Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/13/26 – Mar Sudac’s (0, ∞) (“Zero, Infinity”) takes a sharp and unsettling look at what happens when government control reaches into the most personal parts of our lives.
Set in a dystopian near future, the film follows married couple Gus and Clark, played by Brandon Wilson and Cheech Manohar, as they undergo a federally mandated procedure to “verify” their sexuality before they can move forward with a mortgage. What begins as bureaucratic absurdity quickly becomes something darker, forcing the couple to confront questions of identity, privacy, love and who ultimately gets to define us.
Sudac keeps the storytelling intimate rather than overwhelming the audience with science-fiction spectacle. The 16mm cinematography gives the film an appropriately uneasy texture, while Wilson and Manohar ground the provocative premise in a relationship that feels human and vulnerable.
At its best, (0, ∞) works because its message is simple: love cannot be neatly measured, certified or controlled by an institution. In a world increasingly concerned with surveillance, identity and personal freedom, that idea gives this short film an uncomfortable relevance.
The Hollywood Times Rating: ★★★★☆
(0, ∞) screened as an Official Selection of the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival.
