Bella Thorne Directs Short Film

The 2024 Taormina Film Festival is set to open on Saturday night with the premiere of Mitzi Peirone’s new thriller “Saint Clare,” which stars Bella Thorne as a young woman who acts on the advice of voices in her head to commit a series of murders. But the highly anticipated screening won’t be Thorne’s only presence at the Taormina.

The actress and singer, who previously directed the short film “Paint Her Red” along with many of her music videos, is bringing her latest short “Unsettled” to the festival. Ahead of its international premiere at Taormina (the film previously screened at Palm Springs ShortsFest), IndieWire can exclusively reveal the trailer for “Unsettled.”

Per a press release, “Unsettled” tells the “true story of a young man drugged and abducted from a gay club who escapes and seeks to bring his tormentors to justice in a deeply conservative Bible Belt Oklahoma.” The short film, which is executive produced by Thorne’s “Divinity” director Eddie Alcazar, provides the basis for Thorne’s upcoming feature directorial debut “Color Your Hurt.”

Thorne has been a frequent presence at the festival in recent years. In 2023, she teamed up with co-artistic director Barrett Wissman to curate the festival’s Influential Shorts gala, which highlighted the work of directors from around the world in addition to her own film.

“We all connect through stories: watching art should be like looking in the mirror,” Thorne previously said in a statement announcing her curatorial involvement with the festival. “I have been looking for shorts that speak to me about family dynamics, trauma in any form, stories about internalized hatred, and mother/daughter and father/son stories. I’m looking for stories that show balance: both the beautiful and ugly sides of life, and the light and the darkness we are surrounded by every day.”

“I am excited to be able to recognize Bella’s talent now as a film director and as a curator,” Wissman said. “Launching such a great project in the context of a historic festival and event like the Taormina Film Festival is an inspiring opportunity.”

Watch the trailer for “Unsettled,” an IndieWire exclusive, below.