UPSTAIRS
Short, horror (2025)
UPSTAIRS is a horror short film written by Rafel Alberto Garciolo and directed by Michael Popescu, starring Tim Torok. Shot with a team of four (including the actor), UPSTAIRS showcases the immense potential of modern low-budget filmmaking.
Dealing with themes of trauma and addiction, UPSTAIRS delivers a moody, gloomy atmosphere, great acting, and even some gruesome gore!
UPSTAIRS has been submitted to several film festivals such as Sitges, Screamfest, Curtas, Molins et al.
Earlier projects
The following projects were not produced by New Dark Age, but feature essential contributions by Rafael, Michael, and Paul.
PLAN B
Feature, action comedy (2017)
PLAN B is an action comedy written by Rafael Alberto Garciolo and directed by Ufuk Genc and Michael Popescu.
After its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival in 2016, PLAN B was released in German cinemas by 20th Century Fox and had its worldwide distribution handled by WTFilms.
Nominated for a Taurus Award, PLAN B was a true outlier in the German film landscape, featuring Reel Deal Action’s Hong Kong inspired action style.
FOOD-BALLS
Series, comedy (2021)
FOOD-BALLS is a comedy series written by Rafael Alberto Garciolo and directed by Michael Popescu, produced by all-in-production. Released on various platforms, FOOD-BALLS was a promotional comedy series for the new European League of Football, starring Kasim Edebali, Aristo Luis, Frank Richartz and others.
Its light-hearted and slightly absurd humour quickly attracted about 3 million views across all platforms. FOOD-BALLS is still being re-run on MORE THAN SPORTS TV, but you can also watch it here.
There was a short season 2, also written by Rafael and Michael. We don’t talk about that one.
WÜNSCH MIR GLÜCK
Short, action comedy (2024)
Written by Bob Odenkirk, directed by Can Aydin, and shot in 2020, WÜNSCH MIR GLÜCK was intended to test Bob Odenkirk’s potential as an action performer for his action break-out film NOBODY. With NOBODY 2 soon to be upon us, Bob seems to have passed that test. Gloriously so, as WÜNSCH MIR GLÜCK shows.
Michael Popescu composed and produced the short’ score and supervised the intro sequence/visual style, both influenced by the geniuses Lalo Schifrin and Saul Bass, respectively.
It has been released by Collider on YouTube – watch it here.
A MEMORABLE CASE: PART I
Short, horror
Written by Rafael Alberto Garciolo, directed by Michael Popescu and produced by Paul Kraneis – the beginning of the unholy trinity!
A MEMORABLE CASE is a short horror film featuring an insufferable yuppie (Alexander Ziegenbein) meeting a strange figure with a Gandalf hat and a big suitcase (Philipp Jeroma). What’s with the suitcase, you ask? Find out for yourself!
The whole film is available for free on YouTube – watch it here. A feaure-length version is in development.
WAYS OF THE JEDI: FUNDAMENTALS
Short, sci-fi fantasy action
Written, directed, and scored by Michael Popescu, starring Dee Yoon and Tim Torok, WOTJ:FUNDAMENTALS is an unofficial short film set in the Star Wars universe, featuring a training session between Master and his Padawan.
Shot as a proof of concept, FUNDAMENTALS not only returns to a Jedi philosophy more in line with the Original Trilogy, it also shows that interesting Star Wars stories don’t require huge budgets. FUNDAMENTALS was shot in one day with a team of five, including the actors.
Of course, the whole film is available for free on YouTube – watch it here.