Private Project

Palate Cleanser

Desperate to secure health insurance for his daughter with cancer, a father attends a job interview at a mysterious company and discovers a sinister prerequisite: new hires must kill their predecessor.

  • Tori Lane Ross
    Director
    Trauma Bonded (2023)
  • Cain Graham
    Writer
    In the Face of Evil (2022), Cell Mates (2022), Cursed Cocktail (2023)
  • Charla Fonseca
    Producer
    Street Light (2019), Free Facts (2021), The Love for the Game (2023)
  • Cain Graham
    Key Cast
    "Lewis"
  • Tori Lane Ross
    Key Cast
    "Goodwin"
    Yellow Polka Dot (2021), On the Line (2022), The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine (2023)
  • Lisa Stefanic
    Key Cast
    " Conrad"
    UHF (1989), Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective (1990)
  • Josiah Overstreet
    Key Cast
    "Ponce"
    Out of Exile (2022), Thank You, Amelia Earhart (2023), 5th Hour (2023)
  • Mike Ortega
    First Assistant Director
    The Kiss List (2023), A Thousand Tomorrows (2023)
  • John Lewis
    Director of Photography
    Trauma Bonded (2023), Cheese Sisters (2023), Waters (2018), Brainstorm (2015)
  • Brea Mullen
    First Assistant Camera
    A Christmas Present (2022), Enlighten (2023), The Book of Jobs (2023)
  • Tomisha Riddle
    Second Assistant Camera
    The Love for the Game (2023)
  • Bryce Riedesel
    Gaffer
    Final Reprise (2023), The Love for the Game (2023), Trauma Bonded (2023), Enlighten (2023)
  • Blake Bennett
    Key Grip
    Tulsa King (2022), The Line (2023)
  • Nick Abercrombie
    Location Sound
    Trauma Bonded (2023), Secrets Beneath the Floorboards (2023), Black Bags (2023)
  • Bobby Ross
    Digital Imaging Technician
  • Amandela Perry
    Production Designer
  • C Note
    Location Coordinator
  • Toni Marlo
    Key Hair / Make Up
    Out of Exile (2022), The Long Game (2023), What Rhymes with Reason (2023)
  • Areanna Handy
    Wardrobe
  • Vivian Blackfire
    Wardrobe
  • Savannah Edwards
    Catering / Crafty
  • Geoffrey Burch
    Composer
  • Bobby Ross
    Editor
  • Brantly Hightower
    Sound Design
  • Jack Copeland
    Colorist
  • Brook Dyson
    Still Photography
  • Dale Neihaus
    Production Assistants
  • Josh Bradshaw
    Production Assistants
  • Savannah Edwards
    Production Assistants
  • The Audio Planet
    5.1 Conversion Mix
  • Stephen Tackett
    Re-Recording Mix
  • Josh Tackett
    Re-Recording Mix
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Dystopian
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 15, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 6k, Red
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • deadCenter Film Festival
    Oklahoma City, OK
    United States
    June 11, 2025
    WORLD PREMIERE
    Official Selection - Okie Short / Horror Short
  • Nashville Film Festival
    Nashville, Tennessee
    United States
    September 20, 2025
    Southeast Premiere
    Official Selection - Graveyard Shorts
  • Fort Smith International Film Festival
    Fort Smith, Arkansas
    United States
    August 9, 2025
    Arkansas Premiere
    AWARD WINNER - Best Thriller Film
  • Red Brick Road Film Festival
    Pauls Valley, OK
    United States
    October 11, 2025
    Southern Oklahoma Premiere
    AWARD WINNER - Best Director (Okie Shorts), Best Cinematography (Okie Shorts); NOMINATED for Best Okie Short, Best Actor (Okie Shorts), Best Actress (Okie Shorts), Best Supporting Actor (Okie Shorts)
  • Tulsa Underground Film Festival
    Tulsa, OK
    United States
    October 11, 2025
    Northeast Oklahoma Premiere
    AWARD WINNER - Best Director, Best Horror Short
  • Beverly Hills Film Festival
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    April 14, 2026
    West Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Pasadena International Film Festival
    North Hollywood, CA
    United States
    April 14, 2026
    Award Nominee
Director Biography - Tori Lane Ross


Tori Lane Ross (she/they) is a director and actor from Oklahoma who has spent influential time in California and London. An alum of UC Berkeley, she has spent 15 years working across television, film, and stage, with a passion for telling bold, socially conscious stories that challenge convention.

After years working as an actor, Ross debuted as a director with Josie Needs Help (2020), an innovative theatre/film livestream hybrid exploring mental health and finding ways to heal with others.

Ross went on to direct the award-winning, 100% crowdfunded dark comedy series Trauma Bonded (2022), which was created by a majority female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ crew, and also dealt with themes of mental health, trauma, and healing.

Their latest short, Palate Cleanser (2025), is a dystopic dark comedy that critiques the American healthcare system and corporate greed, following a desperate father forced into a sinister corporate ritual to secure medical care for his daughter. The proof-of-concept is now beginning its promising festival run while the creative team is in late development on the feature and currently seeking financing.

Ross’s work seamlessly blends humor and heightened realities to reflect complex human experiences, often highlighting trauma and marginalization. Though she has spent influential time in both Los Angeles and London, Ross is deeply engaged in Oklahoma’s growing film and TV scene more than ever, and is committed to expanding queer storytelling in spaces where it is often erased.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet the U.S. — one of the wealthiest nations — forces its people into a corrupt, profit-driven system controlled by private insurance companies.

The recent assassination of UnitedHealthcare's CEO highlights, in real-time, the deep societal fractures caused by this broken system.

Set in a dystopian, mid-century corporate hellscape, "Palate Cleanser" follows the fight of a desperate young father in a ruthless job interview to secure insurance for his dying daughter.

It's an uncomfortable, wild ride through desperation, power plays, and morally grey areas, reminding us that sometimes our deepest love makes us susceptible to the darkest wills.

Many of us can relate to avoiding getting the care we or our loved ones need out of fear that we won’t have the finances to cover it.

Cain Graham’s brilliant script hooked me immediately, blending sharp humor with biting commentary. As someone passionate about reflecting the contradictory and confusing nature of the human experience, this story resonated deeply.

Test screenings confirmed we struck a chord: our fun, darkly comedic rollercoaster of a short film elicited the emotionally and physically visceral responses we hoped it would.

We hope it also makes you laugh, gasp, and triggers your misophonia.

Come hungry. Leave horrified.