When Darren agrees to give Irene a ride to a birthday party, we journey into the depths of his fragile ego as it becomes clear that the reality of the evening will fall short of his deluded expectations. Directed by Mike Manning #toxicshort | http://toxicshort.com | imdb.com/title/tt10116384/ *** BME Films in association with Center Wheel Productions present "Toxic." Starring John Bain, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Nican Robinson, Liza Dean, Nicole Carmela, Byrne Owens, Gabriela Fresquez Written by Mike Manning & Tom Anderson Produced by Wesley Barker Co-Producers Keisha Castle-Hughes, Thomas Boucher Executive Producers Mike Manning, Lauren Manning, Dane Naimy Director of Photography Kevin Zanit Production Designer Sage Griffin Edited by Dane Naimy Costume Deisgner Sara Fox Music by Daniel Walter Music Supervisor Alexa Collazo VFX Supervisor John Stewart Supervising Sound Editor Mark Camperell, cas/mpse Casting by Karina Walters, csa

2020 | Short Film | IMDb | Letterboxd

When Darren agrees to give Irene a ride to a birthday party, we journey into the depths of his fragile ego as it becomes clear that the evening will fall short of his deluded expectations.

Directed by Mike Manning | Written by Mike Manning & Tom Anderson

 

Producer: WESLEY BARKER | Co-Producers: KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES, THOMAS BOUCHER | Executive Producers: MIKE MANNING, LAUREN MANNING and DANE NAIMY | Associate Producers: ZADE AKKAD, COLIN BLANKENSHIP | Director of Photography: KEVIN ZANIT | Production Designer: SAGE GRIFFIN | Editor: DANE NAIMY | Costume Designer: SARA FOX | Composer: DANIEL WALTER | Music Supervisor: ALEXA COLLAZO | VFX Supervisor: JOHN STEWART | Supervising Sound Designer: MARK CAMPERELL | Casting Director: KARINA WALTERS, C.S.A.

 
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When Darren agrees to give Irene a ride to a birthday party, we journey into the depths of his fragile ego as it becomes clear that the evening will fall short of his deluded expectations. BME Films presents "Toxic," directed by Mike Manning. Visit http://toxicshort.com for more info.

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Featured
Toxic: A Lesson For all; The Poison Of An Inflated Ego
Toxic: A Lesson For all; The Poison Of An Inflated Ego

Toxic has been reviewed and featured on IndieShortsMag.com! In addition to praising Mike Manning’s direction, their review goes on to specifically highlight the fantastic work by actors John Bain and Keisha Castle-Hughes, Kevin Zanit’s cinematography, Dane Naimy’s editing and Daniel Walter’s score. Read the full review HERE!

A Fragile Ego Cracks in Short Film 'Toxic' from Mike Manning
A Fragile Ego Cracks in Short Film 'Toxic' from Mike Manning

Toxic has been reviewed and featured on FirstShowing.net! In Alex Billington’s review, he discusses how “The film plays on insecurities and the confusion of expectations vs reality, but also shows us how one fragile male ego cracks after being rejected by a woman at a party.” Read the entire piece HERE!

TOXIC is the "Short of the Day" on Shorted!
TOXIC is the "Short of the Day" on Shorted!

Toxic has been featured as the “Short of the Day” on Shorted! They note in their review that “it's very important to pay attention to the images which inhabit the screen, whether in a corner or predominating the space entirely, for it is them that carry the intended, distinctive, well-defined message of the plot.”

TOXIC Featured on the Short Film Platform Omeleto!
TOXIC Featured on the Short Film Platform Omeleto!

Toxic is now available on Omeleto! Be sure to check out their amazing review where they describe the film as “undeniably topical, but it escapes the traps of being an “issue” film with a deft, complex portrayal of how insecurity and entitlement intertwine with one another to form a toxic combination.”

TOXIC is a "Featured Short" on Film Shortage!
TOXIC is a "Featured Short" on Film Shortage!

Film Shortage has premiered Toxic on their website as a “Featured Short!” Their review: “While the setting is one that happens on the daily, it’s rare that we get this point of view captured. Where we get a intriguing glimpse at how insecurities can create radicalizations. Even though the film doesn’t contain a horrific ending, we applaud the raw setup and insinuations of what’s to come.”

The Valley Film Festival to screen TOXIC as an "Official Selection" at the Drive-in!
The Valley Film Festival to screen TOXIC as an "Official Selection" at the Drive-in!

Toxic will screen in competition at the 20th annual Valley Film Fest on Saturday, 11/14 at The Plant Drive-in in Van Nuys!

Show time is at 6:30pm, get your tickets HERE.

TOXIC is an "Official Selection" At The Inaugural LOUDOUN ARTS FILM FESTIVAL!
TOXIC is an "Official Selection" At The Inaugural LOUDOUN ARTS FILM FESTIVAL!

Toxic will be screening (virtually) in competition at the inaugural Loudoun Arts Film Festival! The film will be available to stream from 8/29 to 9/5 as part of Shorts Block 1.

Tickets available HERE.

TOXIC Awarded "Best Short" by IndieX Fest
TOXIC Awarded "Best Short" by IndieX Fest

Toxic was awarded “Best Short” in July as part of the monthly online competition IndieX Film Festival.