“This is Sci-Fi at it’s best!”

Iris, torn out of her idyllic digital world and uploaded into a stolen synthetic body by her grieving mother, must face her body's objectification and violent potential in a dark future.

Venus is an exceptional and compelling Sci-Fi from director Andrew McGee which will entertain any audience that watches it. This is Sci-Fi at its best!

With a relatively short duration of 14 minutes, McGee manages to pack as much story into it as possible to create a lasting Sci-Fi that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

This film is full of cinematic visuals, stunning FX, powerful performances and a compelling story. Something that many short Sci-Fi films don’t manage to pull off. The use of colour within the film feels right and not for the sake of it. McGee takes time to create a realistic world from which our characters exist.

The score and sound FX are expertly blended together here to create the futuristic world and give the performances more significance.

The performances from Margaret Clunie and Phoebe French leap from the screen. It’s a bold idea to have two separate actresses play the same character within a short film, but it works. You root for Iris from the beginning and feel her struggle throughout. Margaret Clunie takes on the role of Iris with precision and a total awareness of her character, something that even big budget Hollywood stars fail to do. It’s a delight to see! Abigail Moore is also worth noting, as she delivers a powerful and believable performance in a short space of time. The use of a female focussed cast feels right here and not simply to challenge the status quo.

Director of Photography Miguel Cármenes expertly captures the film in a way that’s best suited for the big screen. The use of lighting blends in perfectly with the Special FX and doesn’t feel out of place.

McGee takes on the writing alongside Tara Shehata who both manage to create a very intriguing and powerful story. It feels like a proof of concept for something bigger, which we hope becomes a reality. It’s films like these that show up big Hollywood blockbusters, proving that money doesn’t make a good film.

We are proud to give ‘Venus’ a solid 5 stars and encourage anyone and everyone to watch it.

— APEX Film Awards