‘Dust’ Goes Over-the-Top With Short-Form Sci-Fi

Add “Dust” to a growing group of multiscreen services that is focused on short-form sci-fi fare from both emerging and established filmmakers.

Dust, a service from Gunpowder & Sky, is launching today across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and the web.

The offering, billed as a “destination for binge watchable sci-fi featuring short films, series and behind-the-scenes content,” is launching with an exclusive debut of a thriller called Where The Shadows Fall that’s directed by Kate Phillips and written by Will Welles.  DUST has also begun production of Product Wars, its first original.

Dust, which has tapped the help of producer Steve Tzirlin (late of Lucasfilm and Fox Filmed Entertainment), said it is starting off with a curated selection of more than 100 sci-fi films. It’s also producing factual programming around sci-fi and technology topics.

Dust is just the latest multiplatform OTT focused on the genre. Last month, a service called Recursor launched with a focus on short-form, “hard” science fiction fare developed by independent filmmakers and content creators.

“Sci-fi shorts, as well as the overall sci-fi culture, is reminiscent of the renaissance in music videos at the dawn of MTV in the 80s,” Van Toffler, CEO of Gunpowder & Sky, said in a statement. “Dust is yet another great avenue for Gunpowder & Sky to partner with emerging as well as established filmmakers paving the way in the sci-fi genre.”