Format: Short Film
Distribution: YouTube (2013) *20 million views
Directed by: Yolanda Ramke & Ben Howling
Written by: Yolanda Ramke
Produced by: Marcus Newman, Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling, Daniel Foeldes
Starring: Andy Rodoreda, Ruth Venn, Alison Gallagher, Yolanda Ramke, Kallan Richards, Effron Heather
AWARDS
St Kilda Film Festival (2014)
Nominee: Best Achievement In Screenplay
FESTIVALS
St Kilda Film Festival (2014)
Seattle International Film Festival (2014)
Florida Film Festival (2014)
Cinequest Film Festival (2014)
LA Shorts Fest (2013)
Heartland Film Festival (2013)
Leeds International Film Festival (2013)
Tropfest Film Festival (2013)
Napa Valley Film Festival (2013)
Uppsala International Short Film Festival (2013)
Sapporo Shortfest (2013)
Prague Short Film Festival (2013)
REVIEWS
Ivan Kander, SHORT OF THE WEEK: "By the end, I’m not ashamed to admit that I was actually fighting back tears—a response that I would never expect from any film featuring the flesh eating undead. And I suppose that’s really Cargo’s greatest accomplishment. This isn’t a zombie film. Rather, it’s a heartbreaking survival tale, more akin with The Grey than Night of the Living Dead. Australian directing duo Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke have crafted something special here—a film that is about the triumph of human spirit amongst the unimaginably bleak."
Donna Dickens, BUZZFEED: "The Walking Dead wishes it was this good. If you watch one seven-minute YouTube video this year, let it be this one. Warning: you will cry."
Lauren Davis, i09: "Cargo was a marvellous surprise this year, a movie that reminds us that any genre can be great as long as the story is approached thoughtfully. Set during the zombie apocalypse, Cargo celebrates ingenuity as a father who has been bitten by a zombie tries to provide for his infant daughter's survival, using the tropes of the genre to surprisingly heartbreaking effect."
Ray Flores, UPWORTHY: "Before he dies, what this guy does for his child is beautiful. The themes of parental love and loss are so strong that I felt compelled to share this with you."
Adam Dodd, BLOODY DISGUSTING: "The most touching zombie film (short or otherwise) I've ever seen... This is The Road of zombie movies, and that's saying something for a genre that is often depressing. It's bittersweet, and if you don't take eight minutes out of your day to watch it, you're doing yourself a great disservice. It'll touch you, and not in the show-me-on-the-doll kind of way."
Scott Beggs, FILM SCHOOL REJECTS: "After almost a year, I still can’t get this short from Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke out of my mind. Particularly now that zombies are so overplayed, it’s amazing to see the innovation some can find within the genre, and their story of a bitten man desperate to save his infant daughter is as harrowing as it is heartfelt. If you’ve never teared up during a zombie flick, this may be your first."
Therese Oneill, THE WEEK: "Cargo is a peculiarly warm-hearted zombie film that has taken the internet and the short-film community by storm. It involves a man who knows his time is limited, and who uses a balloon, a stick, and a Sharpie to help him ensure his cargo continues on safely without him."
Robert Brockway, CRACKED: "Cargo does more for the relevancy of the zombie film in 30 seconds than the entire second season of The Walking Dead. The efficiency of the first few moments is astounding... the premise is ingenious..."