Watch Bleach Bone (2024) A gripping drama short film by John D. Nilles, set in a barren desert landscape. Explore the depths of human emotion and survival in this visually stunning cinematic experience.
🏜️ BLEACH BONE (2024) — Drama Short Film by John D. Nilles
A contemporary Western with a gothic soul, BLEACH BONE is a story about guilt, buried secrets, and the ghosts that live in the land we leave behind. Directed by John D. Nilles and adapted from the award‑winning stage play by Joshua Philip Wagner, this 15‑minute short trades in dust, memory, and the uneasy truth that the past never stays buried.
🧭 Overview
- Genre: Drama / Contemporary Gothic Western
- Director: John D. Nilles
- Writers: John D. Nilles & Joshua Philip Wagner
- Cast:
- Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon, Certain Women) as Claire
- Jeff Medley (Saving for the Day, Loon) as Jay
- David Turley as Dwain
- Runtime: ~15 minutes
- Country: USA 🇺🇸
- Language: English
- Release date: 5 October 2024 (United States)
- Production companies: Buckwheat Dreams Productions, Shoot Montana
- Filming location: Western Montana — all‑Montanan cast & crew
- Budget: Estimated $500 (proving grit beats gold)
- Official site: Bleach Bone Movie
Watch full short:
Awards:
- New York Film and Cinematography Awards, Summer 2024 – Best Western
- Madrid International Movie Awards 2024 – Best Western
- Makizhmithran International Film Festival 2024 – Honorable Mention – Best International Short Film
- Halo International Film Festival, Summer 2024 – Best Drama
- Caravan International Film Festival 2024 – Best Short Film
- Bridge Fest, October 2024 – Overall Winner, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best DOP, Best Producer
- Alternative Film Festival, Fall 2024 – Nominee – Best Short Film
- Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards, Summer 2024 – Best Western
- Beyond Border International Film Festival 2024 – Outstanding Achievement Award
- Heart of Europe International Monthly Festival, Summer 2024 – Best Low Budget Short
- Paris Play Festival 2024 – Best Action/Western/Thriller/Sci-fi short film
- San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival – Best Poster
- Tietê International Film Awards 2024 – Official Selection
- LA Liftoff Film Festival 2024 – Finalist
- New York Liftoff – Official Selection
- Golden Dust Film Festival 2024 – Finalist (TBA)
📖 Story in Brief
Nine years ago, ranch hands Dwain and Jay robbed their boss. They got away with it — or so they thought.
Now, the land where it happened has been sold. The two men return, not for the money, but for something harder to find: redemption.
- The Journey Back: The Montana landscape is wide and unforgiving, the kind of place that remembers everything 🌾.
- The Reckoning: Old crimes resurface in conversation, in glances, in the way the wind moves over the grass.
- The Encounter: Claire, a figure tied to the land’s history, forces them to confront what they’ve done — and what it’s cost.
- The Question: Can you ever truly put the bones of the past to rest, or do they bleach in the sun forever?
🛠️ Creative “Tools” & Style
- Stage‑to‑screen adaptation: Retains the intimacy of theatre while expanding into the cinematic sweep of Montana’s plains.
- Natural light cinematography: Jon Aaseng’s camera drinks in the big sky and the long shadows.
- Sparse dialogue: Silence is as important as speech — the pauses carry weight.
- Western Gothic tone: Combines the moral ambiguity of a Western with the haunting atmosphere of Southern Gothic.
- Local authenticity: Cast, crew, and locations are all Montana‑rooted, grounding the story in lived experience.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros
- 🎯 Atmosphere: The land feels like a character — alive, watchful, and unforgiving.
- 🎭 Performances: Lily Gladstone’s quiet intensity anchors the film.
- 🎥 Visual poetry: Wide shots contrast with intimate close‑ups for emotional punch.
- 💬 Thematic depth: Guilt, redemption, and the permanence of place.
Cons
- ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more of the backstory.
- 🌀 Deliberate pacing: Those expecting shootouts may find it meditative instead.
🌟 Themes & Resonance
- Guilt & redemption: The long shadow of past choices.
- The land as witness: How places hold memory, even when people try to forget.
- Friendship under strain: Bonds tested by shared wrongdoing.
- Progress vs. preservation: The sale of the land as a metaphor for erasure.
👥 Who Is It For?
- Western fans: Especially those drawn to modern, character‑driven takes.
- Theatre lovers: Curious to see a stage play reimagined for the screen.
- Festival audiences: Viewers who appreciate slow‑burn tension and moral complexity.
💡 Humanized Takeaway
BLEACH BONE 2024 short film is about more than two men revisiting a crime — it’s about the way the land remembers, even when we try to forget. Nilles and Wagner craft a story where redemption isn’t guaranteed, and the past is as present as the wind in the grass.
🔍 Find More & Support
- Official trailer on YouTube — first look at the film’s tone and visuals.
- IMDb page for Bleach Bone — full cast, crew, and production details.
- Shoot Montana project profile — behind‑the‑scenes notes and synopsis.