Chris Alan Evans is an independent filmmaker based in Louisiana whose indie-cult-hit Peeping Todd streams on Midnight Pulp and is available to rent or buy on major platforms, following an award-winning festival run that included Best Actor and Best Music at FilmQuest 2025. He returns to the festival with Hivemind Deluxe, a sci-fi social satire inspired by the alien and UFO disclosure movement, and by the ways propaganda gets used to indoctrinate people into ideologies that don't serve their best interests. The logline is simple and ominous: on her birthday, a young disillusioned woman is dragged to a cosmic meditation circle where she is abducted by alien powers and must resist a hivemind promising belonging at the cost of her soul.
Evans, a professional journalist as well as a filmmaker, built the film around something he saw happening in his own family and friend circles. The result is a short that works as a ride first — eerie, funny, briskly paced — and as a question second. It belongs to the lineage of genre-as-commentary that runs through Don't Look Up and Bugonia, and, as Evans notes, it was finished before Pluribus arrived, a coincidence that suggests hiveminds and untrustworthy power structures are very much in the air.
Key Takeaways
- Evans replaced his actor's on-set alien voice with his own ADR performance, shifting a "man behind the curtain" gag into a scene about one woman's resistance.
- The production was so economical that scenes were broken down into lighting setups rather than performances, and the crew only understood the film's tone once the alien showed up.
- A minute and a half of character backstory was cut so the abduction could begin within the first 90 seconds.
Evans spoke with us about propaganda, chrome reflections, and what it takes to get an audience onto a spaceship quickly.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
I noticed that many of the conversations in my family and friend circles around politics became charged and filled with anger after a lifetime of not being so. As a professional journalist, I've noticed an influx of propaganda from what are supposed to be trusted news sources and leaders. I've also noticed that most people don't have the media literacy to distinguish between reporting and misinformation. I wanted to make a fun alien movie that comments on our propensity to be indoctrinated into ideologies through subtle, slow manipulation.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically, including any moment that changed how you saw the story?
There is a sequence where our abductee, played by Maddie Nichols, is confronted by the alien. The voice she hears from the alien is different from the voice the audience hears. I wanted to make a fun version of the "man behind the curtain," but when we got into the editing process it was clear that the alien's dialogue needed to change from what we performed on set. Ultimately, I voiced the alien in ADR, replacing the vocal performance our actor gave on set. The story really became about her resistance in this sequence rather than just a fun trick for the audience.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
There is a sequence where one of our abductees, played by Jamie Costa, is confronted by a talking robotic alien dildo. That definitely seems like something I would write.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
There was a much longer scene at the beginning of the film that really informs the motivation and history of the characters, but for a fun alien abduction short film, I needed to get to the titles and start the story sooner rather than later. So a full minute and a half of brilliant acting and fun jokes were cut in favor of getting to the start of the space ride in the first 90 seconds.
What tool, technique, resource, collaborator, or mindset shift helped most during production?
On day one of shooting, the crew openly admitted they weren't sure what type of film we were making. We had to shoot it so economically that scenes were entirely broken up into lighting setups rather than scenes and performances. After half a day of shooting, our alien finally came into scene and gave two very distinct performances — one menacing and the other silly. It was his silly take on the alien that clued in our crew, and they really got on board at that point.
What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, how did you lean into it here, and what lesson would you share with others?
The greatest strength of independent filmmaking is the unique, often under-represented voice of the filmmaker. Indie movies give real people — not algorithms or studio boards — the opportunity to have a voice in cinema.
One thing I learned on set is that if you have an extreme close-up shot of a chrome dildo, you will need to hide the reflection of the camera team. Or just back up and not be so close on your close-up. You're welcome.
What does it mean to have your film selected for FilmQuest, and where does the film go from here?
It's such a badge of honor. FilmQuest is positioning itself as one of the most important genre festivals in North America. The opportunity to attend as a filmmaker is really special and a great opportunity to have your work seen and discussed.
The film is also available on the YouTube DUST channel, where it hopefully finds an eager audience ready to discuss it. I love the eerie supernatural vibe we created. I intended this film as a test for myself just as much as a social commentary piece, but the response from audiences has me imagining this type of story expanded into a feature presentation.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
For one, just enjoying the production value and the fun satirical thriller ride is enough. But if anyone comes away from this film asking themselves whether their sources are informing them versus managing their opinions, that's even better. At the core of all my work is a desire to open minds and fill bellies with laughter.
Main Cast & Crew
- Jamie Costa — Cast
- Maddie Nichols — Cast
- Garrett Kruithoff — Cast
- Alexander Jeffery — Producer / Director of Photography
- Chris Alan Evans — Writer / Director
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