Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Short Film by Award Winning Director Gets Oscar Qualifying Run and Weekend Premiere at the Laemmle Noho 7 Theater

North Hollywood, CA, September 23, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Hollywood, CA September 23, 2015—Multiple Emmy Award winning film editor and producer Gustavo Sampaio is taking the helm of storyteller and making his directorial debut with the theatrical release of his new short film, The Hunting of Lost Characters, a sci-fi action piece that dares to ask the question, “Are you a lost character in life waiting to be deleted?”

The Hunting of Lost Characters gave Sampaio the opportunity to attract the best talent from the independent film scene.  The cast includes up and coming actors Justin  Gordon, a stage thespian and film star who has been receiving attention for his work on suspense films like Absentia and Oculus, Lola Wayne Villa from television’s Wicked City and Love by the Book, and Vanessa Verduga, of the international award-winning Justice Woman digital series.

Sampaio credits his talented behind-the-scenes crew for making the movie come to life and turn heads.  The writer of the film, Wagner de Assis, is a well-regarded talent in Brazilian cinema, having written and directed the critically acclaimed feature film Astral City: A Spiritual Journey.  Michael Kreple of the award-winning sound house Juniper Post, whose work includes the top box office films War Room and Juno, did the sound mixing.  The score comes from the brilliant musical mind of James Griffiths, who scored the sci-fi thriller feature film The Drift.

Sampaio is already developing the short film for a full feature length film in 2016.  “When I make a short film,” Sampaio says, “I think of it as a stepping stone to something better.  Here, I want to serve the audience a grand and epic film that will entertain and make them think about their own lives.  I hope to get people excited about the story and then make it grow into a full-length feature as it is meant to be.”

The Hunting of Lost Characters will screen from Thursday September 24 to Wednesday September 30, 2015 at the Laemmle NoHo 7 theater located at 5240 Lankershim Blvd. Show times are Thursday September 24 at 12:00 PM and Friday September 25 to Wednesday September 30 at 6:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the theater or online at http://www.laemmle.com/theaters/23.

For more information on the film, visit http://www.thehuntingmovie.com and/or Facebook at http://facebook.com/TheHuntingOfLostCharacters.