Synopsis
Cottonmouth: (n.) a large, dangerous pit viper that inhabits lowland swamps and waterways of the southeastern US. When threatening, it opens its mouth wide to display the white interior; (n.) dryness of the mouth. Cottonmouth is a short romantic dramedy about a Black grad student named Ayo who’s writing her thesis about her namesake, Nana Ayo Forbes, who died on Cottonmouth Plantation. On a road trip to visit the plantation in rural Georgia, Ayo wrestles with the legacy of slavery, queerness, and her romantic future. She’s falling in love with a: White. Girl. Friend. She hasn’t yet strung those words together, but Ayo’s not falling without a fight!
Director's Statement
Twenty years ago, I went on a cross-country road trip with a woman who would later become my wife and the mother of my children. We were young and just beginning to fall in love—so, naturally, we fought the entire way across America. As we drove through the Badlands and Michigan’s desolate Upper Peninsula, I came to realize that America is irritatingly beautiful. Some of the ugliest chapters in American history—like chattel slavery and the Trail of Tears—unfolded in the most breathtaking landscapes. When we reached Georgia, we decided to visit a plantation. At the ticket booth, the man wanted to charge both of us. I couldn’t believe they make Black people pay to visit plantations—as if we hadn’t already paid enough! We were at a pivotal moment in both our road trip and our relationship: Do we pay, turn back, break in, or break up? These questions echoed my own tender and unresolved relationship with race, queerness, and America—core themes of my film. The protagonist of Cottonmouth is Ayo, a young Black queer woman grappling with the legacy of slavery and the uncertainty of her romantic future. The film employs familiar rom-com conventions—such as whether opposites attract—while complicating the genre by centering a Black lesbian who is not yet “out” in the deep south. With comedic care and curiosity, Cottonmouth explores the generational trauma of slavery and its impact on race, love, and America’s persistent racial amnesia. Despite the heaviness of these themes, the film leans toward the light in the dark. Ultimately, queer and interracial love prevail—a hopeful ending that feels particularly needed in these heartbreaking times. The cinematography balances expansive landscape shots with intimate close-ups that capture the tension and desire between Ayo and Dana. Visually and tonally, the film seeks equilibrium—light and dark, drama and levity, tension and release.
Crew & Cast
Ama Anane (Writer, Director & Executive Producer) The product of Jamaican and Ghanaian parents, Ama Anane grew up in two of the wildest places on earth: Papua New Guinea and Las Vegas. Her scripts and standup explore the identities and experiences that divide and make us whole. Ama is currently part of the NBC Universal TV Writing Program and was named one of Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2025. She currently works as a staff writer for a new Peacock-Universal television show. Cottonmouth is Ama’s directorial debut. Ama is also the founder of Good Influence Consulting, which works with nonprofits, foundations, and public institutions. She directed stakeholder engagement efforts for the 2020 U.S. Census in California, CA Reparations Taskforce, the Conrad Hilton Foundation, the Office of Mayor Karen Bass, and UCLA. A graduate of Emerson College and Columbia University, Ama serves on the governing board of Communities in Schools and lives with her wife and kids in Los Angeles.
Regina Monique (Actor) Regina is an emerging American actress from the Bay Area, known for her role in the film E.14 (2020) and her ongoing MFA Acting studies at NYU Tisch School of Arts, with significant theater experience in productions like For Colored Girls and The Niceties, showcasing skills in stage combat, modeling, and diverse accents, building her career from local theater to film and prestigious acting programs.
Owen Laheen (Actor) Owen (they/them) is a non-binary actor from Wicklow, Ireland. Their most recent credits include Translations (Irish Repertory Theatre, Lucille Lortel Award Winner for Outstanding Revival), The Wolves (McCarter Theater), Belfast Girls (Irish Repertory Theatre). Screen: Mutt (Sundance 2023, Berlinale 2023), City On A Hill (Showtime). They have devised and developed new work in collaboration with LaMaMa ETC, Clubbed Thumb, Mercury Store, and others. They trained at UNCSA and BADA, and received a BFA from SUNY Purchase. For Charles Tuthill.
Antonio Michael Woodard (Actor) Antonio is a rising American actor known for powerful stage performances, especially his Helen Hayes-nominated role as Emmett Till in The Till Trilogy, and his roles in TV's Evil, with recent stage work including Broadway's Purple Rain and The Amen Corner, showcasing his talent in drama and musicals. He holds an MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep and is recognized for his commanding stage presence.
Matthew W. Hayes (Director of Photography) Matthew W. Hayes III believes people deserve to be seen as they truly are. Working across digital and analog cinematography, his work focuses on intimate portraiture, using light and texture to create an emotional connection with the audience. Matthew lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Supervision.
Jessica Barr (Producer) A multi-hyphenate filmmaker raised in Portland, Oregon, Jessica Barr's work often explores loss and discoveries made from grief. Sophie Jones, a feature that Barr wrote, produced and starred in, premiered at the 2020 Deauville Film Festival. The film screened at numerous other festivals before being acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Barr produced the indie feature Can't Seem To Make You Mine, which recently won best feature at Local Sightings Film Festival and is being distributed by Gravitas Ventures. Her short film Tight recently had its world premiere at SXSW and was listed as a top 10 best film to see by Harper's Bazaar. It premiered online as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
Alexander Spenser Gould (Producer) Alexander Spenser Gould is a producer based in Brooklyn, NY with experience that spans narrative, documentary, and commercial work. He’s produced projects for global brands such as AT&T, Everlast, and Climate Power while his narrative work has played at reputable film festivals such as IFF Boston and Tacoma Film Festival. His latest project, Let No One Lose Heart, is a feature documentary currently in post production.
Taylor Williams (Casting Director) Taylor is a Casting Director for Theater, Film and Television. Artios Award Winning Casting Director. Film: Good One (Sundance 2024, Cannes Directors Fortnight), The Front Room (A24, 2am Films, Two & Two Pictures), Omni Loop (2am Films), Rocky’s Deli (Ben Cohen, Patrick Donovan, Grant Curatola), What the Constitution Means to Me (Amazon Prime). Broadway: Romeo and Juliet directed by Sam Gold with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, All In, Stereophonic (13 Tony Nominations), An Enemy of the People with Jeremy Strong, Michael Imperioli and Victoria Pedretti, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (also at BAM) with Rachel Brosnahan and Oscar Isaac, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Slave Play (12 Tony Nominations, Broadway remount and original, CTG, NYTW), Is This a Room & Dana H, What the Constitution Means to Me (NYTW, Barrow Street, Broadway, National Tour).
Tiffany Lin (Editor) Tiffany is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, currently based in Los Angeles. A graduate of USC’s film production program, Tiffany has worked extensively across live action and animation. As an editor, her work has screened at SXSW, Tribeca, and Slamdance, and can be seen on platforms like Peacock, Hulu, and Vimeo Staff Pick. Her writing and directing work has been recognized by festivals including the Student Academy Awards, Urbanworld Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Tiffany was a 2023-2024 Film Independent Project Involve LAIKA fellow. Through her work, she aspires to tell emotionally honest stories in unconventional ways.
Behind the Scenes
- Runtime14:52
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
Synopsis
Cottonmouth: (n.) a large, dangerous pit viper that inhabits lowland swamps and waterways of the southeastern US. When threatening, it opens its mouth wide to display the white interior; (n.) dryness of the mouth. Cottonmouth is a short romantic dramedy about a Black grad student named Ayo who’s writing her thesis about her namesake, Nana Ayo Forbes, who died on Cottonmouth Plantation. On a road trip to visit the plantation in rural Georgia, Ayo wrestles with the legacy of slavery, queerness, and her romantic future. She’s falling in love with a: White. Girl. Friend. She hasn’t yet strung those words together, but Ayo’s not falling without a fight!
Director's Statement
Twenty years ago, I went on a cross-country road trip with a woman who would later become my wife and the mother of my children. We were young and just beginning to fall in love—so, naturally, we fought the entire way across America. As we drove through the Badlands and Michigan’s desolate Upper Peninsula, I came to realize that America is irritatingly beautiful. Some of the ugliest chapters in American history—like chattel slavery and the Trail of Tears—unfolded in the most breathtaking landscapes. When we reached Georgia, we decided to visit a plantation. At the ticket booth, the man wanted to charge both of us. I couldn’t believe they make Black people pay to visit plantations—as if we hadn’t already paid enough! We were at a pivotal moment in both our road trip and our relationship: Do we pay, turn back, break in, or break up? These questions echoed my own tender and unresolved relationship with race, queerness, and America—core themes of my film. The protagonist of Cottonmouth is Ayo, a young Black queer woman grappling with the legacy of slavery and the uncertainty of her romantic future. The film employs familiar rom-com conventions—such as whether opposites attract—while complicating the genre by centering a Black lesbian who is not yet “out” in the deep south. With comedic care and curiosity, Cottonmouth explores the generational trauma of slavery and its impact on race, love, and America’s persistent racial amnesia. Despite the heaviness of these themes, the film leans toward the light in the dark. Ultimately, queer and interracial love prevail—a hopeful ending that feels particularly needed in these heartbreaking times. The cinematography balances expansive landscape shots with intimate close-ups that capture the tension and desire between Ayo and Dana. Visually and tonally, the film seeks equilibrium—light and dark, drama and levity, tension and release.
Crew & Cast
Ama Anane (Writer, Director & Executive Producer) The product of Jamaican and Ghanaian parents, Ama Anane grew up in two of the wildest places on earth: Papua New Guinea and Las Vegas. Her scripts and standup explore the identities and experiences that divide and make us whole. Ama is currently part of the NBC Universal TV Writing Program and was named one of Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2025. She currently works as a staff writer for a new Peacock-Universal television show. Cottonmouth is Ama’s directorial debut. Ama is also the founder of Good Influence Consulting, which works with nonprofits, foundations, and public institutions. She directed stakeholder engagement efforts for the 2020 U.S. Census in California, CA Reparations Taskforce, the Conrad Hilton Foundation, the Office of Mayor Karen Bass, and UCLA. A graduate of Emerson College and Columbia University, Ama serves on the governing board of Communities in Schools and lives with her wife and kids in Los Angeles.
Regina Monique (Actor) Regina is an emerging American actress from the Bay Area, known for her role in the film E.14 (2020) and her ongoing MFA Acting studies at NYU Tisch School of Arts, with significant theater experience in productions like For Colored Girls and The Niceties, showcasing skills in stage combat, modeling, and diverse accents, building her career from local theater to film and prestigious acting programs.
Owen Laheen (Actor) Owen (they/them) is a non-binary actor from Wicklow, Ireland. Their most recent credits include Translations (Irish Repertory Theatre, Lucille Lortel Award Winner for Outstanding Revival), The Wolves (McCarter Theater), Belfast Girls (Irish Repertory Theatre). Screen: Mutt (Sundance 2023, Berlinale 2023), City On A Hill (Showtime). They have devised and developed new work in collaboration with LaMaMa ETC, Clubbed Thumb, Mercury Store, and others. They trained at UNCSA and BADA, and received a BFA from SUNY Purchase. For Charles Tuthill.
Antonio Michael Woodard (Actor) Antonio is a rising American actor known for powerful stage performances, especially his Helen Hayes-nominated role as Emmett Till in The Till Trilogy, and his roles in TV's Evil, with recent stage work including Broadway's Purple Rain and The Amen Corner, showcasing his talent in drama and musicals. He holds an MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep and is recognized for his commanding stage presence.
Matthew W. Hayes (Director of Photography) Matthew W. Hayes III believes people deserve to be seen as they truly are. Working across digital and analog cinematography, his work focuses on intimate portraiture, using light and texture to create an emotional connection with the audience. Matthew lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Supervision.
Jessica Barr (Producer) A multi-hyphenate filmmaker raised in Portland, Oregon, Jessica Barr's work often explores loss and discoveries made from grief. Sophie Jones, a feature that Barr wrote, produced and starred in, premiered at the 2020 Deauville Film Festival. The film screened at numerous other festivals before being acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Barr produced the indie feature Can't Seem To Make You Mine, which recently won best feature at Local Sightings Film Festival and is being distributed by Gravitas Ventures. Her short film Tight recently had its world premiere at SXSW and was listed as a top 10 best film to see by Harper's Bazaar. It premiered online as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
Alexander Spenser Gould (Producer) Alexander Spenser Gould is a producer based in Brooklyn, NY with experience that spans narrative, documentary, and commercial work. He’s produced projects for global brands such as AT&T, Everlast, and Climate Power while his narrative work has played at reputable film festivals such as IFF Boston and Tacoma Film Festival. His latest project, Let No One Lose Heart, is a feature documentary currently in post production.
Taylor Williams (Casting Director) Taylor is a Casting Director for Theater, Film and Television. Artios Award Winning Casting Director. Film: Good One (Sundance 2024, Cannes Directors Fortnight), The Front Room (A24, 2am Films, Two & Two Pictures), Omni Loop (2am Films), Rocky’s Deli (Ben Cohen, Patrick Donovan, Grant Curatola), What the Constitution Means to Me (Amazon Prime). Broadway: Romeo and Juliet directed by Sam Gold with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, All In, Stereophonic (13 Tony Nominations), An Enemy of the People with Jeremy Strong, Michael Imperioli and Victoria Pedretti, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (also at BAM) with Rachel Brosnahan and Oscar Isaac, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Slave Play (12 Tony Nominations, Broadway remount and original, CTG, NYTW), Is This a Room & Dana H, What the Constitution Means to Me (NYTW, Barrow Street, Broadway, National Tour).
Tiffany Lin (Editor) Tiffany is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, currently based in Los Angeles. A graduate of USC’s film production program, Tiffany has worked extensively across live action and animation. As an editor, her work has screened at SXSW, Tribeca, and Slamdance, and can be seen on platforms like Peacock, Hulu, and Vimeo Staff Pick. Her writing and directing work has been recognized by festivals including the Student Academy Awards, Urbanworld Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Tiffany was a 2023-2024 Film Independent Project Involve LAIKA fellow. Through her work, she aspires to tell emotionally honest stories in unconventional ways.
Behind the Scenes
- Runtime14:52
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
