Uploaded April 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 group of lunar colonists participate in a high-tech drug trial that quickly spirals into deadly chaos.
"Moondays" by Mark DePasquale
📶 Connect with the Filmmakers:
instagram.com/markd_films
🎬 Director’s Statement:
My team and I crafted Moondays as a testament to how virtual production can empower indie filmmakers to tell visually ambitious stories that typically require blockbuster budgets. More than that, I wanted to use the sandbox of the tech to create something that I hadn’t really seen it be used for: an absurdist comedy. The result is what I describe as a very dark episode of Futurama. Something that’s dripping with all the aesthetic swag of a sharp sci-fi thriller, but bursting at the seams with classic slapstick gags and cartoonish characters. It’s such an unlikely pairing that the contrast itself becomes part of the joke. A sort of meta satire on the state of virtual production filmmaking today. Most modern sci-fi films take themselves really seriously, so I wanted to make sure that ours didn’t.
🎞️ About the Film:
Written and Directed by: Mark DePasquale
Produced by: Jillian Sczesnak and Joe Florentino
Executive Producers: Shelly Sabel, Darren Goldberg, Chris Marsh, and Alden McLellan
Director of Photography: Jelani Paul
Production Designer: Dave Lieber
Script Supervisor: Kelsey Lynn Stokes
1st ACs: Rue Sawant, Nick Ortiz, Lenlee Hosang
2nd AC: Sam Li
Gaffers: Ted Goodwin, Christian Deweever
Key Grip: Katie Colwell
Best Boy Electric: Tim Sergio
G/E Swing: Eric Martin
Sound Mixers: Natalie Cordero, Sedona Regan
HMU: Maiko Ando, Max Leary
Costume Designer: Lucy Mitnick
Costume PA: Joanne Chuang
Art PA's: Eleanor Scott, Hannah Taylor, Molly Kramer
BTS Photographers: Sonya Dagata, Bettina Avila, Nick Deveau
Technical VP Systems Director: Michael Kohler
Studio Manager: Colton Suarez
Volume Operators: Ren Ciarrocchi, Ryan Paz
Production Coordinator: Arora McCargar
Key PA: Sophie Penn
PA's: Emily Jasani, Zoe Glasgow, Chi Tran, Vuong Hoang, Caleria Gonzalez, Ohmer Khan, Jean Pham
Stunt Coordinators: Lenlee Hosang, Nick Ortiz
Editing and VFX by: Mark DePasquale
VFX PA: Greg Joblove
Monster Designer and Modeler: Roie Karni
Colorist: Cedric Von Niederhausern
Sound Design and Mix by: David Leaver
Score and Original Music by: Pierre-Philippe Cote
Recording Engineer and Additional Music: Dominic Voulanger
Score Coordinator: Ryan Strauss
Special Thanks: Fuse Technical Group, Disguise, Stype, Jaron Berman, Nicholas Carlson, Rosanne Limoncelli
Production Company: Atlantic Pictures
Made in Partnership with Fuse Technical Group and the XR Stage Times Square at New 42 Studios
Cast:
Kate Buatti
Olivia Stuck
Kent Mcguire
Jori Felker
Sydney Richman
Lauren Buatti
Kathleen Felker
Jeff Luteran
Shane Speigel
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 group of lunar colonists participate in a high-tech drug trial that quickly spirals into deadly chaos.
"Moondays" by Mark DePasquale
📶 Connect with the Filmmakers:
instagram.com/markd_films
🎬 Director’s Statement:
My team and I crafted Moondays as a testament to how virtual production can empower indie filmmakers to tell visually ambitious stories that typically require blockbuster budgets. More than that, I wanted to use the sandbox of the tech to create something that I hadn’t really seen it be used for: an absurdist comedy. The result is what I describe as a very dark episode of Futurama. Something that’s dripping with all the aesthetic swag of a sharp sci-fi thriller, but bursting at the seams with classic slapstick gags and cartoonish characters. It’s such an unlikely pairing that the contrast itself becomes part of the joke. A sort of meta satire on the state of virtual production filmmaking today. Most modern sci-fi films take themselves really seriously, so I wanted to make sure that ours didn’t.
🎞️ About the Film:
Written and Directed by: Mark DePasquale
Produced by: Jillian Sczesnak and Joe Florentino
Executive Producers: Shelly Sabel, Darren Goldberg, Chris Marsh, and Alden McLellan
Director of Photography: Jelani Paul
Production Designer: Dave Lieber
Script Supervisor: Kelsey Lynn Stokes
1st ACs: Rue Sawant, Nick Ortiz, Lenlee Hosang
2nd AC: Sam Li
Gaffers: Ted Goodwin, Christian Deweever
Key Grip: Katie Colwell
Best Boy Electric: Tim Sergio
G/E Swing: Eric Martin
Sound Mixers: Natalie Cordero, Sedona Regan
HMU: Maiko Ando, Max Leary
Costume Designer: Lucy Mitnick
Costume PA: Joanne Chuang
Art PA's: Eleanor Scott, Hannah Taylor, Molly Kramer
BTS Photographers: Sonya Dagata, Bettina Avila, Nick Deveau
Technical VP Systems Director: Michael Kohler
Studio Manager: Colton Suarez
Volume Operators: Ren Ciarrocchi, Ryan Paz
Production Coordinator: Arora McCargar
Key PA: Sophie Penn
PA's: Emily Jasani, Zoe Glasgow, Chi Tran, Vuong Hoang, Caleria Gonzalez, Ohmer Khan, Jean Pham
Stunt Coordinators: Lenlee Hosang, Nick Ortiz
Editing and VFX by: Mark DePasquale
VFX PA: Greg Joblove
Monster Designer and Modeler: Roie Karni
Colorist: Cedric Von Niederhausern
Sound Design and Mix by: David Leaver
Score and Original Music by: Pierre-Philippe Cote
Recording Engineer and Additional Music: Dominic Voulanger
Score Coordinator: Ryan Strauss
Special Thanks: Fuse Technical Group, Disguise, Stype, Jaron Berman, Nicholas Carlson, Rosanne Limoncelli
Production Company: Atlantic Pictures
Made in Partnership with Fuse Technical Group and the XR Stage Times Square at New 42 Studios
Cast:
Kate Buatti
Olivia Stuck
Kent Mcguire
Jori Felker
Sydney Richman
Lauren Buatti
Kathleen Felker
Jeff Luteran
Shane Speigel
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.
