Into the Thicket (2023)
12 min | English | Devany Greenwood
A young woman struggles with her fractured home life, failing to find common ground with her volatile yet emotionally repressed mother. Longing for a maternal figure, she continues to be haunted by visions of a mystical woman, and soon, dream intertwines with reality as she discovers a deeper connection to the mysterious lady of the woods.
Meet The Team
Lana Vanzine
as Elowyn
Originally from Russia and having called California home for the past decade, Lana Vanzine is known primarily for her lead roles in a variety of indie shorts, with films ranging from comedy and drama to fantasy. Her work has earned recognition at Oscar-qualifying festivals such as LA Shorts and various indie darlings, including Tacoma Film Festival. Her other projects include leading roles in feature films such as “Waiting on on The World,” as well as print and runway modeling. She is represented by JE Talent Agency in San Francisco.
Dina Selimovic
as Eva
Born in Bosnia (formerly Yugoslavia), Dina Selimovic has lived in quite a few countries since. She has extensive experience in performing arts, having studied Stanislavsky method acting for years, attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts as well as the Terry Schreiber Studio. She is also well versed in Lee Strasberg and Meisner technique. With an expansive background in theatre, she has now transitioned to predominantly screen acting.
Rachel Alig
as Marie
Rachel Alig is a full-time actress based out of Los Angeles, California. Her colleagues have described her work as, “masterful”, and, “so funny she sets the new standard for comedy." She has over 100 credits on IMDb. So far in 2022, she has filmed two feature films as the leading lady, ET TU starring opposite of Lou Diamond Phillips and MURDER VAN. Rachel has studied in master classes at Margie Haber Studios, with Lesly Kahn at Lesly Kahn & Co., and the Groundlings. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s College- Conservatory of Music. Movies that she star in can be found on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and more.
Devany Greenwood
Director & Writer
Devany Greenwood is a French-American director based in Los Angeles, CA. Her work is primarily rooted in poetics, exploring the feminine and unraveling the many layers of trauma. She also works in specialty costumes & props with Global Effects and has notably worked on shows For All Mankind (Apple TV+) & Station Eleven (HBO Max). She is the founder and executive producer at Cosmica Productions. She recently completed a proof of concept for her feature script Into the Thicket, which was selected as a Semifinalist in WeScreenplay's Feature Screenwriting Lab (2022) & Quarterfinalist in Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition (2021).
Naomi Amarger
Cinematographer
Naomi Amarger is a French cinematographer living between London and Paris. She recently shot her first narrative feature, Divertimento, directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar and produced by Easy Tiger. Naomi always has a very sensitive approach to scripts and her past as an actress really inspires her work behind the camera. In 2017 she was nominated for both a Cesar and a Lumiere Awards for Most Promising Actress. She studied cinematography at the Louis-Lumiere National Film School in Paris, and developed her skills working at Panavision in New-York and being a camera assistant to cinematographers she admires. Naomi is a member of the ICFC and the French collective Femmes à la Caméra, and was selected for the American Society of Cinematographer’s Vision Mentorship Program 2021.
Stephanie Anne Jöens
Production Designer
A Los Angeles native, Stephanie has always been obsessed with film and the art of the movie-making process. She had begun her journey with jumping right into production design and set dressing. Her skills stem from an affinity for vintage aesthetics and anything horror, sci-fi, and/or fantasy based. She is the former co-proprietor of Mystic Museum in Burbank, CA, where things going bump in the night was the norm. One of her primary goals is to work with profound queer or femme horror-based productions & collectives. Whether it’s curating dark art conventions, art galleries, or creating events and a sense of community has always come naturally to this witchy woman. It has been a driving force to create a safe space for artists to move through by using her expertise. She loves to nurture everyone’s innovation that comes to her for creative collaboration. She has a strong passion for making a director’s vision a reality.
Maria Magalhães
Executive Producer
Maria Magalhães is a Brazilian actress and producer. She holds a B.F.A in Theatre from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and pursued further acting studies at New York Film Academy. She toured all over Brazil for six years with theatre company Casa Laboratório, performing and producing shows.
Basema Del Vita
Executive Producer
Basema Del Vita is a music producer, singer, songwriter, actress, artist and designer. On stage since the age of 5, designing tattoos since the age of 16, producing and recording music since the age of 21 and designing her own fashion brand since the age of 24; performing and creating art is her passion. She is inspired by Old Hollywood and her Palestinian and Irish roots and references them often in her work.
Roy Shellef
Co-Producer
Roy Shellef is an Israeli filmmaker, born in Tel Aviv, now based in Burbank, California. He holds a Bachelor's degree in visual communication (directing, producing, writing) from IDC Herzelia College. Recently, Shellef produced a music video called "Ocean" for Jamie Foxx and DJ Solomun and his film "Thank You” has won multiple awards. Shellef’s background as a visual and business communications expert and public relations manager enables him to strategize, pitch, and negotiate multiple film development & distribution deals simultaneously. Shellef and his team currently have two feature films and a limited series.
Emanuele Bonomi
Editor
From Trentino (Italy) with love, Emanuele Bonomi is an editor and director raised in the alps. His work as Editor includes over 30 short films, music videos, documentaries, commercials and montage/art concept work. The surreal, gothic atmosphere of his work is due to a childhood spent in the timeless forests around his town, where legend says, witches and demons are confined. In kindergarten, he learned the craft of puppet-making and started his first puppet shows using an ironing board as a stage. His interest in creating stories and imaginary worlds soon transitioned into cinema.He undertook a Certificate of High Specialisation in Editing at the NUCT Academy of Cinecittà (Rome, Italy) with teachers such us Walter Fasano (Editor of 'Suspiria' and 'Call Me by Your Name') and Consuelo Catucci (Editor of 'Perfect Strangers' and 'Angel of Evil'). He then graduated with Distinction from the London Film School.
Max Drenckpohl
Colorist
Max Drenckpohl is a colorist based in Los Angeles and is currently working as a dailies colorist at Company 3 on shows like 1883 and Yellowstone. A lover of the collaboration in film, he takes a lot of pride in bringing to life the stories of our unique world. Max has contributed to several award-winning short films and music videos with his projects racking up close to 1 billion views on YouTube and several VMA/Grammy awards.
Joanna Karselis
Composer
BAFTA crew member Joanna Karselis is a highly versatile composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter whose credits include award-winning REUNIFICATION, 5 SOUTH, 51 STATES, & THE BELLWETHER. Her immersive composition method involves experimenting with and manipulating sound in unusual ways, inspired by her background in contemporary classical music.