Leaving Yellowstone
Directed by Kayla Arend
US
Tessa is excited to visit Yellowstone National Park with her new boyfriend, Mark. However, when they arrive, Mark changes, aggression and cruelty building as Tessa starts finding disturbing artifacts around the cabin. What begins as an idyllic winter weekend slowly becomes a nightmare as Tessa realises she’s alone in the woods with a man she really doesn’t know at all.
Kayla Arend is a Luxembourg-American writer-director committed to feminist storytelling. Her work blends surreal, suspenseful atmospheres with strong female-leads and striking wilderness settings. Kayla’s films have been compared to the work of David Lynch, Lynne Ramsay and Darren Aronofsky. Noted for their psychological depth and visual intensity, her work is inspired by wilderness, wildlife, resilience and the power of love and family.
Kayla studied film, photography and entomology at Montana State University. She earned her MFA in Writing and Directing (with a minor in Producing) at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her graduate thesis film, Leaving Yellowstone was executive produced by Spike Lee and won multiple awards including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
Kayla’s award-winning short film, #Melissa is currently finishing its festival run. Her new short film, HOME, is about to premiere at film festivals this coming winter. Kayla is also developing her debut feature film Bastards of Young. Bastards of Young was selected for the NYU Production Lab’s Feature Film Development Studio.
Kayla formerly served as an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch. She is currently taking a break from teaching to focus on her debut feature film. Kayla owns the production company KBIRD but in addition to her own filmmaking, Kayla works as a professional film consultant - providing one-on-one guidance for script development, production strategy and creative storytelling.
Kayla Arend is on the board of the Jackson Hole International Film Festival as an honorary member.