Red-carpet screening of 'UNSHADOW: Hiding Place' draws praise from Apple Valley sci-fi fans

The creators of the film series “UNSHADOW” held a red-carpet screening of “Hiding Place,” the second episode of the online sci-fi drama set a decade after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series continues with the character of Serenity Grey, played by actress Lenor Soriano, who faces various challenges during a prolonged lockdown instituted by the New World Order and its Shadow Enforcement troops.

Soriano joined the film's cast, crew, and fans during a private screening held Sunday at the AMC movie theater in Apple Valley.

The online release of "UNSHADOW: Hiding Place" will be available on July 29 at vicscoverart.com, according to the film’s writer and director, Vic Mendoza.

Mendoza is a High Desert-based photographer, videographer and filmmaker who has worked with many independent filmmakers and artists.

After the film, several moviegoers shared their thoughts on the showing of the dual episodes, which lasted nearly an hour.

“This film was suspenseful, the acting was brilliant, and it kept you wanting more,” retired school security employee David Snow said. “There’s a lot of talent in the High Desert, and this film demonstrated that.”

Sarah Rollins called the film "an hour of great storytelling" in a low-budget production "filled with great talent."

"I got invited to the red carpet event, but I didn't know what I was going to watch," said Rollins, a private math tutor from Victorville. "The movie's ending is a cliffhanger, and I hope they hurry with a third episode."

'UNSHADOW'

In the film, Grey and her family are targeted by the ruthless Shadow Enforcement government, whose goal is global domination through surveillance technology and citizen identification via implanted microchips.

After years of confinement, Grey realizes that she must conquer her fears and fight the government agency before searching for her missing loved ones.

“Serenity struggles with loss, grief, and betrayal as the world around her continues to change and her connections to her loved ones are unknown,” Soriano said. “It’s a well-written series that may take us deeper into the film’s fictional future.”

During one scene, a Shadow Enforcement officer, dressed in a technologically advanced uniform, scouts the area as futuristic ships fly over High Desert skies.

The film was shot in Apple Valley, Barstow, Crestline, Hesperia and Victorville,  Soriano said.

In another scene, Soriano’s character lifts weights and hits a heavy punching bag as she prepares to exit her home with an Asian-style sword to confront the enemy.

“When I’m all made up and in character, I see a person that I wish I could be — a physically badass woman who takes care of business,” said Soriano, an RN who works for a private practice. “To get in character, I thought about my 20 years taking care of patients when I had to be caring, but also stern and focused during emergencies.”

Big screen work

The film includes the character of Dr. Daniel Pearson (Michael Barrett), who treats a wounded Grey and later uses a scalpel to remove a mobile tracking chip from his hand.

Sultana High School student Heaven Leigh, 16, plays the role of the doctor’s daughter, Raven Pearson, a girl who continues to grieve the loss of her mother while befriending Grey.

Several audience members told the Daily Press that Leigh perfectly captured the emotions of a grieving daughter while demonstrating a smart-aleck attitude toward a Shadow Enforcer.

“I’ve acted in a few school plays, but this is my first big screen work,” Leigh said. “I’ve wanted to be an actress since elementary school, so when Vic texted me about the role, I jumped at the opportunity.”

After a dark and brooding Episode 1, Leigh and actor Vex Alitory brought a bit of humor to the second installment.

Altitory, a self-dubbed culture nerd who created The Nerd Mulisha channel on YouTube, plays the role of an innocent comic book-loving bystander caught up in the government’s hunt for Grey.

His character’s short banter with Grey had much of the audience laughing. Leigh’s character also elicited a similar response as she annoys a Shadow Enforcer while being detained.

'Zero budget and a lot of passion'

The sci-fi series also features professional magician Jonathan Molo of Victorville, who plays Grey’s brother.

“Besides performing magic acts, I don’t have any acting experience, but I learned a lot during the filming process,” Molo, 43, said. “I guess when it came to casting, I was the only Filipino guy they knew who could play Serenity’s brother.”

Molo praised Mendoza for his “hard and meticulous” work in putting together a film that he called suspenseful, expertly shot and well written.

“I guess when you have zero budget and a lot of passion, you make it happen,” Molo said. “I hope people enjoy the film.”

Mendoza said it took about two days to perfect a 5-second film clip for episode two, which included compositing a few 3D satellite models into Hitfilm Pro.

He used the video copilot Orb plugin to create an image of the earth, to add color grading, lens flares and overlays for the lighting effect.

Soriano, who lives in Apple Valley, jokingly said that over the last decade, she accumulated about one year of acting experience.

“After my first role with the High Desert Center of the Arts, I caught the acting bug but never really pursued it,” Soriano said. “Since then, I’ve done three or four local theater productions and was in a short film on Amazon Prime.

Besides acting, Soriano has done makeup work for the High Desert Haunted House in Apple Valley and was part of the short-lived band “Serenity After,” which performed at D'vine Wine Bar, Frogees Bar, and Tonyan Coffee Roasters.

IMDb.com credits Soriano for playing Sara's friend 2 / Micah's secretary in the 2017 film “Return to Nihasa,” a werewolf-themed film that takes place in the Los Angeles suburbs.

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Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Screening of 'UNSHADOW' film draws praise in Apple Valley