“Upend” is a rare mixture of modern and classic storytelling. Directed by Blake Worrell, this sci-fi ghost story employs a variety of cutting-edge visual effects: landscapes take on otherworldly colors, tree limbs become distorted, and the sky turns upside down. Simultaneously, in the tradition of Shakespeare, we’re treated to  a one-minute-long classic prologue that introduces us to the main character and the theme:

There are some people who go their whole lives without change. There are those who seek change. And there are those who seek to change others. Some succeed. Some fail. But every now and then, something unexpected happens.

It’s hardly a spoiler alert for us to say that something unexpected happens in “Upend,” which won the top fiction award at the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival.

Trained by celebrated low-budget moviemaker Roger Corman, Worrell has made three iPhone shorts. These  have played in film festivals around the world.  He not only stars in his movies but writes the scripts, does some of the camera work, and handles all the post-production including editing and compositing. For “Upend,” which was shot in Los Angeles, Berlin, San Francisco, and Mallorca,  Worrell also wrote and performed the music.

Gear used in the production was created by BeastGrip, MoonDog Labs, Rode, Appogee, and Remarkable.

In addition to filmmaking, Worrell, who lives in Berlin, is a member of the Electro/HipHop group Puppetmastaz. To learn more about him, check out his website and his Vimeo page.

“Upend” was chosen by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com as a Mobile Movie of the Week.