Genre
Synopsis
In a quiet rural town, sixteen-year-old Emma joins her grandfather, Pop Pop, for a Sunday steeped in tradition—hunting at dawn, church at dusk. But when Emma is caught sharing an innocent kiss with her secret girlfriend in the church rectory, everything changes.
As the sanctuary becomes a stage for her shame and fear, Emma is pushed to deliver a Bible reading before the community congregation and a grandfather whose silence says everything. What unfolds is a quiet, aching reckoning between identity and inheritance, testing whether Emma can find the courage to be seen, and whether Pop Pop can accept that her truth isn’t a phase or a rebellion, but the sacred core of the granddaughter he’s always loved.
In a final return to the woods, where words echo gently through trees, their call and response becomes more than a hunting ritual. It becomes a fragile offering of support, acceptance, and the choice of love over principle.
Bio
Charlene is a queer filmmaker from the Catskill Mountains and an ex-Army sergeant whose search for belonging led her to storytelling. Her feature documentary THE FOUNDERS won the Audience Award at the Atlanta Film Festival and Best Documentary at La Costa, followed by a series of acclaimed short films (LIMERENCE, THE LICK, RIDESHARE, THE MOTH) that examine the tension between isolation, connection, and the need for community.
She directed the Emmy-winning series INTERSECTION and episodes for Discovery and TLC. As a producer and editor, she helped shape MAN MADE (about trans bodybuilders), HOME FIELD (Tribeca), and AMERICAN REBEL for PBS (American Masters).
As a cinematographer she's lensed several short films, series and network content for Discovery, Netflix, TLC and Magnolia. Her screenwriting has been recognized by Slamdance, Stowe Story Labs, Cinestory, Southern Producers Lab, ScreenCraft, Athena Writing and Developing Lab and Austin Film Festival. Her short screenplay, CALL AND RESPONSE, was number one on Coverfly’s 2025 top short scripts all time.
Charlene’s work lives at the intersection of grief, identity, and resilience. She is always reaching for what’s raw, unspoken, and completely transformative.
Awards History
Coverfly Top 1% all time short form
Winner, Slamdance Screenplay Competition 2024
Finalist Stowe Story Lab $50,000 Grant
Finalist - Shore Script Film Fund
Credits
Erica Arvold - Producer
Katerina Eichenberger- Producer
