Stella Huston is a Los Angeles native and graduating senior at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she is earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television with a minor in Child, Adolescent, and Mental Health Studies. Her work frequently explores topics in mental health, examining psychology through an experimental lens.

Her latest film, Behind the Curtains—described as a Lynchian fever dream about a young woman navigating an unnamed illness—was praised for its experimental approach to portraying what it feels like to struggle with illness, as well as its willingness to challenge traditional narrative conventions.

Stella is driven by a mission to shed light on frequently misrepresented topics surrounding mental health. Her work aims to depict heavy subject matter with honesty and nuance, creating space for reflection without romanticizing pain.

Her biggest artistic inspirations are Frida Kahlo, David Lynch, David Bowie, Maya Deren, and her father.

Stella's upcoming thesis film, Beetle Ring, is her most daring and narrative to date. Shooting in Los Angeles this April, the film explores a young woman navigating the grief of her mothers suicide contrasted by an affable family who seem to care more concerned with inherited diamonds than the hand they once adorned. Set in January 2025 against the backdrop of the Palisades fires, the story feels both environmentally immediate and deeply intimate. We are very eager and excited to share this story with the world and grateful for anyone who comes along the journey with us.