Meet Austin Cole

Austin Cole is a filmmaker and visual artist from Colorado, born with a congenital heart defect that’s shaped not only their life but also their creative perspective. Growing up with health challenges, including a plethora of operations, open-heart surgery and multiple valve replacements, Austin developed a deep awareness of life’s fragility. This awareness has led to a profound connection with the world around them, especially the natural beauty and harmony that exists in the most unexpected places.

Art has always been Austin’s greatest passion. From a young age, they were drawn to visual storytelling, making stop-motion videos with action figures and building sets. Over time, their creativity expanded to include painting, sculpting, and embroidery..

Austin’s debut stop-motion short film, Solar Neighbor, was a labor of love—shot and edited entirely in their bedroom and basement over the course of several years. The film takes place in a vibrant, alien world, but its themes of mortality, community, connection, caretaking, and purpose are deeply personal. It’s a reflection of Austin’s own journey, grappling with life’s fragility and the importance of the connections we build.

For Austin, making art is not just about creating something beautiful—it’s about exploring what it means to be alive and to connect with others. Given the brief nature of life, Austin feels driven to only pursue what truly matters to them: creating meaningful, heartfelt work.

Directors Statement

Solar Neighbor is a deeply personal exploration of our shared humanity, seen through the lens of an otherworldly encounter. Through the delicate medium of stop motion, I wanted to create a visual experience that speaks to the fragility and beauty of life.
The film’s central themes, friendship, community, love, and sickness—are woven together with a sense of cosmic wonder and introspection. By depicting an alien encounter in a way that emphasizes connection rather than fear, Solar Neighbor reflects my belief that at our core, we are all interconnected, no matter where we come from or what form we take. The aliens in this story are not invaders, but neighbors.
To bring this story to life, I chose to use practical effects for every element in the film, from the characters to the sky, clouds, plants, and even the smallest details in the environment. Everything you see on screen, from the hand-molded clay characters and hand-painted backgrounds to the cotton used for clouds, the rocks and sand for the landscape, and the popsicle sticks and hot glue that form the homes, was all real tangible objects with no CGI of any sort used.
The idea that our world, and the cosmos itself, is made up of countless tiny parts, all deserving of dignity, is something that resonates deeply with me. As we navigate our daily lives, it can be easy to forget that everything around us, including ourselves, is part of something much larger and more interconnected than we often realize. This is a film about recognizing our place in the cosmos, understanding that we are not isolated, but part of an intricate web of life and energy..
At its heart, Solar Neighbor is about hope. Hope that, despite the challenges and sicknesses we face, there is always room for love, connection, and mutual respect. I hope that when viewers walk away from the film, they feel a sense of acceptance, not only for themselves but for all the beings around them. I want the film to inspire a sense of cosmic belonging, to remind us that we are all part of something beautiful and infinitely complex.