Selected narrative film projects in development and pre-production.
Selected Projects
WOMAN (short film, pre-production)
Logline: A short experimental psychological thriller about a closeted gay man who must confront the parts of himself he’s learned to fear in order to survive intimacy.
Stage: Late development/Early Pre-production
Scale: Small to mid-scale
Audience: Festival audiences, adults
Tone / Effect: Uncomfortable, implicating, emotionally raw
Rating: R
In pre-production with attached composer and post-sound collaborators.
The experimental, intentionally scriptless short film WOMAN ranked in the Top 14% of all Coverfly projects. It placed in the Top 20 projects of 2025 in its format. It was also in the Top 50 of all time in its format. Additionally, it was officially selected for Legendary Fest (Arizona). And the logline ranked 5/5 from 2 esteemed filmmakers from Stage23.
http://www.girlsforoldrichmen.com (feature film)
Logline: After being raped by her best friend’s husband, a fractured young sex worker spirals into increasingly dangerous encounters to reclaim control, while tethered to the only person she still trusts — her best friend, who sided with her rapist.
Stage: Rewriting / mid-development
Scale: Mid-scale
Audience: Indie and festival-focused audiences, female-oriented
Tone / Effect: Intimate, disturbing, emotionally suffocating
Rating: R / 18+
The feature pitch received 4s (out of 5) across all categories. Literary manager from Night Drive Management, ex-CAA/Lionsgate, provided these ratings. He has worked on The Magic Order, The Bear, and Pretty Little Liars.
Was praised as “a bold, well-written piece with very clear tone and deep character work”; also called “powerful… bleak and emotional.” By filmmaker whose breakout horror opened #1 in the UK with global sales and theatrical deals.
Early Development
SEX (working title, short film)
Logline: A young couple struggles to stay emotionally connected when sex brings him closer and leaves her feeling further away.
Stage: Early development
Scale: Small-scale
Rating: 15+
HOTEL (working title, short film)
Logline: When a young man plagued by violent hallucinations locks himself in a hotel room with his partner, he must confront whether their love can survive if it is slowly destroying them both.
Stage: Writing (second draft)
Scale: Small-scale
Rating: 15+
Maria Calado 