LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Amanda Ross’s penned emotionally charged short film, ‘Stay In The Car’ starring Lara Hunter (Dead Life), Timothy V. Murphy (NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime), and Ashley Alva (Bird Box), is garnering strong attention on the film festival circuit, with its world premiere taking place at CREDO23 later this month.
Directed by Calvin Ghaznavi, ‘Stay In The Car’ captures one night in the life of a fifteen-year-old girl waiting in her mother’s El Camino, and the quiet reckoning that unfolds in the stillness. Set against the dim glow of streetlights and the hum of passing sirens, ‘Stay In The Car’ is based on real events. The film explores the fragile line between safety and survival, love and neglect. It invites audiences into a world where survival depends on silence, and one young girl must decide whether to remain in her mother’s chaos or step into her own uncertain freedom.
The screenplay was written by Amanda Ross, whose debut film is based on her own true events. Ross focuses on intimate emotional narratives centered on survival and resilience within family dynamics. Stuck in her mother’s run-down El Camino, fifteen-year-old Salem is told again and again to “stay in the car” while her mom and her violent partner disappear into empty buildings and dark parking lots.
“Stay in the Car isn’t just a film about a girl left waiting; it’s about resilience, the courage to face what hurt us, and the freedom that begins the moment we choose ourselves,” Ross shares.
Director Calvin Ghaznavi, a Southern California filmmaker brings both intimacy and universality to the story. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Film and Television Production, Ghaznavi’s work spans narrative and documentary projects that explore morality, identity, and perseverance through striking, character-driven storytelling.
“Stay in the Car tells the story of a mother and daughter, but at its heart it is about survival, loyalty, and the bonds that define family,” says Ghaznavi. “While the narrative is rooted in Salem’s experience, I connect to her journey because her search for love and self-worth feels universal. What drew me to this story is how it reveals the tension between love and betrayal. Though it follows Salem, it speaks to anyone who has struggled with family and the courage it takes to finally choose themselves.”
As ‘Stay In The Car’ begins to build festival recognition, its upcoming March screening at CREDO23 places the film in front of audiences eager for character-driven storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll.
CREDO23 runs from March 27th – 29th at the iconic American Legion Hall, Post 43, on Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. ‘Stay In The Car’ will screen on March 28th at 12pm. Tickets are available HERE.
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‘Stay In The Car’ Trailer
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