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It’s natural when in a long term relationship to question the different ways you act around your partner at various points in your life. Filmmaker Peter Collins Campbell’s short Variations on a Theme takes those questions of self-awareness to a whole new level, however, by making them literal in the form of a science fiction style concept about a couple who start to investigate the ability they have to physically split their bodies into many different versions of themselves. It’s an engrossing, philosophical and technically-impressive short film that despite its relatively small budget looks completely seamless in its visual effects work. Dn last spoke to Campbell a few years ago for his absurdist comedy Summer Vacation, and invited him back to our pages today for a chat about the journey he went on making Variations on a Theme, learning how it started from a desire to impulsively...

"How do we contain this?" What do you do when more & more clones don't stop replicating? Here's a clever sci-fi short film to enjoy that's now online to watch. Variations on a Theme is an 8-minute sci-fi short by filmmaker Peter Collins Campbell, about a couple that has started splitting into copies of themselves. It was filmed in Chicago and screened at various festivals in the last year, including at Overlook, Beyond Fest, Fantaspoa, Grimmfest, Seattle, Popcorn Frights, and plenty others. A couple has begun physically splitting into many different versions of themselves, and must investigate an uncomfortable mutation. "I'm getting really tired of breaking the news that we already exist to copies of ourselves." This stars Sophia Dunn-Walker as Sam and Peter Collins Campbell as Mark. Reminds of Primer as a smart lo-fi sci-fi concept, keeping it fast-paced coming in under 8 minutes while providing plenty to think about within the narrative.

Stars: Nell Hudson, Wil Coban, Florrie Wilkinson, Alice Eve, Joel Fry, Lenny Rush, Sophia Dunn-Walker, Wesley Alfvin, Maddison Nixon | Written by Tom Vaughan | Directed by Gary Shore

Horrors on the high sea are a common enough theme, from Ghost Ship and Deathship to The Haunting of the Mary Celeste and Titanic 666 there are plenty of them. The most recent of these, The Haunting of the Queen Mary opens on Halloween Eve,1938 when the ship’s festivities are replaced with terror as an axe-wielding man hacks his way through its corridors.

The plot then circles back a few hours to show Gwen and David Ratch sneaking into an exclusive party in an attempt to get their daughter Jackie introduced to some Hollywood stars who they hope can help her become the next Shirley Temple.

In the present day, Anne and Patrick Calder along with their son Lukas visit the ship with...

Stars: Nell Hudson, Wil Coban, Florrie Wilkinson, Alice Eve, Joel Fry, Lenny Rush, Sophia Dunn-Walker, Wesley Alfvin, Maddison Nixon | Written by Tom Vaughan | Directed by Gary Shore

Horrors on the high sea are a common enough theme, from Ghost Ship and Deathship to The Haunting of the Mary Celeste and Titanic 666 there are plenty of them. The most recent of these, The Queen Mary opens on Halloween Eve,1938 when the ship’s festivities are replaced with terror as an axe-wielding man hacks his way through its corridors.

The plot then circles back a few hours to show Gwen and David Ratch sneaking into an exclusive party in an attempt to get their daughter Jackie introduced to some Hollywood stars who they hope can help her become the next Shirley Temple.

In the present day, Anne and Patrick Calder along with their son Lukas visit the ship with the idea of...