Arden Wohl's films -- like her life -- blur the line between fantasy and reality. Consider The Goatsucker, a short that the recent NYU grad made for kicks when she was 18. It's about the Chupacabra, a mythical vampire-like livestock killer from Puerto Rico. Wohl, on the other hand, is firmly from Manhattan: She's the daughter of a wealthy art-collecting family but also has deep roots in downtown's bohemian scene. Coven, the short she made for her senior thesis, is a spiritual, feminist retelling of the fable of Hansel and Gretel. Written and directed by the 23-year-old, the film offers an eerie yet sensual combination of storybook animation and footage shot in upstate New York. Narrated by Leelee Sobieski, it also features the talents of artist Eric Adolfsen, singer-songwriter Domino Kirke and musician Jordan Galland (both from New York rock band Domino), actress Tarajia Morrell and Fischerspooner choreographer Jordana Toback. To say Wohl is well connected is an understatement.

Next up, she's co-producing The Playground Project, a documentary about child prostitution in America, along with more famous partners George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh. Despite her early success (and predilection for wearing necklaces around her forehead), Wohl remains grounded. She says surrounding herself with creative people is a necessity. "My friend Tara [Subkoff] always says, 'You are going to be the best producer because you find all these talented people. You draw it out of them.'" In addition to working on The Playground Project, Wohl plans to turn the 13-minute-long Coven into a full-length feature. (She says she's obsessed with the supernatural.) "I want it to be like Lars von Trier meets Jane Campion meets Tim Burton," she says. Here's hoping she leaves the livestock out of it. Watch Coven at www.indie911.com/coven.
Whitney Spaner

Photograph by Dan Monick