Exclusive: Amber Gray, Lillias White & Directors talk Sci-Fi Drama ‘Heartworm’
Currently playing the festival circuit is the sci-fi drama ‘Heartworm,’ written and directed by Miriam Louise Arens and Mitchell Arens. The film stars Amber Gray, Juan Riedinger, Lillias White, Ellie Reine, and Derrick Baskin.
Set in a near future, Heartworm follows Avena (Gray), a bereaved mother shattered by the loss of their child. While she battles to pull her family back from the edge of disappearance, her husband Mark (Juan Riedinger) has retreated into NeuraLife, a digital ecosystem indistinguishable from reality, which offers advanced AI-generated simulations capable of recreating memory, voice, and personality. Avena is soon forced to confront the question at the center of the film: when does memory become a dangerous substitute for acceptance?
Heartworm held its World Premiere at the 2026 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in Silicon Valley in March. It has earned Official Selection laurels from Cinequest 2026, Dances With Films: LA 2026, Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, and Woods Hole Film Festival.
Gray, who is known for her performance as Persephone in Hadestown and can currently be seen in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show.
Miriam and Mitchell Arens are NYU Tisch Asia alumni whose work has screened at Sundance, Cannes, Venice, SXSW, TIFF, IDFA, and Berlinale. Heartworm marks their feature directorial debut, produced by Normandie Films.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales talks to Heartworm cast members Amber Gray, Lillias White, and directors Miriam Louise Arens and Mitchell Arens