In this Dances With Films press-junket episode of Below the Line, host Judy Nguyen sits down with writer-director-producer Rio Contrada to talk about his psychological thriller Splinter, a film born from personal experience, five years of development, and a deeply emotional creative journey.

Contrada opens up about the real events that sparked the screenplay, how the “splinter analogy” used in childhood trauma therapy became the backbone of the film, and why making Splinter forced him to confront his own past while shaping a story about healing, pain, and responsibility.

Splinter follows a pill-popping, motorcycle-riding school psychologist whose attempt to help a troubled young girl forces her to face the trauma she’s been outrunning.

Judy and Rio discuss the challenges of indie filmmaking in L.A., the collaborative chaos of a low-budget set, the emotional toll of directing your own catharsis, and what Contrada hopes audiences take away from the film, particularly those dealing with trauma themselves. This conversation digs into craft, empathy, and the humanity behind creating art that matters.