More About This Film
Moonbeams is a 2026 short film project written and directed by Elo Santa Maria. It follows Frankie and June, two lovers separated by a prison wall who maintain their relationship through letters until Frankie is placed in solitary confinement.
The story combines romance, incarceration, and the struggle for freedom against the backdrop of a Texas prison. The short was developed as a proof-of-concept for a planned feature film of the same name, giving it an important place in Santa Maria's larger filmmaking project.
- Elo Santa Maria wrote and directed the short.
- Tara Sheffer produced the project.
- Spike Lee served as executive producer.
- The short was produced through NYU Tisch's Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television.
- A feature-length Moonbeams was planned to begin shooting in 2026.