Alien 40th Anniversary Short Film Round-Up

Over the last few weeks, IGN has been releasing fan-made short films inspired by the Alien franchise, which is all part of the yearlong 40th anniversary celebration of Sir Ridley Scott’s 1979 cinematic masterpiece. This partnership between 20th Century Fox and Tongal has brought numerous filmmakers together to create a series of films to help promote Alien Day, which is intentionally celebrated on April 26th as a reference to LV-426 (aka Acheron), the setting of both Alien and its sequel, Aliens.

Have a look below for each of the six short-films in order from release along with the synopsis for each.

ALIEN: Containment - Chris Reading

Four survivors find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. Trying to piece together the details around the outbreak that led to their ship's destruction, they find themselves unsure to trust whether or not one of them might be infected.

ALIEN: Specimen - Kelsey Taylor

It's the night shift in a colony greenhouse, and Julie, a botanist, does her best to contain suspicious soil samples that have triggered her sensitive lab dog. Despite her best efforts, the lab unexpectedly goes into full shutdown and she is trapped inside. Little does she know, an alien specimen has escaped the mysterious cargo, and a game of cat and mouse ensues as the creature searches for a host.

ALIEN: Night Shift - Aidan Brezonick

When a missing space trucker is discovered hungover and disoriented, his co-worker suggests a nightcap as a remedy. Near closing time, they are reluctantly allowed inside the colony supply depot where the trucker's condition worsens, leaving a young supply worker alone to take matters into her own hands.

ALIEN: Ore - The Spear Sisters

As a hard-working miner of a planet mining colony, Lorraine longs to make a better life for her daughter and grandchildren. When her shift uncovers the death of a fellow miner under mysterious circumstances, Lorraine is forced to choose between escape or defying management orders and facing her fears to fight for the safety of her family.

ALIEN: Harvest - Benjamin Howdeshell

The surviving crew of a damaged deep-space harvester have minutes to reach the emergency evacuation shuttle. A motion sensor is their only navigation tool leading them to safety while a creature in the shadows terrorizes the crew. However, the greatest threat might have been hiding in plain sight all along.

ALIEN: Alone - Noah Miller

Hope, an abandoned crew member aboard the derelict chemical hauler Otranto, has spent a year trying to keep her ship and herself alive as both slowly fall apart. After discovering hidden cargo, she risks it all to power up the broken ship in search of human life.

Well, there you have it. What a great way to celebrate Alien Day by supporting these rising filmmakers in their great efforts to honor this beloved series. Which one was your favorite in the list? Have your voice heard in the comments below or on any of our social media accounts. Stay tuned to Dead Entertainment for all the latest news and updates regarding the Alien franchise!

About the Author

Jay Gervais

From small town to big city and back again, Jay was born and raised in Canada and has lived his whole life there. He’s always ready to cut down any misconceptions his American friends have of life in the great white north. He’s also no stranger to this kind of community, and has plenty of experience under his bed. He enjoys all kinds of horror entertainment, as long as it’s got the heart and soul to it. When he’s not doing something here, he can be found at his post at the night’s watch, or knee deep into his school studies.

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