Private Project

Submerge

On a remote island in a distant future, Naima comes of age among an ancient mystical people. As a “chosen one” she must confront fear, expectations, and doubt to embrace her power as she transitions from childhood to something even more mysterious and powerful: herself.

  • J. Michael Hayes
    Director
  • J. Michael Hayes
    Writer
  • Clarence Young
    Writer
  • J. Michael Hayes
    Producer
  • Emerson Mahoney
    Producer
  • Nekeshia Hayes
    Producer
  • Emerson Mahoney
    Director of Photography / Editor
  • Oli Rockberger
    Original Score
  • Mela Lee
    Key Cast
    "The Voice of Naima"
    Miraculous Ladybug, The Owl House, Atlanta, Apex Legends
  • Ella Mahoney
    Key Cast
    "Naima"
  • Tiffany Vanderhoop
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
  • Chaerin Ahn
    Key Cast
    "Chimera"
  • Kellee Noelle Webb
    Key Cast
    "The Ageless One"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 28 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - J. Michael Hayes

J. Michael Hayes is a writer, film-maker, musician, and founder/creative director of Anansi Hayes Media, a boutique creative agency.

In 2023, Hayes launched the film production company Cast Iron Rocket to create empowering genre films that explore the way we see our place in the world. His short fantasy film ’Submerge’ debuted domestically at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival.

Living by the ocean in the New England woods, Hayes is deeply inspired by nature and social issues, jazz and religion, folk-tales and futurisms, and all things haunting and mysterious.

Above all, he is a devoted husband and father of three near-adults.

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Director Statement

We spend our lives dancing between the freedoms we recede and the freedoms we retain as we grow. Excited and afraid. The universal ‘coming of age’ story can lead us to a better understanding of identity, gender, race, and faith. Fables and fantasy allow us to approach subjects that trigger passionate debate, with grace, hope and a touch of the magical.

‘Submerge’ is set in a distant future, in a grounded fantasy world, and loosely inspired by the traditional Wampanoag story of Moshup - an ancient spirit who takes to the sea in the form of a whale. Filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, the ancestral lands of the Wampanoag, the island’s natural beauty eliminated the need for sets or special effects, revealing hidden locations off the beaten path that seem worlds away.

As both a writer and filmmaker, I’m drawn to genre films that use sharp eyes to examine our world - finding inspiration in the work of writer-directors like Jordan Peele, Mariama Diallo, or Rod Serling. What makes the ‘Submerge’ lens unique is that the examination is done through a framework of empathy and beauty. It is a poignant meditation for everyone embracing change in their life or creating space for the unknown within themselves.