Chimera Strain (initially known as Chimera) is a 2018 science fiction drama/thriller film written and directed by Maurice Haeems, and produced by Jay Sitaram and Maurice Haeems.
Plot
A genius but mentally unbalanced scientist, Quint, attempts to save his terminally ill children, Miles and Flora, by freezing them alive through cryptobiosis. He operates out of a remote, abandoned, and isolated research facility where he clandestinely brings the comatose body of his estranged wife, Jessie, so that he may experiment on her and find a cure for his children. He buries himself in research, and motivated by the fear of loss, he works day and night to find a cure to their deadly genetic disease. He intends to decode the DNA of the Turritopsis jellyfish which are biologically immortal and possess the ability to transdifferentiate. However, Quint faces a number of obstacles, distractions, and antagonists in the form of Jessie’s spirit, his former flame Charlie, and his erstwhile employer Masterson.
Cast
Henry Ian Cusick as Quint
Kathleen Quinlan as Masterson
Erika Ervin as Dita Gruze
Jenna Harrison as Charlie
Karishma Ahluwalia as Jessie
Jennifer Gjulameti as Griffin
Raviv Haeems as Miles
Kaavya Jayaram as Flora
Release
The film was released in select theatres and VOD on March 15, 2019 and on DVD on April 16, 2019 by Vertical Entertainment and Lionsgate.
Accolades
Chimera Strain won the following awards:
Boston International Film Festival 2018 – Best Narrative Feature
International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival 2018 – Best Sci-Fi Feature
LUSCA Fantastic Film Festival 2018 – Best International Feature Film
PDXtreme: Portland Underground Film Festival 2019 – Best Feature Film
Phoenix Film Festival 2018 – Phoenix Film Foundation Best Sci-Fi Feature
Puerto Rico Horror Film Festival 2018 – Jury Prize Best Feature Film
Rome International Film Festival 2018 – Best Narrative Feature
The cast and crew of Chimera Strain won the following awards for their work on the film.
Henry Ian Cusick – Best Actor at PDXtreme: Portland Underground Film Festival 2019 Kathleen Quinlan – Best Supporting Actress at FilmQuest 2018 Kathleen Quinlan – Best Supporting Role at NOLA Horror Film Festival 2018 David Kruta – Best Cinematography at Boston International Film Festival 2018 Lawrence Sampson – Best Production Design at New York City Independent Film Festival 2018 Sara Mills-Broffman – Best Costumes at New York City Independent Film Festival 2018