HEARTWORM gets SoCal premiere at Dances With Films in Hollywood

Normandie Films will premiere HEARTWORM on June 21 at the 29th Annual Dances With Films: LA at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. The sci-fi drama follows a grieving family pulled into a virtual reality refuge, with Amber Gray, Juan Riedinger and Lillias White in the cast. Why it matters: - HEARTWORM arrives at a moment when AI and immersive tech are reshaping how audiences think about grief, memory and escape. - The film’s premiere gives Normandie Films a platform for a feature debut that has already picked up multiple festival selections. - The screening could help position HEARTWORM as both a genre film and a broader conversation starter about what people seek from technology during loss. What happened: - Normandie Films announced the SoCal premiere of HEARTWORM at the 29th Annual Dances With Films: LA. - The screening is set for Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 4:00 PM at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. - Miriam Louise Arens and Mitchell Arens wrote and directed the feature. - HEARTWORM is their feature directorial debut. The details: - HEARTWORM is a sci-fi drama set in a near future where virtual reality serves as a refuge for the grieving. - Amber Gray stars as Avena, a bereaved mother trying to pull her family back from disappearance. - Juan Riedinger plays Mark, Avena’s husband, who retreats into NeuraLife, a fully immersive AI world. - The cast also includes Lillias White, Ellie Reine and Derrick Baskin. - The film runs 106 minutes. - Official Selection laurels include Cinequest 2026, Dances With Films: LA 2026, Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival and Woods Hole Film Festival. - Critics called the film “tour de force acting” in CINAPSE and a “brilliantly constructed debut feature” in Movie Gourmet. - Normandie Films produced the movie. Between the lines: - HEARTWORM fits a growing wave of films using speculative settings to examine human anxiety around AI, loss and emotional dependence on technology. - Amber Gray’s casting gives the film added visibility because of her Tony Award nomination and Broadway profile. - The festival run suggests the filmmakers are building momentum before a wider release strategy is announced. What’s next: - Tickets are listed at $20 through Dances With Films . - The trailer is available at the film trailer . - More information is available at the film website . The bottom line: - HEARTWORM is using a festival premiere to introduce a debut feature that blends sci-fi, grief and AI-era unease into one timely package.