On the day of her release from a psychiatric facility, Mira returns to her mother’s home in Brooklyn for her grandmother’s birthday, only to discover that her sister has told the family that she has been on a trip to Florida. Tallahassee is the portrayal of a young woman’s re-entry into the world, a meditation on the enormous task of life after grief. Framed in the context of diaspora, Tallahassee grants a glimpse into the struggles of mental illness, an issue often silenced and pathologized in Arab culture.

About The Filmmaker

Darine Hotait (she/her) is a writer and film director. Her work focuses on the politics of identity, Arab & African diaspora, and science fiction. She has written and directed a dozen award-winning narrative short films that can be seen on Sundance Channel, The New Yorker, AMC Networks, BBC, Forbes, Outfest, ShortsTV, and at numerous Oscar-qualifying international film festivals. Her work has received the support of The Sundance Institute, Comedy Central, The Independent Film Project, Maison Des Scenaristes, and the Jerome Foundation. She is the recipient of the New York Council on the Arts Artist Award, the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, the Jerome Hill Finalist Grant Award, and the AFAC Cinema Award.

Darine is the founder of Cinephilia Productions— a film incubator championing the next generation of African and Middle Eastern filmmakers. Darine is currently developing a science fiction feature film “LIKE SALT” and a TV show “ KENZI” produced by Between East. She resides in New York City.