Faded Away

Faded Away is an American-British live action supernatural-fantasy-drama short film directed by Marc Forester. It was released in 2011 and the following year was a nominee candidate for best live action short film at the 2012 Academy awards, but was never chosen as a nominee.

SYNOPSIS
In 1991, a neighbourhood clash is at it's highest stake as two families obtain to keep an 11 year old emotionally and physically abused girl, one family (The Leanos) wants the girl to be free, safe and the biological parents kept away from her, while the other (the girls biological family/The Hansens) wants to keep her to continue controlling and tormenting her. One night after screams from the Hansen house, the girl escapes the house and runs away to the forest. But the next day, she is never seen again much to the shock of the entire town and the Hansen parents are arrested for their crimes. All that's left, is a suitcase with a stuffed hummingbird.

A year later, the Leanos are babysitting their friends 9 year old daughter Abigail while her family are on their anniversary honeymoon, still annoyed by how strong the rumours have gotten since the disappearance. Not only it's become one of the main conversations of the neighbourhood, but also got a section on the news. Some people believe that the girl was abducted and murdered, with her remains being carefully disposed of. Others believe she took her own life and drowned in the river next to the forest. Others believe more... Paranormal ideals and believe that her spirit was faded away and taken by a fictional mythical creature made for the short film called the Echo. A mythical middle aged male being with a description similar to that of the Mexican urban legend, La Llorona. The Echo had once lost his entire family, and took his own life in the river due to his severe grief. Ever since then, his angelic spirit lurks in the woods echoing sobs and singing to lure less fortunate and less cared for children, so he can take care of them himself. But in the process, take away their spirits, leaving their bodies to fade away without a trace and into the afterlife.

Things take a new turn when two mythological theorists underground are continuously studying this mythological creature, the case itself and collecting as much evidence and proof as possible, hoping that once they crack the case, they can capture the mythological figure and gain fame off of it.