directorsnotes.com/2026/08/26/kyle-sims-galapagos
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// Credits //
Staring Catherine Curtin &Trace Talbot
Written & Directed & Edited by Kyle Sims
Produced by Owen Lazur
Cinematographer Alex Hass
Production Design Yves Pasquarelli & Gretta Wilson
1st AC Cece Chan
2nd AC Jack McGovern
Gaffer Julian Cahill
Key Grip Ronan Daly
Production Sound Mixer Pat Zimmon
Hair and Makeup Charlotte Bravin Lee
Original Score Nathan Prillaman
Colorist Jared Rosenthal
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#psychologicalthriller #powerdynamics #shortfilm
A lonely schoolteacher's day takes a dark turn when her beloved pet rabbit mysteriously disappears.
🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more trailblazing shorts: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
Galapagos by Kyle Sims
kylemsims.com
"The title was meant to suggest the film’s core theme: evolution. The Galapagos Islands are where Darwin developed his theory of natural selection, and between the evolution of the teacher character and the biodiversity of the film, Galapagos felt like a subtle but evocative nod. An early edit even included an insert of a Darwin poster on the wall (which we ended up cutting for time), but other references are sprinkled in throughout – from the design of the end credits to those specimens in the jars in the biology classroom – giving that sense of ‘evolution no more’. In other words, look what happens to these creatures who don’t evolve fast enough to avoid getting caught… it’s ultimately the unspoken question the student asks the teacher: will you be prey? Or will you evolve fast enough to become the predator?"
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of Galapagos with our exclusive interview with writer/director Kyle Sims
directorsnotes.com/2026/08/26/kyle-sims-galapagos
👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes
Podcast: pod.link/192507317
// Credits //
Staring Catherine Curtin &Trace Talbot
Written & Directed & Edited by Kyle Sims
Produced by Owen Lazur
Cinematographer Alex Hass
Production Design Yves Pasquarelli & Gretta Wilson
1st AC Cece Chan
2nd AC Jack McGovern
Gaffer Julian Cahill
Key Grip Ronan Daly
Production Sound Mixer Pat Zimmon
Hair and Makeup Charlotte Bravin Lee
Original Score Nathan Prillaman
Colorist Jared Rosenthal
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#psychologicalthriller #powerdynamics #shortfilm
