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Logline

When two women’s emotional wounds collide in a sauna, one storms out, leaving the other trapped – questioning whether the betrayal was deliberate or just a cruel accident.

Synopsis

Heat is a psychological drama that explores the fragile nature of trust and the performance of intimacy.

Charlotte (30s) and Eleanor (30s) begin to open up to one another inside a sauna; it feels safe, and disarmingly sensual. But as buried traumas surface, the tone shifts. Vulnerability turns volatile.

Eleanor storms out. Moments later, Charlotte realizes she’s been locked inside. Panic sets in. And then…the door opens. Eleanor stands there, seemingly oblivious. Was it an accident?

Heat deals with control, consent, and how quickly we can lose hold of both. This is a film about the moments we misread, the stories we tell ourselves to stay safe, and the cost of being seen too clearly. The project consciously centers women, their relationships, and how women experience, interpret, and support each other through trauma.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Elizabeth “Ella” Danna — Director
Elizabeth “Ella” Danna (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based director and producer drawn to stories that live in emotional ambiguity and psychological tension. A graduate of the AFI Conservatory’s Producing Discipline, she brings a director’s eye for nuance, intimacy, and visual storytelling to every frame. Her feature A Ramble Towards Rain premiered at Queens World Film Festival, and her award-winning short LA Suona Della Citta earned Audience Choice at Cinefest. With a background in visual arts and international production experience in both the U.S. and Italy, Ella crafts cinematic worlds where atmosphere mirrors interiority, and the unsaid carries as much weight as dialogue.

Becca E. Davis — Writer, Producer
Becca E. Davis (she/her) is a producer, writer and lawyer who was named a PGA Create Fellow for the 2024 Scripted Cycle. Her scripts have all earned various accolades, including from the Academy Nicholls Fellowship, Screencraft, Launch Pad, the PAGE Awards, and Stage 32’s Female Driven Screenwriting Contest. Her industry work experience includes stints at AMC Networks, HBO, the WGA, the Walt Disney Company/20th Century Studios, Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media, and the Russo Brothers AGBO. She has a BA from Northeastern, a JD from Georgetown, and a Producing MFA from the AFI Conservatory.

Rebecca “Reb” Richard — Director of Photography
Rebecca “Reb” Richard (she/her) is an LA based cinematographer with a foundation in sculpture and art history She has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Michele Oka Doner and Jordan Griska on commissions for institutions including Marlborough Gallery, The Miami City Ballet, and Philadelphia Contemporary. Reb has worked with clients like Nicole Richie and brands such as Rare Beauty. Her dedication to visual storytelling earned her a spot as one of 16 cinematographers selected for the American Film Institute’s 2022 Cinematography Intensive for Women. Reb aims to tell stories that foster empathy and challenge perception. She has a MFA in Cinematography from the AFI Conservatory.

Kathrene Gawel — Executive Producer/Lead Actress
Kathrene Gawel (she/her) is an actor, filmmaker, and business affairs executive. She has appeared as a lead in film and episodic projects which have screened at festivals such as LA Shorts, Catalyst Content Festival, and Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, and has received accolades for screenwriting and directing including at the Annual Top Shorts Film Festival (Best Screenplay of the Year), Oniros Film Awards, and Independent Short Awards. Her industry work experience includes roles at Miramax, Netflix, and the Writers Guild of America West. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and UCLA Extension, Kathrene has also studied with Gregory Berger-Sobeck (Masterclass), Kristof Konrad (Alexander Technique), Christopher Bayes (Clown to Comedia).

Lauren Rodriguez — Executive Producer/Lead Actress
Lauren Rodriguez (she/her) is a NYC and LA based actor, singer, and filmmaker hailing from the suburbs of Boston with a degree in biochemistry. She has appeared in lead roles that have screened at LA Shorts, Catalyst Content Festival, and CAFF, among others. Some favorite roles she’s played since include Olivia (Twelfth Night), Meg (Little Women) and Olga (Three Sister), as well as, lead roles in CAFF Golden Angel Award Winner, Magician: Game of Detective and ensemble based comedy mini-series, Cohabs. Lauren has studied acting in NYC and Los Angeles with Gregory Berger-Sobeck, Ann Nobel, Josiah Bania, Christopher Bayes (Clowning), Daniela Varon (Shakespeare), and Jessica Wolf (Alexander Technique).

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.