Posted by Indie Short Fest is proud to announce that A Thousand Years, written and directed by Bryce Ferendo, has been awarded Best Short of August 2025. A richly detailed period piece with a powerful emotional core, the film revisits a critical turning point in the story of aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright.
A Dream on the Brink
Set during the Wright brothers’ second summer of glider trials, the film portrays the crushing setbacks that nearly ended their pursuit of flight. When their experiments fail, Wilbur and Orville must ask themselves whether sacrificing their business and stability in Dayton is worth chasing a dream that seems increasingly out of reach.
Rather than celebrating success, A Thousand Years focuses on the fragile moment just before triumph — when the cost of continuing feels unbearable, yet giving up would mean losing everything they had worked for.
From USC Project to Award Winner
Originally conceived as an MFA thesis project at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, the film was developed with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation narrative film grant, which backs student filmmakers who bring science and history to the screen in compelling ways.
With a production budget of $57,000 USD, the project combined academic rigor with cinematic ambition, building period-accurate sets, from a bicycle workshop in Dayton to the windswept dunes of Kitty Hawk. The film runs over 30 minutes and manages to balance technical authenticity with emotional depth.
A Director with a Passion for Science and Storytelling
Director Bryce Ferendo, originally from Indiana, studied Media and Spanish Literature before pursuing filmmaking at USC. His work has spanned genres — from socially conscious dramas to horror shorts — but his long-standing fascination with aviation shaped A Thousand Years.
Though once considering a career in aeronautics, Ferendo ultimately turned toward cinema, seeking to tell stories about the people behind scientific breakthroughs. His interest in the Wright brothers was rooted in a desire to capture them not as icons carved in stone, but as real men facing real failures, uncertainty, and risk.
The Team Behind the Vision
Ferendo collaborated with a talented group of USC alumni and peers, including producers Hatuey Rodriguez, Ari Johnson, and Bobbie Green, whose combined efforts helped bring the ambitious project to life. Production designer Suzy Schofield anchored the film in period detail, ensuring the world of 1900s Ohio and North Carolina felt authentic and lived-in.
The film also drew on scholarly research, incorporating insights from engineers and archival documents such as the Wright brothers’ correspondence with Octave Chanute, which deepened the historical grounding of the script.
A Thousand Years is anchored by strong performances from Clayton Farris (Wilbur Wright) and Alex Herrald (Orville Wright). Farris conveys Wilbur’s determination under pressure, while Herrald brings a quiet depth to Orville. Together, they create a convincing and human portrait of the brothers at a crossroads.
Why the Film Resonates
A Thousand Years focuses on the moment before success rather than the achievement itself. By highlighting this lesser-known chapter, the film offers a grounded perspective on the challenges behind one of history’s most celebrated breakthroughs.
For Indie Short Fest, the recognition of A Thousand Years reflects the festival’s commitment to films that combine strong storytelling with thematic depth. The project also demonstrates the potential of student filmmaking to achieve professional-level craft and emotional impact.
This award acknowledges the work of Bryce Ferendo and his team, whose careful research and thoughtful execution bring a fresh dimension to a familiar story.
With this win, the film has now qualified for consideration in the 2025/2026 Indie Short Fest Annual Awards competition, placing it among the top contenders of the year.
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