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

Logline

On the last night of an underground gay bathhouse, a group of friends confront their deepest desires and face unimaginable horrors to survive.

Synopsis

Thomas dreams of a picture-perfect life: a loving marriage, a cozy home, and a loyal dog. However, his partner, Juan, doesn’t share the same vision. During their friend Matthew’s 30th birthday celebration, the group receives an enigmatic invitation to STEAM, an exclusive and mysterious bathhouse. Matthew, eager to embrace his milestone birthday, persuades his best friend and roommate, Juliet—a confident transgender woman—to join him, postponing her own plans.

What begins as a night of indulgence quickly spirals into a nightmare. Inside STEAM’s shadowy walls, pleasure masks something far more sinister. As the friends explore the labyrinth of steam rooms and dark corridors, unsettling visions, strange disappearances, and cryptic messages begin to unravel their grip on reality. Desire turns violent, and fantasy becomes fatal.

With each passing hour, Thomas is pulled deeper into a seductive game that feeds on his doubts, secrets, and darkest impulses. Trapped in a building that seems to shift and breathe, the group must fight to escape not just the physical space, but the monstrous truths that lurk within themselves.

Steam is a surreal, sensory horror experience—equal parts erotic and terrifying—that asks: what if the path to freedom meant facing the horror of who you really are?
 

Meet the Filmmaker

João Dall’Stella – Writer/Director/Producer
João Dall’Stella is a Brazilian writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles, known for his bold, genre-blending storytelling that explores human psychology and self-expression. His award-winning short Día De Las Carpas won the DGA Grand Prize for Latino Directors and screened at prestigious festivals, including CAA Moebius and SAG-AFTRA Foundation. His LGBTQ+ short Stalls screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, including OUTFEST 2020. João’s work pushes creative boundaries across multiple mediums. His horror-comedy Don’t Swipe Up (2023) and psychological thriller VCR Cleaning (2023) showcase his innovative visual storytelling. His 2023 project Hot Ways to Die was featured in OUT.com, Queerty, and Pride.com, solidifying his reputation as a queer genre filmmaker. As a screenwriter, João’s feature comedy The Godmothers was a Top 100 finalist in the 2024 Launch Pad Feature Competition. His horror feature Steam, about a killer in a bathhouse, has placed in multiple competitions, including ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch and WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Lab. A Sundance: Collab advisor, João mentors emerging filmmakers while developing his feature Steam and his original superhero pilot DOM. He remains dedicated to amplifying Latin and LGBTQ+ voices through compelling, inclusive storytelling.

Make a donation to Steam.

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.