Our Director
Writer and Director Ryan Hill, known for working on Egghead and Twinkle, has penned multiple feature-length screenplays and created a handful of narrative shorts and essay films. His work prominently centers passionate characters whose great ambitions burden them with physical, emotional, moral, and interpersonal sacrifices. With his feature film debut, he hopes to forge connection and catharsis for a wide audience with a powerful story of relatable characters and resonant themes.
Our Story
Lia Chenoworth, a community college art student who hides severe cystic acne behind colorful face paint, must venture out of her comfort zone to break a creative rut and find self-acceptance when an adventurous classmate takes interest in her striking look and her overly critical grandmother becomes a permanent houseguest.
Our Mission
Acne is a common condition nearly everyone has faced, but media representation is either nonexistent or largely negative. This film empathetically portrays the authentic struggle of an acne-affected young woman as she tries to make peace with her physical appearance. In an age with unrealistic beauty standards made worse by social media, Painted Faces tackles the universal themes of identity, ambition, and self-acceptance through a specific yet relatable coming-of-age experience. Everyone deals with insecurities about how they look, and we all know that we shouldn’t let external features define our worth or dictate who we are, but it’s difficult to put that mindset into practice. In Lia’s story, audiences may be able to find strength, healing, and inspiration to unleash their inner beauty and nurture themselves with self-love.
Our Impact
The film also features positive LGBTQ representation. The main character is lesbian, and despite all her struggles with self-image and finding herself, her sexuality is a shade to her she’s certain and proud about.
The film also places a coming-of-age experience in college rather than the more common setting of high school. Growing up and coming into one’s own doesn’t stop at high school graduation. This story centers on late bloomers figuring themselves out at that critical time past adolescence but before true adulthood.
Small Film, Big Vision
Painted Faces is an independent, microbudget production filmed in Orlando and created by students from the University of Central Florida. That means no major studio is financing this important film.
Instead, we count on amazing everyday people like you to support this film through donations and spreading awareness. Help bring the Painted Faces vision to life and donate today!
Painted Faces 