LOGLINE

Magical Realist, Coming-of-Age, Drama Proof of Concept Short Film

A coming of age story about a high school girl who finds herself uncontrollably turning invisible.

SYNOPSIS

After their first day of freshman year, high school best friends Nora and Audrey kill time before they have to go home. To them, it feels like nothing has changed, but under the surface, everything has. Their innocence has begun to spoil under the male gaze, creating a unspoken rift in their friendship. Their parents are in fact imperfect humans, and their sexual awakenings clash with their catholic school upbringing. As Nora reckons with her burgeoning identity and now an uncontrollable urge to turn invisible, she must find herself when nobody else can.

Set in the early 2000s, Moths captures an era on the cusp of a technological explosion that’s still holding on to the relics of the past.

WRITER / DIRECTOR ARTISTIC STATEMENT

Moths is a quiet, magical realist film. As with most of my work, it is inspired by a poem I wrote which also opens the film. The visual of the moth symbolizes the metamorphosis of youth and of being drawn towards a light that can often misdirect towards our own peril.

This is a story that highlights the softness of girlhood and the hard edges that threaten it. I’m interested in exploring the isolation of burgeoning adulthood and how our experiences during this time can impact us long term. My goal with this film is to create a language for feelings and experiences that otherwise feel impossible to express.

There is often taboo around what we can and cannot talk about as it relates to the female experience. The lack of dialogue diminishes our existence, and as a result, can leave us feeling invisible. By allowing each scene to unfold naturally, I’m hoping to have those unspoken conversations and open the door to real dialogue.

This short film serves as a proof of concept for a 90 minute feature length version.

PITCH DECK

Annie Rhodes Kane, Writer, Director, Producer.

Annie is a Brooklyn based writer and director who explores themes of self-identity, relationships, and ultimate healing through her work. She is passionate about telling character driven stories that relate to topical conversations, and especially loves finding ways to embellish magical realism into the mundanity of everyday life.

Annie is a graduate of USC’s MFA film program where she wrote, directed and produced a number of short films. Her work has screened at festivals such as LA Shorts, Ojai and Borrego Springs. She’s a 2024 Stowe Story Labs participant and a selected Nostos screenwriter. Annie also produces film and television trailers for clients at major studios and streaming companies. Managing a global team, she creates work that garners millions of views across digital and streaming platforms. Her latest credits include House of the Dragon (HBO), Boots (Netflix), 28 Years Later (Sony), F1 (Apple) and Minecraft (WB).

Also a photographer, Annie is an advocate for keeping film alive and practices predominantly in the analogue format.

Knial Saunders, Producer.

Knial Saunders is an award-winning writer, director, and producer, whose work explores themes of multicultural identity, religion, and sexuality through intimate coming-of-age stories. A graduate of Howard University and the University of Southern California, Knial has written, directed, and produced short films that have exhibited at the Pan African Film Festival, Micheaux Film Festival, Cambria Film Festival and more.His industry experience includes working for Shondaland, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Discovery, where he gained insight into the creative and production workflows of high-profile film and television projects.

When not behind the camera, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Iris Lee, Cinematographer.

Iris Lee is a Taiwanese-American cinematographer from Fremont, CA who grew up people-watching on travels with her dad’s camcorder. As a result, she is often drawn to diverse stories that explore the relationships between people and their environments.

After working in video journalism for a few years, Iris was selected as a Cinematography Fellow with the Television Academy, the inaugural AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women (CIW), and is an alum of the Academy Gold Rising program. Most recently, she was named a WIF Cinematography Fellow in 2024 and is a member and supporter of the International Community of Female Cinematographers (ICFC). Currently, she is a 2025 Film Independent Project Involve Cinematography Fellow and, of course, an avid supporter of theatrical releases of independent cinema.

Emil Sana, Composer.

Emil Sana is a French-Finnish composer, producer, and sound artist. He has scored on fiction and documentary feature films such as Silent Legacy and Becoming, both premiering at Locarno Film Festival. He’s also composed for award-winning short films featured at student BAFTAs, Student Academy Awards, Helsinki Film Festival, and Santa Barbara FIlm Festival. He’s a founding member of Muuntamo Sound Oy, a studio where he collaborates closely with sound designers and music producers.

Alexander McNeill, Editor.

Alexander McNeill is an award-winning editor and director from North London, graduating from Bournemouth Film School in 2015. He made his feature editing debut with 2024 documentary The Last Sacrifice, and has recently edited the upcoming Turkish drama The Killing of Adam. He has also edited numerous shorts, including All the Lights Still Burning, which premiered at London Film Festival 2023, Chickenshit, Appreciation (Best Editing at Little Wing Film Festival 2020) and The Right Choice (Sundance 2018). At creative agency Intermission Film he has also edited trailers for films such as All of Us Strangers, Rose of Nevada, The Worst Person in the World, Ammonite, Bait, Lamb, The Hole in the Ground, Netflix's Young Royals S1 & 2 and How to Sell Drugs Online S1 & 2. He is also a director, his short period horror film The Parting Glass screened in London Short Film Festival 2017's gothic strand, winning best cinematography.

Alexandra Rain, Actress.

Alexandra Rain is an actress, dancer, model, and award-winning writer. She studies acting at Archibald Studio in Los Angeles. She’s appeared in Vogue, Vogue Runway, The Webster, and others. She trained with Ballet West and performed with SALT Contemporary Dance Company.

Alexandra’s debut collection of poetry, Growing Pains, chronicles childhood heartbreak caused by her mother’s addiction. In 2023, she won first place for Best Narrative Essay from Society for Features Journalism. The University of Utah presented her with the Excellence Award in Writing and Rhetoric for Research.

Alexandra is dedicated to stories that highlight humanity with honesty, nuance, and humor.

Sarah Owens, Actress.

Sarah is an actor, writer, improv-lover with a bachelor’s in biochemistry from UCLA. A southern California native with roots in K-Town and the OC, she employs enthusiastic confidence even after switching careers from pre-med to actor unlike other asian daughters. Sarah is an ambitious learner with a concurrent degree in Linguistics that uniquely informs her advanced capabilities in languages and accents. She is trained in the Meisner technique and recently performed with her UCB comedy group.

Sarah is passionate about writing and performing nuanced stories centered on the female experience as well as people of color.

Stowe Story Labs alumni can initiate an application for fiscal agency here.

MOTHS