The Rites of Man (2026)

Winner of the 2026 Innuendo International Film Festival Best Short Award

Duration: 12 minutes
Medium: Super 16mm analog film
Written and Directed by Fred Sprinkle

Concept

Time-traveling anthropologists document the heartbreak of an aspiring entrepreneur in Los Angeles.

Summary

In homage to 20th century documentaries, this film explores the shadows of trauma lurking behind American masculinity. And it does so with a level of craft and care that will delight and inspire audiences.

The Rites of Man is a cinematic work of philosophy, inspired by the writings of Byung-Chul Han, Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Zygmunt Bauman. It plumbs questions of motivation and meaning in the 21st century: what forces drive our hustle for success in this technological world we’ve created?

Filmed entirely on Kodak Super 16mm and almost lost to the LA fires, The Rites of Man is a stunning narrative debut for award-winning filmmaker Fred Sprinkle. He was inspired to write and direct this piece after his own experience with a mental health crisis and his subsequent journey of recovery. The film’s gorgeous period score, inspired by obscure early horror films and medieval cantares, was crafted by 2025 Women in Film fellow H.B. Thal.

Crafted by a collective of filmmakers from Los Angeles.

DP: Mike Jones-Schilling

Featuring
Terence Matthew Sullivan
Anuschka Van Lent
Colin Cassidy

Composer: H.B. Thal
Sound Editor: John Chamberlin