Genre
Synopsis
FILTHY follows thirteen-year-old Cass as she's suddenly ripped from her familiar life in California when her mother Diana gets "born again," marries a sweet but naive Christian man, and drags the family to Arkansas to open a Bible bookstore. Cass finds herself trapped in a judgmental small town where purity balls and church attendance define worth, and where her natural sexual curiosity marks her as dangerous. As Diana becomes increasingly desperate to present them as the perfect Christian family, Cass watches her mother transform into someone unrecognizable—someone who will shame her own daughter to fit in. Caught between her awakening sexuality and a community that weaponizes shame, Cass must navigate not only the suffocating expectations of the Bible Belt, but the painful realization that her mother is willing to abandon who they really are for the illusion of belonging. The film explores the heartbreaking complexity of a mother-daughter relationship fractured by reinvention, and one girl's fight to hold onto herself when everyone around her demands she become someone else.
Bio
Lisa Cole is an award-winning writer/director whose work is shaped by living with 201 host families across 12 countries. Her global perspective is evident in her 2024 Oscar-Shortlisted short film, "Bienvenidos a Los Angeles," inspired by a true immigration story. Selected for the 2025 Alliance of Women Director's Rising Director Fellowship, Lisa specializes in adapting true stories that champion female liberation. Current projects include "Diamond Girls," a feature film with Selena Gomez and producer Laura Bickford, and "Filthy," a Sundance Development Lab Finalist.Her portfolio includes documentaries for Viacom, A&E, & BET, and films for The Gates Foundation and Sundance Institute, focusing on women's health and safety in Kenya and DR Congo.
A fellow with Final Draft/Stowe Story Labs, Women in Film, Athena Lab, and Cine Qua Non, Lisa's work has been supported by Cinetic Media and Endeavor Content. She's collaborated with industry heavyweights such as Jean-Marc Vallee, Laura Dern, Demi Moore, Lily Rabe, Shailene Woodley, Laura Bickford and Catherine Hardwicke. A Loyola Marymount University graduate and Regional finalist in the Student Academy Awards, Lisa serves on the board of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children and five pets. Yes, five.
Awards History
2025 Alliance of Women Directors Rising Director Fellowship
Coverfly Top 1%
Nicholl's Top 15%
Second Round, Sundance Development Track Lab
Finalist, Page International Screenplay Competition