Scott Simerly Jr’s fly-on-the-wall mockumentary about the life of an alien abductee is one of our short film highlights of the year. ‘Alien Guy Tim’ is played mostly for laughs as we learn of Tim’s 20-something abductions, his presidency of the True Believers club, his extra-terrestrial girlfriend and his highly sceptical brother and sister.

Patrick McElroy (Tim/Writer) gives a noteworthy performance as loveable Tim. His comical timing and character sincerity makes for hilarious viewing. Huntington Daly and Lauren Bair provide additional humour as his concerned brother and sister – accumulating in a pivotal moment of confrontation. We may follow his journey with a pinch-of-salt, but the characterization and plot are impeccable.

Visually, this short film is of industry standard. The narrative may not take itself too seriously, but its certainly wrapped up to a professional finish when it comes to cinematography and audio. Mockumentary’s can be a hard game to play in short filmmaking, but ‘Alien Guy Tim’ is a masterclass on how it should be done.

The short film couldn’t end any other way. Tim, secluded on a hill with the film crew nearby, is abducted once again – this time he provides the last laugh. A real charming and funny watch.