| Unaware | |
|---|---|
Festival release poster |
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| Directed by | Sean Bardin[1] Robert Cooley[1] |
| Produced by | Sean Bardin Robert Cooley |
| Written by | Sean Bardin[2] |
| Editing by | Richard Allen Crook |
| Studio | Cooley Productions |
| Release date(s) | November 13, 2010 (Wanderings Film Festival) |
| Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Unaware is a science-fiction horror thriller film directed by Sean Bardin and Robert Cooley.[1] It follows a vacationing couple who discover something disturbing on a rural Texas ranch. Like the films Paranormal Activity (2007) and The Blair Witch Project (1999), Unaware is an independent feature presented in "found footage" format.[3] The producers have also followed in marketing the film to potential fans via Eventful.[4]
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In July 2010, a vacationing couple discovered something disturbing on a ranch in rural Texas. Armed with a home camcorder, they captured their experience on video.
As of 2011, a cast has not been revealed. The producers have also protested speculation that the film is a mockumentary, fueling criticism towards the film.[5]
Production details have also been closely guarded.[6] The budget remains unknown.
According to the film's trailer and critic reviews, the film involves "evidence" relating to the 1947 Roswell UFO incident.[7] Audio from an original radio broadcast[8] can be heard in the opening of the film's trailer and is used in the film as well. In addition, the film has no on-screen credits with exception to Sean Bardin, Robert Cooley, and Richard Allen Crook.
Unaware premiered in North America at the Wanderings Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 13, 2010.[9] Subsequent premieres included the 12th annual Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina on February 18–19, 2011,[10] and the 4th annual Indy Horror Film Festival in DeKalb, Illinois on March 6, 2011.[11] The film is currently scheduled to premiere at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma on April 25-May 1, 2011.[12] The film has yet to receive a wide release; however, its producers have stated that they have several major distributors interested in a potential branding and theatrical deal.[13]
As of March 2011, Unaware has won 6 awards and received 2 nominations, including an "Award of Merit" from the Accolade,[14] an "Orson Welles Award" in the California Film Awards,[15] and "Honorable Mention" in the Los Angeles Movie Awards.[16] It received the "Special Recognition Award" and was nominated for "Best Feature Film" and "Best Special Effects" at the Indy Horror Film Festival.[11] It has also been awarded the prestigious "Official Best of Fest Award" in two categories by Rick Stevenson's international competition, which places the film in the top 5% out of the 30,000 short films and 7,000 feature films considered by the committee that includes members of the Sundance Institute.[17]
Doc Rotten, a full-time critic who writes for numerous film review websites, including HorrorNews.Net, gave the film a 6.5 out of 10 rating and stated that it "provides intense thrills and chills leaving the film with an exciting, frightening conclusion."[7]
In an effort to boost publicity and persuade other indie filmmakers to follow suit, the Unaware producers announced in March 2011 that they had teamed up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by committing a significant percentage of the film's profits to charity, having already made a donation to the William J. Clinton Foundation in the name of the film.[18]