Ornella Hawthorn Gardez
Writing
Biography
Ornella is a BAFTA-accredited writer-director who focuses on genre narrative films with dramatic suspense, that take her audience on a rollercoaster of emotions. She is known for making films that start conversations and showcase personal stories that resonate with a global demographic. Having trained as an actor and dancer alongside her parents’ artistic and musical influence, the importance of timing within her films is impressive. Her earlier work shooting and editing extreme sports, has influenced her distinct visual style in creating the rawest most impactful scenes. Ornella’s BAFTA accredited short film Slow-Down screened at multiple BAFTA, BIFA, and Academy Award qualifying film festivals, propelling her presence in the festival circuit and landing a development opportunity with Film 4, working on her first feature. As of recently, Ornella was part of the BFI New Director Series and was selected for the BFI South West Directors Lab. Ornella’s latest short, Cherry B is currently making the festival circuit rounds, having premiered at Manchester Film Festival in March 2025.
Known For
A battle of fight, flight or freeze, becoming ever more unhinged and falling into the depths of despair.
F3
Discovering her daughter has been taken, a mother embarks on a tense, harrowing midnight chase
Slow-Down
It’s 1969, a housewives soiree, drinking cocktails whilst summoning up an old dead friend. When a spiritual message prompts adolescent Lilith to respond, it alerts us to the demon that lies within.