Garrett Duncan (musician) and team from Salem, Arkansas have a award winning short film.”

“The Darkened” is a faith based short film created to accommodate a six song EP of the same name.

It has recently won three awards, two from Best Shorts Competition and one from IndieFEST Film Awards. Both are online international film festivals judged by Oscar and Emmy Award winning judges.

Duncan, 25, has won a prestigious Award of Recognition from the IndieFEST Film Awards. The award was given for his original track “FEAR” featured in his film The Darkened. 

The film includes three original songs by Garrett, all released under his album of the same name. The three songs focused on in his film are “The Darkened,” “Fear,” and “Wages.”

Duncan also won a prestigious Award of Recognition from The Best Shorts Film Competition in two categories. The award was also awarded for The Darkened, an experimental Christian deepdive. 

The Darkened features exceptional storytelling, a wonderful cast, and many unique film facets. Filmed in Salem, Ark, with a few scenes in nearby towns, this piece features 91 visual effects created by Jared Soucie, 22, of Salem and an original soundtrack by Duncan.

Duncan said, “I really have to give it all to God. He has been with us from the moment I wrote the first song to the day we released our short film. Beginning as a normal three-part music video series, we eventually moved to create a full-length short film. We had many scenes that got tossed out during the classic music video releases due to time constraints. We decided we had to make a short film so our audience could see the bigger picture we were setting up.

Our team used what we had available to us and worked within our budget, so I’m very proud of everyone that stepped up to make this possible. Many thanks go out to family and friends. Without them, our project wouldn’t have been possible.”

The Best Shorts Competition recognizes film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about Best Shorts and a list of recent winners can be found at www.BestShorts.net.

In winning a Best Shorts Award, Duncan and his team joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award including Academy Award winner Mr Hublot from Laurent Witz from Luxembourg,  2021 Academy Award-nominee Doug Roland for the short film Feeling Through,  Disney Interactive for Vinlymation: A Love Story and so many more. Rick Prickett, who chairs The Best Shorts Competition, had this to say about the latest winners, “Best Shorts is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The Best Shorts Competition helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of Best Shorts is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”

The IndieFEST Film Awards recognizes film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about the IndieFEST and a list of recent winners can be found at www.theindiefest.com.

In winning an IndieFEST Film Award, Garrett Duncan joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award including 2021 Academy Award winner “If Anything Happens I Love You” by Laura Dern, Will McCormack and Michael Govier,  Oscar-nominee Liam Neeson as the narrator of Love Thy Nature,  A Path Appears Documentary featuring Oscar-winner George Clooney and Blake Lively, Radical Grace executive produced by Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon, a searing expose Davids and Goliath by Peabody winner Leon Lee, and Touched with Fire starring Katie Holmes.  Rick Prickett, who chairs The IndieFEST Film Awards, had this to say about the latest winners, “The IndieFEST is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The IndieFEST helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of The IndieFEST Film Awards is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”