Synopsis
When you’re one of the last human combat medics, underfunded and unappreciated for decades in a galactic war, you don’t always follow orders. So when Doc (Andrew Bowen) and Asher (John Asher) discover that command has abandoned a pair of injured soldiers on an alien planet, they concoct a risky and unauthorized plan to save them. The heroic but poorly conceived rescue doesn’t go quite the way they hoped, sending Doc and the soldiers (Lauren McFall and Taj Speights) on a wild and bumpy ride none of them expected.
About the Film
THE 716TH marks an exceptional addition to writer, direct and star Andrew Bowen’s growing filmography as a gifted storyteller – and a stunning display of artistry from the talented cast and crew who helped Bowen bring this original and hugely entertaining science-fiction adventure to life!
Bowen and his creative team dedicated over a year and a half to creating the ambitious short film for only 10K. With these constraints, Bowen not only wrote, produced, directed, edited, and starred in the short – but had to served as its art director and production designer – drawing storyboards, building all the props – and spending nights over the course of two months constructing the sets with producer and friend John Maclay.
The short films wildly entertaining and expectation-shattering combination of high energy, endearing characters, laugh-out-loud moments and impressive visual effects (lead by VFX supervisor/producer Jon Alvord) led to it making its world premier at The Tribeca Film Festival. The short’s cinematic scale, high-caliber VFX, and rich storytelling were unprecedented at its price point of 10K (paid for by friend and orthopedic surgeon, Daniel C. Allison). Led by Bowen’s ability to rally top-tier talent to collaborate on the project, enthusiastic leadership and ability to bring out people’s creative best, the short received overwhelmingly positive audience reaction and critical acclaim. The short went on to win ‘Best Sci-Fi Short Film’ at the Slozy Awards that year, then continued its unprecedented run, by making its streaming debut on Amazon Prime. A few short weeks after its debut, Bowen recouped his initial budget after being awarded a bonus of 10K from Amazon, for record audience engagement.
The short has received over 12 million views since its streaming debut, and amassed a large and growing fan base, eager to see the story of The 716th, continue.
