Re-Entry

A woman sits in a desk chair with her back to us and her arms hanging down. The wall in front of her is covered in paper, charts, and diagrams. Various laurels are in the bottom 3rd of the frame, over a hardwood floor. — A short film by **Ariel Mahler** and produced by **Ilayda Cetinkaya**. 35 years ago, Maya Redding, a male-presenting NASA engineer, and her best friend George, launched a satellite to study the origins of the universe. The satellite got lost in the wrong orbit, forcing Maya to leave NASA in shame. In the years since, Maya came out as trans, and has been searching for the satellite ever since.

When she re-discovers the satellite, Maya is haunted by the memory of her painful, closeted past. Will she bring the satellite's data back to NASA and return to her former life? Or will she let her past burn up, like the satellite's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere?
Score mixed by **John Elleson-Hartley**.

Selected Screenings and Prizes

Alfred P. Sloan Production Grant Recipient 2023 ($25,000)
SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2024, Amazon MGM Studios Best LGBTQ+ Short Award ($5,000)

BEST FILM AWARD Katra Film Series 2025
Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2024
Inside Out Film Festival 2024
OUT on Film Atlanta 2024
Sidewalk Film Festival 2024
SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2024
AFI FEST 2024
Stamped Film Festival 2024
Pensacola Film Festival 2024
Science New Wave Festival 2024
33rd Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival
Utah International Film Festival 2024
Katra Film Series 2025
Global Science Film Festival 2025,

A white woman sits at a desk. She holds headphones to her ears. A ray of light erupts from her computer. Standing behind her, hands on the top of her chair, is a younger white man. 'Re-Entry' is written in white along the top. The background is stars