Echo Chamber - Palm Springs ShortFest - Vol.1 (Last Man Up)
Watch the conversation with Hazel McKibbin & Robert R. Palmer, HERE!
We’re back at the Festivals, people, and this time out @EchoChamberFP is hitting Cali, for the 2026 edition of the Palm Springs International ShortFest!!!
Although many head to Palm Springs for the steaks, dates, or Brandini Toffee, we came for different flavours, served up by Kaitlin Flanigan & Rahul Barkley from Brigade. As we have a short film that cooks up an emotional platter of friendship, freedom, bravado, tension, stress, guilt, and denial. THEN, we sit down with the director and her co-writer for a fantastic chat about storytelling, visual style, finding the voice of the characters, story, and a LOT more!!!
'Last Man Up' is directed by Hazel McKibbin, who co-wrote with Robert R. Palmer in his screenwriting debut. A group of friends (Robert R. Palmer, Armando Rivera, Joseph Basquill, Tevin Holliday, Ajay Kumar) dealing with a hidden financial crisis and an impending home foreclosure during what is supposed to be one final celebration together.
Watch the conversation with Hazel McKibbin & Robert R. Palmer, HERE!
Today we have:
Last Man Up - Poster
Watch the conversation with Hazel McKibbin & Robert R. Palmer, HERE!
Hazel McKibbin
Hazel McKibbin
Writer, Director, Producer, Editor
Hazel McKibbin is an award-winning British-American writer and director based between North London and Brooklyn. Hazel is a BAFTA Newcomer and received the Princess Grace Award Honoraria in Film. She studied Screenwriting and Directing through Columbia University's MFA Film Program. Trained as an editor, Hazel finds herself drawn towards realism, often through a feminist lens, and the idea that compelling stories can be created from ordinary relationships and interactions.
Follow Hazel via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Website: Here.
Instagram: @hazelmckibbin
Vimeo: Here.
Robert R. Palmer
Robert R. Palmer
Actor, Producer, Writer
Robert R. Palmer is a contemporary actor and screenwriter known for his work in independent short films. He recently starred in and co-wrote the 2026 short film Last Man Up, and is also recognized for his acting roles in Cuck (2026) and Alan at Night (2025). He trained at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio in Brooklyn, completing a rigorous two-year program covering the Meisner Technique, Linklater Voice, and movement.
Follow Robert via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Instagram: @robpalm23
The Palm Springs International ShortFest - poster
The Palm Springs International ShortFest
Festival Date: 23rd - 29th June 2026
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America, bringing together the most innovative, boundary-pushing, and entertaining short films from around the world.
This seven-day competitive festival is Academy Award, BAFTA, and Goya-qualifying, screening hundreds of shorts from 60+ countries.
Linkedin: Here.
Website: Here.
X: @PSFilmFest
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @psfilmfest
YouTube: Here.
*(Music)
'The Big Payback' (Instrumental) by EPMD - 2020