The Last Story on Earth (2024)
Written, directed, produced, and edited by Aaron Immediato
18 minutes | 4K UHD | 2.39:1 | Color
Written, directed, produced, and edited by Aaron Immediato
18 minutes | 4K UHD | 2.39:1 | Color
SCREENINGS | AWARDS
Official Selection | Frameline: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival | June 2025
Official Selection | London Short Film Festival | January 2025
Official Selection | Phenomena Festival, Brazil | December 2024
Official Selection | Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival | September 2024
Official Selection | Frameline: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival | June 2025
Official Selection | London Short Film Festival | January 2025
Official Selection | Phenomena Festival, Brazil | December 2024
Official Selection | Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival | September 2024
SYNOPSIS
Facing angry protesters, a determined drag queen does her best to finish a fairy tale reading at the local library. But when an alien invasion upends Earth’s existence, the queen encounters new challenges that forebode terrifying outcomes for humanity. Trapped within the library, her storytelling skills are suddenly put to extraordinary tests, jeopardizing the lives of the last humans on Earth — the families who’ve cherished her stories and the protesters who’ve scorned them. Ultimately, it is the supreme power of imagination that holds the key to both the queen’s survival and the invaders’ domination.
Facing angry protesters, a determined drag queen does her best to finish a fairy tale reading at the local library. But when an alien invasion upends Earth’s existence, the queen encounters new challenges that forebode terrifying outcomes for humanity. Trapped within the library, her storytelling skills are suddenly put to extraordinary tests, jeopardizing the lives of the last humans on Earth — the families who’ve cherished her stories and the protesters who’ve scorned them. Ultimately, it is the supreme power of imagination that holds the key to both the queen’s survival and the invaders’ domination.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
"The Last Story on Earth" is a creative response to the wave of recent attacks on Drag Story Hour events across the U.S. Protesters claim it’s harmful for drag performers to read stories to children, but this is just an irrational pretext used to somehow justify their attacks. The truth is that parents may choose freely to attend and have the right to make educational and cultural decisions for their own children. It is, of course, nothing but the latest iteration of homophobic and transphobic attacks aimed at limiting the freedom of LGBTQ+ Americans. But I also see it as an attack against imagination. Throughout our collective time on this planet, storytelling has been a cherished tradition that’s defined the human experience and our insatiable quest for meaning in a seemingly doomed existence. Storytelling activates the imagination of the recipient, stimulates the brain, and pushes the human race forward. Whether it’s Neanderthals painting mythological legends in caves or drag queens reading fairy tales in libraries, the power of creating and imagining worlds leads to breakthroughs in science, technology, art, business, medicine, and so much more. "The Last Story on Earth" presents a nightmarish sci-fi scenario to remind us of the value of imagination and instilling it in future generations. In the film, we see that other, more advanced beings in the universe are well aware of this and have harnessed the immense potential of imagination to prepare their own offspring for intergalactic domination. They’ve been watching us, searching for the very best, most skilled storyteller on the planet to use for their own diabolical invasions. And it just turns out this happens to be a fabulous drag queen in a quaint little library. "The Last Story on Earth" is just that: the last story on this world we’ve called Earth before it’s decimated and stripped of its most valuable resource — the human imagination.
"The Last Story on Earth" is a creative response to the wave of recent attacks on Drag Story Hour events across the U.S. Protesters claim it’s harmful for drag performers to read stories to children, but this is just an irrational pretext used to somehow justify their attacks. The truth is that parents may choose freely to attend and have the right to make educational and cultural decisions for their own children. It is, of course, nothing but the latest iteration of homophobic and transphobic attacks aimed at limiting the freedom of LGBTQ+ Americans. But I also see it as an attack against imagination. Throughout our collective time on this planet, storytelling has been a cherished tradition that’s defined the human experience and our insatiable quest for meaning in a seemingly doomed existence. Storytelling activates the imagination of the recipient, stimulates the brain, and pushes the human race forward. Whether it’s Neanderthals painting mythological legends in caves or drag queens reading fairy tales in libraries, the power of creating and imagining worlds leads to breakthroughs in science, technology, art, business, medicine, and so much more. "The Last Story on Earth" presents a nightmarish sci-fi scenario to remind us of the value of imagination and instilling it in future generations. In the film, we see that other, more advanced beings in the universe are well aware of this and have harnessed the immense potential of imagination to prepare their own offspring for intergalactic domination. They’ve been watching us, searching for the very best, most skilled storyteller on the planet to use for their own diabolical invasions. And it just turns out this happens to be a fabulous drag queen in a quaint little library. "The Last Story on Earth" is just that: the last story on this world we’ve called Earth before it’s decimated and stripped of its most valuable resource — the human imagination.
CAST
Lady Pixie Dust | Pickle
Protester 1 | Darrel Haynes
Protester 2 | Samuel Walker
Extra Protesters | Andrew Dominguez, Jamie Lopez, Hector Luna, Avalon Skye, Neil Wachs
Alien Being | Dan Kauss
Alien Offspring | Kai Geshlider
Little Kids | Luna Belle, Viktoriia Bondarenko, Brandon Cade, Alexander Chesworth, Deseray Devi, Argishti Grigoryan, Vasilisa Ivanova, Wolfie Jones, Suri Yuchi Li, Valeriia Lipuntsova, Ranen Navat, Marfa Olifer, Damir Pavlovskyi, Aiaru Zhumakhmet
Parents | Elvira Arslanova, Liza Cade, Guang Chen, Svetlana Chesworth, Andrew Dominguez, Anastasia Grigoryan, Diana Gudina, Marharyta Kamyshan, Dinara Kundakpayeva, Tatiana Lipuntsova, Otto Logan, Irina Olifer, Anna Pavlovska, Breven Warren
Lady Pixie Dust | Pickle
Protester 1 | Darrel Haynes
Protester 2 | Samuel Walker
Extra Protesters | Andrew Dominguez, Jamie Lopez, Hector Luna, Avalon Skye, Neil Wachs
Alien Being | Dan Kauss
Alien Offspring | Kai Geshlider
Little Kids | Luna Belle, Viktoriia Bondarenko, Brandon Cade, Alexander Chesworth, Deseray Devi, Argishti Grigoryan, Vasilisa Ivanova, Wolfie Jones, Suri Yuchi Li, Valeriia Lipuntsova, Ranen Navat, Marfa Olifer, Damir Pavlovskyi, Aiaru Zhumakhmet
Parents | Elvira Arslanova, Liza Cade, Guang Chen, Svetlana Chesworth, Andrew Dominguez, Anastasia Grigoryan, Diana Gudina, Marharyta Kamyshan, Dinara Kundakpayeva, Tatiana Lipuntsova, Otto Logan, Irina Olifer, Anna Pavlovska, Breven Warren
PRODUCTION TEAM
Writer/Director/Producer/Editor | Aaron Immediato
First Assistant Director | Marissa Vonn
Director of Photography | Carter Knopik
Production Designer | Rachel SJ
First Assistant Camera | Mitchell Guynan
Gaffer | Zack Bartlett
Key Grips | Otto Gaiser, Conor Soules
Grip | Cameron Cerny
Production Sound Mixers | Jose Gallo, Jacob Harrold
Special Make-up Effects Artist | Michael Dinetz, Haunted Dreams Effects Studio
Special Make-up Effects Assistants | Vaida Mikelenaite, Yazmin Vinueza
Hair and Make-up Artist | Allia Arite
Production Assistants | Thomas Latta, Jacob Vander Beek
Studio Teachers | Stella Pacific Management
Visual Effects | Dastoli Digital, Chris Reilly
Colorist | Carter Knopik
Re-recording Mixing | Wavelength Music & Sound
Musician | Djordje Milanovic
Writer/Director/Producer/Editor | Aaron Immediato
First Assistant Director | Marissa Vonn
Director of Photography | Carter Knopik
Production Designer | Rachel SJ
First Assistant Camera | Mitchell Guynan
Gaffer | Zack Bartlett
Key Grips | Otto Gaiser, Conor Soules
Grip | Cameron Cerny
Production Sound Mixers | Jose Gallo, Jacob Harrold
Special Make-up Effects Artist | Michael Dinetz, Haunted Dreams Effects Studio
Special Make-up Effects Assistants | Vaida Mikelenaite, Yazmin Vinueza
Hair and Make-up Artist | Allia Arite
Production Assistants | Thomas Latta, Jacob Vander Beek
Studio Teachers | Stella Pacific Management
Visual Effects | Dastoli Digital, Chris Reilly
Colorist | Carter Knopik
Re-recording Mixing | Wavelength Music & Sound
Musician | Djordje Milanovic