An independent short film

RemainsAbove Us

The stars are gone.

In productionComing soon

The film

An absence no one can explain.

One night, the familiar sky changes. The stars are gone. Not hidden by clouds. Gone.

In Bryan/College Station, two astronomers confront an observation that should be impossible. Around them, ordinary life continues: conversations, routines, the small things people hold onto when the world stops making sense.

Remains Above Us is a grounded science-fiction short film about uncertainty, evidence, and the people trying to understand what they have seen.

Something fundamental has changed. What would you look for first?

Characters & cast

People beneath
the sky.

Dr. Daniel Mercer

Played by Chris Rogers

An astrophysicist and father who trusts careful observation. When the familiar sky becomes unfamiliar, he turns to the evidence.

Dr. Tatyana Kovalenko

Played by Kassandra Maduzia

An astronomer and Daniel’s colleague. Practical, direct, and deeply capable, she brings her own perspective to an impossible observation.

Ella Mercer

Played by Mikaila Palm

Daniel’s teenage daughter and a musician, with her own life and questions as the adults around her search for answers.

Behind the scenes

Made close
to home.

A small, collaborative production in the Bryan/College Station area, built around performances, familiar places, and the quiet tension of an altered world.

Real places

Location scouting looks for everyday spaces where an extraordinary event can feel immediate and believable.

Patient images

Naturalistic cinematography, practical light, and carefully framed darkness leave room for the audience to look and listen.

Shared craft

Cast and crew are shaping the film through preparation, camera and sound work, visual development, and a commitment to the human story at its center.

Follow the production

See the film take shape.

Updates and glimpses from the making of Remains Above Us.

Visit Instagram

Gallery

Images from the film.

There is more to see. In time.

Approved production images coming soon

About the project

A film about
looking up.

Remains Above Us is an independent short film written and directed by Richard Wilkins.

Made in and around Bryan/College Station, Texas, it approaches an impossible astronomical event through ordinary people and recognizable places. The film favors observation, atmosphere, and human connection over spectacle.

Written & directed by Richard Wilkins