The MPI Original short film Pocket Change will screen on Saturday, September 20, at 2:00 p.m. in New York City, as an official selection of the New York Science Fiction Film Festival. The festival is one of the first in the United States dedicated exclusively to science fiction, showcasing groundbreaking films that explore the future of technology and humanity—making it a particularly fitting stage for Pocket Change.

Watch the official trailer below and get your tickets here. Stream the film online September 15–18—tickets available here.

Starring Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under, Planet Terror, Poseidon) and written and directed by MPI filmmakers Heston Roewe and Tanner Mobley, Pocket Change follows a mysterious drifter and his seemingly worthless quarter, who may hold the key to saving a group of strangers from a deadly threat when the power goes out at a remote roadside diner.

The film was developed in MPI’s Short Film Lab and produced through the MPI Production Lab, which supports rising filmmakers through immersive training and hands-on production experience. During production, eight MPI interns worked on set in a variety of roles, gaining real-world experience alongside industry professionals.