Logline:

Vegetarian chef, Lottie Shaw, is hired by sustainability mogul Tamzin Vaughn to cook an exclusive dinner party... but Lottie suspects human meat may be on the menu. Deliciously dark, twisted, and culinarily artistic, it is ultimately a story about finding your true identity, even if it consumes you.

Details:

RARE is a 14-page short film, which will serve as proof of concept for a future series. Our leadership team is entirely female, with the goal of spotlighting women’s stories and providing opportunities for women in a male-dominated industry. Your financial contribution will help to make this project a reality and kickstart the careers of many young creatives. Our team is already achieving great things, with our Director, earning a spot at the 2025 South By Southwest Film Festival, and our Screenwriter's work being nominated for best original screenplay at the 2023 Utah Film Festival Awards.

RARE will be funded by a combination of larger donor contributions and crowdfunding—which will be necessary to cover the following production costs:

equipment rental
shooting location
production insurance
cast & crew meals
festival submission fees
transportation
props & costumes

Meet the Screenwriter & Lead Actress:

Born and raised in Utah's predominately Mormon suburbs, Lauren Holdt (she/her) was often ostracized by her schoolmates for her opposing religious views and queer identity. Alone on the playground, she found solace in creating fantastical worlds where she could be her authentic self and every character was a friend. Determined to normalize queerness in media, Lauren writes about raw, unapologetic women daring to embrace their sexuality. In collaboration with Zepstone Media, Lauren's fantasy pilot, “Synastry: The Witch of Wander Lane”, was nominated for best original screenplay at the Utah Film Festival Awards. Alongside screenwriting, for her role in "City of Salt", Lauren won three Best Actress awards at the Madras Film Festival Awards, the FilmCon Awards, and the Los Angeles Film Awards, and was nominated at the Utah Film Festival Awards.

Meet the Director:

JJ Herz (they/she) is a director, writer, actor, and producer with a passion for telling genuine LGBTQ+ and disability visibility stories. JJ's directorial debut project, “R&R”, a comedy pilot based on her bond with her brother, premiered as an official selection of the SXSW Independent TV Pilot Competition in March 2025. JJ was also a Finalist in this years’ SXSW and SeriesFest TV Pitch-A-Thon.

Director's Statement:

"My vision is to take RARE to a raw and real emotional space - letting the camera linger with the characters and their decisions. For myself and the creative team, cannibalism exists as a metaphor for queerness -- exploring themes of societal judgment and the struggle to accept one’s suppressed identity. I aim to emphasize the culinary imagery and intimacy between Lottie and Tamzin by relying on character close-ups and rich, warm lighting. While the interior of Tamzin’s home is the epitome of sustainability, greenery, and sophistication, there is something oddly sinister lingering in the shadows."

RARE Short Film

By RARE Short Film

RARE Short Film

RARE is a deliciously dark short about finding your identity – even if it consumes you.

Team Members