“American Beasts” is a short film Stephen funded, produced and directed in just eight weeks as a proof-of-concept for a proposed scripted TV show. Set against the harsh expanse of California’s Mojave Desert, the series follows a troubled young girl drawn into the ruthless, clandestine world of underground fighting – an ecosystem driven by power, money, and exploitation.
Told through a raw, unflinching lens, the story unfolds episode by episode as she navigates shifting loyalties, blurred morality, and the cost of survival in a world built to consume its most vulnerable.
Watch the trailer below:
And here’s the entire short film, originally titled “Bare Knuckle Girl”:
