A Festival Launch

The Trunk has officially been selected for HollyShorts 2025 and FilmQuest 2025 in Utah, marking an impeccable directorial debut for filmmaker Craig Blair. The film stars Lamorne Morris (New Girl, Fargo), bringing both comedic timing and dramatic edge to this 1970s desert tale of friendship, loss, and the supernatural.

The Story

It’s 1978, and Mitchell (Morris) races into the desert in his Lincoln Town Car with his best friend Steve (Kyle Shevrin) riding shotgun. At their feet: a leather-bound book of the dead. In the trunk: something they’d rather not confront.

As the two argue over love, loyalty, and the past, the line between their baggage and something far darker starts to blur. Equal parts road movie, horror short, and buddy comedy, The Trunk mixes genre with heart.

A Proof of Concept

For Blair and producer Fiona Hardingham in partnership with Adapted Pictures, The Trunk is more than a short — it’s a proof of concept for their feature project. The short form allowed them to explore tone, character, and scale while laying the groundwork for a larger story. It required two days of production, including a chase setup in the desert and green screen studio for talent performance.

Valkyr’s Role

In partnership with Adapted, Valkyr helped foster the production through our Orbital initiative, providing the infrastructure and expertise that gave the film its scope:

• Production van & chase vehicle for on-location mobility
• Ronin 2 with Flowcine Black Arm for the film’s dynamic driving shots
• G&E support to shape the 1970s aesthetic
• Production guidance from prep through post

Filmmaking at this level is always a collaboration, finding stability and scale to capture the desert sequences and creature moments with cinematic polish.

Looking Ahead

As The Trunk makes its way through the festival circuit, we’re proud to have played a role in supporting Craig’s directorial debut, Fiona’s producing vision, and Lamorne’s standout performance.

For us, Orbital is about fostering work like this — giving filmmakers the resources and backbone they need to bring bold short-form projects to life and build momentum toward the next step.