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Logline

After Pope Francis declares sexual pleasure is a gift from God, a religious young woman decides to end her seven years of celibacy. The only thing standing in her way is the opinionated Virgen de Altagracia medallion hanging from her neck.

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old ANGELA MORALES has spent her entire life trying to be the perfect Catholic granddaughter. When her overprotective Dominican grandmother, MAMA DOLORES, discovers a box of condoms in Angela’s purse, the shock proves too much for her weak heart. Before collapsing, Mama Dolores entrusts Angela with a magical heirloom – the family’s Virgen de Altagracia medallion – insisting it will keep her on God’s path.

Consumed by guilt, Angela blames herself for her grandmother’s death and vows to remain celibate until marriage… Seven years later, Angela has become a lonely, 25-year-old teacher whose only companion is the talking Virgen de Altagracia medallion dangling from her neck. Speaking in Mama Dolores’s voice, the judgmental medallion constantly polices Angela’s every romantic impulse, ensuring her promise of celibacy remains intact.

Everything changes when Pope Francis publicly declares that sexual pleasure is a gift from God. With the Pope’s blessing, Angela decides it’s time to have sex again.

She zeroes in on JUNIOR, the flirty bodega delivery guy. But every attempt to seduce him is sabotaged by the increasingly vocal Virgen medallion. After Angela locks the meddling necklace away, it recruits backup from a Santiago statue decorating her grandmother’s shrine.

Ultimately, Angela realizes that what she truly longs for isn’t simply sex, but intimacy, companionship, and permission to define her faith on her own terms.

Meet the Filmmakers

Claudia Forestieri — Writer/Director
Claudia Forestieri is a writer, producer, and director dedicated to bringing to life culturally specific stories with universal appeal. The daughter of Dominican-Italian immigrants, she grew up between Puerto Rico and Miami, an upbringing that continues to shape her voice.

After a twelve-year career as a reporter and producer for Telemundo News—earning a GLAAD Media Award and five L.A.-area Emmys for her work covering the Latine community—Claudia transitioned into scripted television. She wrote and produced for Freeform’s GOOD TROUBLE and Netflix’s SELENA: THE SERIES before creating and executive producing HBO Max’s critically acclaimed comedy GORDITA CHRONICLES.

After years of writing, producing, and leading productions, she’s returning to filmmaking with a broader creative perspective while continuing to hone her craft through Rob Spera’s directing master classes.

OUR LADY OF SHAME marks the next step in that journey: a short film that stands on its own while serving as the proof of concept for her debut feature. Through this project, as with all her work, Claudia hopes to tell stories that find comedy in uncomfortable places, magic in ordinary lives, and universal truths in worlds rarely seen on scree

Bryant Lemelle — Producer & Cinematographer
Bryant Lemelle is a Los Angeles–based cinematographer and producer with more than a decade of experience bringing independent and studio projects to life. A graduate of Pitzer College and AFI’s cinematography program, Bryant has served as Director of Photography on dozens of productions while also helping guide projects through the practical realities of filmmaking—from budgeting and scheduling to crew management and production strategy. He currently teaches cinematography at the New York Film Academy, where he mentors the next generation of filmmakers.

Alex Fumero — Producer
Alex Fumero is an award-winning producer, writer, podcaster, and co-founder of Trojan Horse Media. His credits include Necaxa, Menudo: Forever Young, and the Emmy-nominated Mucho Mucho Amor. A former HBO executive, he has developed acclaimed television, documentary, and podcast projects, and previously served as Senior Director of Programming at Fusion.

Shawn Wines — Producer
Shawn Wines is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker, writer, and producer whose work spans television, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. He has developed projects for HBO, FX, NBC, and Freeform, worked on acclaimed documentaries and true-crime series, and taught film at leading universities. He holds an MFA from Columbia University.

Amy Wheeler — Production Designer
For over 20 years, Amy Lee Wheeler has worked in art departments with a wide range of budgets and genres on shows like Sex and the City and The Office to features like The Three Stooges and The Heartbreak Kid. She designed Netflix’s flagship series Grace & Frankie and HBO Max’s Gordita Chronicles. Most recently, she designed Netflix’s Freeridge and a dark comedy feature A Lot of Nothing, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at SXSW.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.