2020 · 116 min · Drama, mockumentary, science fiction · 13+
Set in 2029, a decade after a pandemic has killed more than four billion people, SARS-29 is a fictional documentary that explores how the world changed through the stories of thirty survivors.
Synopsis
Thirty people sit down in front of a camera in the year 2029 and describe the decade since SARS-29 swept the world: a former inmate, a nursing-home manager, a veterinarian, a senator, survivors from Switzerland and China, and a man who insists he is Arthur Schopenhauer. Their accounts build a portrait of a civilization that lost over half its population and had to decide what to keep.
Written before COVID-19 and released in August 2020, SARS-29 became an unexpectedly prescient film, and the most awarded in VIDART’s catalog, with festival wins for storyline, editing, acting and best feature in 2022. It was made on a micro-budget with an international cast and finished entirely in-house.
Details
| Title | SARS-29 |
| Year | 2020 |
| Runtime | 116 min |
| Genre | Drama, mockumentary, science fiction |
| Rating | 13+ |
| Directed by | The Existentialist |
| Written and produced by | Michael Szymczyk |
| Cinematography | Koren Young |
| Production company | VIDART |
Cast
| Adam Holley | Former Inmate |
| Sara Quiriconi | Interviewer |
| Bella Shaw | Interviewer |
| Brett Azar | William Connor |
| Cela Scott | |
| Kenton Hoover | Chris Funk |
| Linda Cushma | Nursing Home Manager |
| Liz Chuday | Vet |
| Mark Holden | Iowa Senator Michael Brown |
| Mary Beth Morrison | Mary White |
| Micheline Wu | Susan Proust |
| Daniel Kreizberg | Arthur Schopenhauer |
| Daniela Nyffenegger | Swiss Pandemic Survivor |
| James Copplestone Farmer | Robert Wilson |
| Joerg Kohring | Pete Jenson |
| Jolie Curtsinger | Carol Hilfer |
| Jonathan Fishman | Tony Fremont |
| Crystal J. Huang | Chinese Survivor |
| Jasmine Keys | Former Doctor |
Awards and festival selections
- Best Storyline – TIFF 2022
- Best Acting – Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival 2022
- Best Editing – Chicago Cinema Awards 2022
- Best Indie Feature Film – Europe Independent Movie Festival 2022
- Best Pandemic Movie – Horror Bowl Movie Awards 2022
- Best Film of the Pandemic
Frequently asked questions
Is SARS-29 a real documentary?
No. It is a fictional documentary set in 2029 and performed by actors, written and shot before the COVID-19 pandemic. Its pandemic is invented, which is part of why its release in August 2020 drew attention.
Where can I watch SARS-29?
On Prime Video (stream, rent or buy), free with ads on Plex, and to rent or buy on Apple TV in the United States.
What awards did SARS-29 win?
Best Storyline (TIFF 2022), Best Acting (Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival 2022), Best Editing (Chicago Cinema Awards 2022), Best Indie Feature Film (Europe Independent Movie Festival 2022) and Best Pandemic Movie (Horror Bowl Movie Awards 2022), among other selections.
More VIDART films
Make your film with VIDART
VIDART is a Madison, Wisconsin production company that writes, shoots and finishes features, commercials, documentaries and generative-AI projects in-house. Crew and equipment from $1,500 a day across the Midwest.