Last Dinner

About

A young athlete prepares for an annual dinner with her father: her coach, her hero, her harshest critic. As reality fractures and memory takes hold, she's forced to confront the uncomfortable truth beneath their perfect relationship.

Blending the emotional intimacy of Aftersun with the tension of a psychological thriller, The Last Dinner explores ambition, toxic perfectionism, and the fractures that live beneath conditional love.

This female-led proof of concept marks the director's independent debut and lays the foundation for a feature-length coming-of-age drama. Powered by an NYU Tisch team and supported by Emmy and Peabody-nominated mentors, the film shoots June 2026 in Los Angeles, with completion targeted for late 2026.

Story by Khushi Hora
Screenplay by Anjali Moorthy & Khushi Hora

Joy

Name: Joy Willet
Age: 19
Height: 5’9 Weight: 135lbs
Accolades: Ranked Top 10 CIF Track & Field, LA Unified School District Track & Field Finalist
Strengths: Discipline, Endurance, Patience
Weaknesses: Control, Acceptance, Relationships

Since childhood, Joy was trained by her father, coach, to be a physically and mentally superior athlete. Vigorous training regiments. Strict protein-heavy diets. This level of discipline has led her to much success–and much turmoil. What mindset holds her back as a high-achieving person? Throughout the film, Joy is tethered by ribbons surrounding her–representing the lack of control over core beliefs she’s had since childhood. With these serpentine ribbons, she struggles to let go of her conditioning. Prepare to see how all this pressure culminates in the last dinner.

Ice

As part of her endurance training, Joy would test her durability in ice baths. Setting record times for herself to beat. Sometimes she’d struggle. Sometimes she’d endure. The freezing sensation numbs her to the point of euphoria. For Joy, ice represents strength, resilience, and self-accomplishment. It’s what helps her search for a more informed, fulfilling version of herself. But can ice be her source of peace, strength, and safety in the face of tragedy?

Apple

For Joy, food is a source of fuel rather than a leisure to enjoy. One notable recipe her father passed down was a high-protein apple pie, using ingredients that take any enjoyment out of dessert. Consuming as much as she can, ignoring what she can’t handle. This habit creates a shadow. A shadow that’s afraid of change, hard on herself, and needs guidance. Will Joy overcome this shadow?

Meet the Team

Puneet Zohar Sachdev is a Cambridge-educated HR executive and founder of Evogenesis, specializing in AI-powered HR transformation and executive coaching. He is currently advising on The Last Dinner, coaching the director and producers on team management and leadership efficiency.

Puneet Zohar Sachdev · Consulting Producer

Two-time Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Produced acclaimed projects including the Prep & Landing specials and Get A Horse!, with production credits on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Tarzan.

Dorothy McKim · Consulting Producer

Peabody, PGA Innovation Award, and Webby-nominated writer, director, and producer. Directed Meta's acclaimed VR series Reimagined (premiered at SXSW) and has premiered work at Venice, Cannes, and Tribeca. Named Austin Film Festival "Screenwriter to Watch."

Julie Cavaliere · Executive Producer

NAACP Image Award-winning editor, cinematographer, and producer with work featured in AP, Essence, and Forbes. Produced 28+ documentaries for CDDP/AICP/DGA and teaches The Art of the Pitch & Deck to Academy Gold Rising Members.

Alisa Banks · Executive Producer

Emmy-nominated British-Indian producer and composer, and Sundance, Berlinale, and Tribeca alum. Produced films for Lionsgate/Universal, Amazon Originals, and HBO Max. Teaches Film Producing at the Sundance Institute and is a member of BAFTA & PGA.

Simon Taufique · Executive Producer & Composer

NYU Tisch filmmaker pursuing emerging storytelling technologies. Extensive live action film production experience (10+ written/ directed) . Has interned at Netflix Creative Innovation, Disney, and the Producers Guild of America and Academy Gold Rising Fellow. . Co-author of CVPR research paper on generative AI in film, and MIT AI Filmmaking Hackathon winner.

Khushi Hora · Writer & Director

NYU Tisch Film & TV graduate and director/producer. Her horror-thriller "Nest Egg" about female foeticide premiered at NY Shorts International Film Festival. Member and Marketing Liaison to Women in Film & Television Austin, committed to normalized representation in cinema.

Anjali Moorthy · Writer & Creative Producer

NYU Tisch Drama/Producing student and South-Asian actor and producer. Works as Scripted Casting Intern at NBCU and co-founded The Off The ChARTs Foundation, a not-for-profit providing youth creatives with professional development opportunities.

Amber Dhall · Producer

Producer studying Advertising and Film & TV at Boston University. Oversees financing and production logistics for The Last Dinner, managing a 15-person team. Her film Reflections of Us won awards at LA Indie Shorts, Paris Film Awards, and New York Movie Awards.

Rashida Saherwala · Producer

Screenwriter, playwright, and producer studying Dramatic Writing and Producing at NYU Tisch. Her plays have been performed at Big Bang Works in Progress, Lighthouse Ladies, and Lenaea Theater Festival. Top finalist at Entertwine's AAPDI 24-Hour Play Contest.

Shiphrah Moses · Producer

Kelly Heinzerling is the founder of NIGHT LIGHT MEDIA, LLC. She's worked with NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney, helped launch CNN+, and produced at 20/20 (ABC/Hulu). She studied at UPenn and Northwestern, and is currently pursuing an MBA at NYU.

Kelly Heinzerling · Producer