Producers: Mike Werner and Charlotte Marcoulis
Director: Ant Roberson
Writer: Ant Roberson
Casting Director: Kara Sullivan, CSA
After countless failures, a desperate but obsessive scientist makes one last attempt to cure his brother before addictive rations reduce him to a primal husk. But when his wife refuses to risk their winter stockpile, he faces an impossible choice-save his brother or his marriage. Growing up, I watched my father work 16 to 21-hour shifts as an electrician at Philip Morris in Richmond, Virginia. He was dedicated, relentless, locked in — so focused on providing for us that he often had little energy left to be fully present. His sacrifice ensured we had everything we needed, but it also created an emotional distance.
At What Cost? explores the tension between self-prioritization, the belief that you can’t pour into others if your own cup is empty-and altruism, the idea that true fulfillment comes from putting others first. With obsession becoming an increasingly recognized mental health issue, we as artists have a responsibility to examine it—to ensure we don’t mistake obsession for ambition. This project has been close to my heart since 2020, evolving through countless drafts and revisions. I believe in its power to spark reflection, conversation, and change-because at the end of the day, success means nothing if there’s no one left to share it with.
Beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, the one thing that let this short film down was the lack of context in the script. Yes I knew what was happening and I could follow along enough to enjoy it, but there were so many unanswered questions, that I kept asking myself the basics, who are these people and what is the broader concept of the world around them, it felt more like a scene from a movie rather than a movie itself, all that being said I very much enjoyed it.
Across the board all of the actors did a tremendous job. I loved the realism behind the performances and Ayanda Dube as the pregnant Beedee was the absolute stand out for me. Written and directed by Ant Roberson, whose passion for the story was obvious in every shot. An interesting short film that could easily be expanded into a full length movie.
inDfilm 