A teen grappling with her identity in a small town risks her bond with her grandfather and her place in the community to protect a rare white deer, confronting the fear that has shaped her life and kept her small in a world that demands conformity.
Seventeen-year-old Emma lives under the strict protection of her grandfather Clay after her mother’s death in a quarry accident, learning that safety comes from obedience, silence, and staying small. Together they hunt, bound by a ritual call and response that reinforces Clay’s belief that fear is protection. Emma hides her true self, enduring pressure at church, harassment on the farm, and a closeted existence that feels safer than risking what little stability she has left. Everything shifts when a rare white deer appears on their trail camera. To Emma, it feels like a sign of hope and possibility; to Clay, it is a threat that could bring chaos to a struggling town already strained by outsiders and economic uncertainty. As Clay begins to rally local hunters, Emma quietly sabotages the systems meant to control the deer, loosening fences, destroying cameras, and following her instincts deeper into the woods, where she reconnects with a sense of freedom she hasn’t felt since her mother died. Alongside her best friend Nia, Emma allows herself to explore her identity and sexuality, a fragile awakening that becomes dangerous when Clay discovers them together and tightens his grip. When he decides the deer must be killed, Emma refuses to live in fear any longer. She flees into the woods to stop the hunt, chasing the deer to the edge of a cliff before leaping into the quarry pond where her mother died, emerging transformed. In the misty morning light, Emma finally encounters the white deer and its calf — a moment that affirms both her truth and her strength. Faced with the possibility of losing her, Clay begins to confront his own fear and releases his need to control her. Back in church, Emma leads the call and response without hesitation, no longer shrinking to belong, as the town of Whitehart begins to change, imperfectly but deliberately, choosing protection, compassion, and the possibility of something new.
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.
