Directed by Marlene Emilia Rios

After a woman discovers her husband's secret affairs, she teams up with his mistress and bonds over their shared thirst for revenge.

Awards and Selections
Winner, Audience Choice – Short Thriller/Horror/Sci-Fi, Monmouth Film Festival
Winner, Best Dark Drama Micro Film, Austin After Dark Film Festival
Nominee, Best Thriller Short, IndieX Film Fest
Nominee, Best Women Short, IndieX Film Fest
Nominee, Best Editing, IndieX Film Fest
Official Selection, Indie Shorts Mag Film Festival
Official Selection, Fantasm Shock Reel Film Festival
Official Selection, Atlanta Horror Film Festival

FestFlix Fun Fact:
A little about Heathens, I actually shot it in my London apartment on a budget of about £500. It was meant to be a no-pressure, indie-as-hell experiment—an excuse to play, push outside my comfort zone, and make something pulpy and fun. I’ve always had a soft spot for revenge thrillers and “good for her” stories.
I wrote this, pulled together a crew from London Film School within a week, and we shot the whole thing on—unfortunately—one of the hottest summer days in London. One of the original actors dropped out the day before, and then the day of our shoot, our production designer got sick and had to stay home. Our producer was cooking lunch in the kitchen while about a dozen people squeezed into my tiny flat with no AC, my actors dripping in sweat and covered in the sticky, tacky homemade fake blood I’d made.

So, you know, it was really indie filmmaking to the max—messy, fast, and purely for the love of it.

-Marlene Emilia Rios