Adam Murray’s The Traveler & The Troll is available to watch online after its festival run. Daily Dead reports the release of the horror-fantasy comedy, which stars Erika Ishii as an adventurer forced to answer a troll’s riddles to survive a night in a haunted forest.
Dave Child voices the troll, with Brittaney Talbot and Chelsea Pickens Tonick providing puppetry. Murray wrote and directed the short, which was filmed at Laurel Canyon Stages in Los Angeles.
The production uses practical effects, original puppets, stop-motion and 2D animation. Its central troll puppet stands six feet tall, giving the encounter a physical presence alongside the animated elements.
The short premiered at the Overlook Film Festival in 2025, where it won the audience award for best short. Its later festival appearances included Fantasia and Palm Springs International ShortFest. Watch the film on Murray’s own channel below, or visit the project’s official website for more production information.