Watch: ‘The Ballad of Maddog Quinn’ Gritty Sci-Fi Western Short Film
by Alex Billington
November 20, 2023
Source: YouTube
“Maddog strikes again!!” This awesome new short film from New Zealand is absolutely worth a watch. The Ballad of Maddog Quinn is a gritty sci-fi western action short film made by Kiwi filmmaker Matt Inns, who writes & directs & produces. Set in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world which resembles the old wild west, the film is about the infamous Maddog Quinn – an outlaw with an unlikely cause, as he runs from the relentless state regulators. Another tale of a lone wolf making his way around desolate lands. Described by NZ media as the “next Peter Jackson”, his other short film Oku Tuakana, My Brothers played at Cannes in 2010. After playing at festivals all year, The Ballad of Maddog Quinn is now online to watch thanks to Short of the Week. Starring Maggie Pirie, Jed Brophy, John Bach, and Ben Stewart. This has an impressive amount of kick ass action scenes in it for only 15 minutes, along with clever production design & props. If looks like if Mad Max was a western, with the same kind of post-apocalyptic vibe. I really dig it – view below.
Thanks to Short of the Week for debut this one. Intro via YouTube: “Wanted and on the run, an infamous outlaw is pursued across the steam-powered dystopia of The State by a posse of relentless lawmen. In this desolate land of dust, rust and blood, there’s not many problems that a fast horse and a gun can’t solve, but things aren’t always what they seem on the wild wasteland frontier.” The Ballad of Maddog Quinn is a short film both written & directed by New Zealand filmmaker Matt Inns (aka Matthew Inns) – you can find out about more of his short films on his IMDb page. It’s also produced by Matt Inns; executive produced by Steve Barr, Daniel Story, and Paul Swadel. With cinematography by Marty Williams, and music by Tane Upjohn-Beatson. Made by Little Dragon Pictures. With support from Film Otago Southland & Invercargill Licensing Trust. This won Best International Short Film at the Madeira Fantastic FilmFest. For more info, follow Little Dragon Pics on Facebook or visit SOTW. To watch more shorts, click here. What did you think?