Watch Heatwave:
This is the way the world ends. Screening next at the Scout Film Festival in January!
director's statement
In quality, content, and underlying sentiment, “Heatwave” is a reflection of my own development. I wrote, directed, and produced this film throughout the summer preceding my first year at Stanford University. This was a time of persistent transience. As most of my friends were moving across the country to begin their own college journeys, isolation emerged as a prominent theme in this movie. I directed “Heatwave” in a response to my own sense of being alone, set in the context of Las Vegas summer heat—the home that I would soon be leaving. Producing and editing this film allowed for more than a distraction from the impending change; it enabled me to maturely and artistically articulate my emotions. I am extremely proud of “Heatwave”: my last project created as a teenage filmmaker in Nevada. I can look back at this provocative work as a suitable capstone for my high school filmmaking years. I can look forward to more years of artistic exploration as I begin the next phase of my cinematic and personal growth.
synopsis
A searing clash between lust and responsibility at the end of days. Temperatures on Earth are skyrocketing, and James has found shelter in one of the last remaining bunkers. He’s smart, he’s resourceful, and he’s a coward. The young man settles into his new life after society’s downfall…then Kay nocks on his door. She is carrying a functional power cell, which—if delivered with James’ help—could erect a Sun Shield to save the human race. For James, a return to normal would mean a desk job and a sense of isolation identical to the one he felt before Kay emerged from the desert. He’s now stuck in a spacious bunker with a real, beautiful, human woman. Does he really want to save the world, or should he doom society to live out the rest of his days in peace?