Heartland: Movies in Space

Writer-director Chris Smith's short film “Movies in Space” shows that even the most heroic of us can fall to the trappings of fame — even on another planet.

When astronaut Travis Shepard (Smith) arrives on a distant planet, his mission is simple: Co-exist with its inhabitants, make his observations and hit his departure date to return home to his fiancée, Rachel.

Shepard’s new roommate, Eepgarg, played by Jack De Sena, turns him onto the best "films" on the planet, which are nothing but a series of colored images and beeps. When the roommate seeks his advice on his own film, Shepard’s suggestions catapult the film to winning the planet’s top film award — the Pleerig.

From there Shepard goes from being a man of science to being the hottest producer on the globe and, in doing so, falls prey to drug addiction and watches as his career goes from the top to hitting rock bottom. He recovers from his stupor only to find he has missed his window home and now must make a life for himself where he’s stranded.

“Movies in Space” is surprisingly complex, exploring a solid story arc in spite of its minimal run time and delivering some nice laughs along the way.