Oma

A gothic horror of trauma, repression, and autonomy

Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Writer/Director/Producer: Bianca Foscht, Dilara Foscht
Producer: Ilayda Cetinkaya
Executive Producer: Michael Goi, Brent Huff
Cinematographer: Leo Behrens

Email: omathefilm@gmail.com
Website: omathefilm.wixsite.com/omathefilm

Help independent filmmakers tell their stories.
Make a donation to Oma today.

Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Oma to life.
 

Logline

A nurse’s unexpected transfer to the isolated Austrian Alps to care for an impaired woman turns into a nightmare when the patient forces her into a series of psychological and sadistic games.

Synopsis

After the traumatic experience of losing her child, Nurse now leads a simple, ordinary life, with everything seemingly in place: she loves her job as a nurse in the local hospital’s maternity ward, she is engaged to the head psychiatrist, and she knows exactly what each day will bring.

But Nurse’s carefully structured life is suddenly turned upside down when her uncle, senior doctor Conrad Benton, urges her to take on a unique job as a caregiver in the isolated Austrian Alps. The task: to supervise Oma, an elderly woman with severe physical and mental disabilities.

Unaware of what awaits her, and entirely on her own, Nurse sets off for a strange and unfamiliar country, equipped only with a single suitcase and a handbook detailing the strict rules for Oma’s care. A rigid routine of peculiar daily tasks must be meticulously followed to keep Oma from losing her sanity.

Nurse soon realizes that the seemingly simple job comes with more than a few unsettling surprises, and that neither Oma nor the Alps are what they appear to be. As she is pushed to the breaking point by her patient and the mysterious family surrounding her, Nurse’s grip on reality begins to slip, plunging her into a waking nightmare.

What does it take to turn a simple nurse into an investigator of a dangerous case, one that challenges the very boundaries of reality?
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Bianca & Dilara Foscht — Directors
Bianca and Dilara Foscht, or “Foscht Twins” as they go by in their shared filmmaking career, are a powerhouse identical twin duo. The sisters have won multiple awards from a young age, excelling in their professional dance and equestrian careers, giving them the competitive edge. After successfully completing numerous short movies in Europe and Canada, the twins finished their first freshman feature film, which they wrote, directed, produced and starred in, winning them “best foreign language feature film” at the Wales International Film Festival. Their debut was also nominated for “best first time filmmakers” at the renowned Montreal Independent Film Festival, won 8 awards at the Idyllwild CinemaFest in California, and was picked up for distribution, to be released in 2025! The twins also honed their filmmaking skills through hands-on experience, working on major productions such as Disney’s Percy Jackson and Warner Bros Batwoman. “We are like a train; Bianca is the engine that unstoppably runs on high speed while Dilara is the train driver that makes sure the train doesn’t crash into any rocks along the way, smartly finding the most adventurous track for the Foscht Twins Train to follow.”

Ilayda Cetinkaya — Producer
An award-winning independent producer based in Los Angeles. Her solo-produced 35mm trans short film, Skin, won the Gold Medal at the 2023 Student Academy Awards, screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, and earned her the Best Producer award at both the 2024 Reale Film Festival and the 2023 LA Cinematography Awards. Her recent short film, Re-Entry, received the Alfred P. Sloan Production Grant and won the Amazon MGM Award ($5,000 prize) in 2024. She was an associate producer for the TV pilot One for the Team, directed by Emmy-nominated writer/director/actress Rain Valdez. Her short film Corpse Fishing, backed by Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad, premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and qualified for an Oscar. Committed to supporting the indie film ecosystem, she also serves as a shorts programmer for the Asian World Film Festival 2024 and SEE Fest 2025. Originally from Istanbul, she moved to the U.S. in 2014 to pursue a career in film, attending Idyllwild Arts Academy before earning a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University in 2020. She later completed the AFI Conservatory’s Producing Fellowship.

Leo Behrens — Cinematographer
An award-winning Norwegian cinematographer based in Los Angeles. His short film SKIN, which he wrote, directed, and shot, won the Gold Medal at the 2023 Student Academy Awards and has screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, including AFI FEST, Newport Beach, and Oldenburg. The film earned 9 awards and 20 nominations, including Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Cinematography Awards and GemFest, and was shortlisted for the 2024 Iris Prize. Following his win, Leo was selected for the Academy Gold Alumni Mentorship Program receiving one-on-one guidance from Michael Goi, ASC, DGA. As a cinematographer, his work on the documentary Evan Ever After earned top awards at Oscar-qualifying festivals, including the Audience Award at the Florida Film Festival and the Jury Award at Out On Film Atlanta. Most recently, the short film Pace, which he shot, was selected for the 2025 American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes. Leo is a 2023 graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI), represented by Zero Gravity Management, and an associate member of both the Norwegian Society of Cinematographers (FNF) and the Society of Camera Operators (SOC). In 2023–24, he participated in the ASC Vision Mentorship Program and was awarded the Fresh Perspective in Cinematography Grant, used to shoot his feature debut Shadow Watchers, presented at CineGear LA 2024.

Michael Goi — Executive Producer
An acclaimed American cinematographer, director, and producer whose exceptional body of work has left a lasting impact on both film and television. Renowned for his versatile visual storytelling, Goi has earned multiple Emmy nominations for his cinematography on hit series such as Glee, American Horror Story, and My Name Is Earl. He is also celebrated for his collaborations with visionary creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, serving as a key creative force behind Glee, Scream Queens, and American Horror Story. Most recently, Goi showcased his talents as the Executive Producer, Director, and Cinematographer of Netflix’s highly anticipated Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation. Beyond his extensive television credits, Goi wrote and directed the controversial yet impactful 2011 psychological thriller Megan Is Missing, which continues to resonate with audiences. A former president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), Goi’s contributions to the industry are marked by his dedication to visual excellence and his mentorship of emerging filmmakers.

Brent Huff — Executive Producer
An award-winning actor, writer and director best known for his recurring roles in Shameless, The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds, Pensacola: Wings of Gold and Black Scorpion. Huff has also written and directed numerous successful films such as, The Jackie Stiles Story (2022), A Genie’s Tail (2022), It’s a Rockabilly World (2016), Chasing Beauty (2013), Behind the Orange Curtain (2012), Cat City (2008), Welcome to Paradise (2007), and 100 Mile Rule (2002), After the success of The Perils of Gwendoline (1984) Huff starred in numerous action films. Huff has had the unique opportunity to work as an actor and director around the globe in countries such as France, Italy, Austria, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Serbia, Thailand and Morocco. Huff just completed directing the family film, A Genie’s Tail, (2020) that stars Youtube sensation, Jake Paul, as well Laura Marano and Kevin and John Farley. As an in-demand writer, Huff has sold numerous produced screenplays such as, Black Rose (2014), Magic Man (2010), Face of Terror (2004), and Power Play (2003). Known for his low, gravelly voice , Huff has been heard in hundreds of TV and radio commercials.

Make a donation to Oma.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.