MARS
by Geoff Marslett

Welcome to the distant, high-tech future... okay, 2015. A new space race is born between NASA and the ESA when Charlie Brownsville (Mark Duplass, director of CYRUS and star of HUMPDAY), Hank Morrison (Paul Gordon, director and star of THE HAPPY POET) and Dr. Casey Cook (Zoe Simpson) compete against an artificially intelligent robot to find out what the heck is up there on the red planet. On the first manned mission to our galactic neighbor, this trio of astronauts experiences life-threatening accidents, severe self-doubt, obnoxious reporters, and the boredom of extended space travel.

Written and directed with a Southwestern flair, Geoff Marslett's eccentric feature debut features an indie-cool cast of supporting talent (Giant Sand singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, comic book artist and rock-n-roller James Kochalka, Cynthia Watros (LOST), Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls), plus iconoclastic Texas humorist-musician-politico Kinky Friedman as the President of the United States) and ultimately presents an exploration of exploration. Why do we want to know what is out there? How do we react to what we find? Is it actually that important? And where does love fit into the whole thing?

"Gene Siskel Film Center's Christopher Wetzel Award for Independent Film Comedy
- Second Place"
Just for Laughs Comedy Festival

"Best Animated Feature"
San Francisco Film Festival

"Narrative Ambition"
Indie Memphis

"Honorable Mention"
Dallas Video Fest