Independent science fiction short films have boomed in the past few years, as creating special effects and distributing the finished product has become far easier. But "True Skin," a short film by music video veteran Stephan Zlotescu, has been getting attention from the mainstream film world. Upon release earlier this week, Roger Ebert linked to the piece, which he said seemed "destined to become a feature," and the team behind it is definitely angling for a larger production.

As it is, the short film is a beautiful piece of effects work, pairing Blade Runner's neon-lit alleys (and, unfortunately, an equally awkward voiceover) with more recent science fiction tropes like voluntary prosthesis and augmented reality. It's included a nod to ad-supported products as well — even if they're personality backups, not Kindle Fire tablets. You won't find many new ideas here, but "True Skin" is a gorgeous repackaging of old ones.

TRUE SKIN from H1 on Vimeo.