Genre-Bending Horror Film ‘NO CHOICE’ Wins Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films..

‘NO CHOICE’ Triumphs at Dances With Films, Taking Home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature. Nate Hilgartner, the director of NO CHOICE, received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 2025 Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood, CA, USA. Photo courtesy of Hilgartner Productions The powerful indie drama NO CHOICE by Nate Hilgartner has won the coveted Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2025 Dances With Films festival, held at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The film was produced by Shannon Semler, Kathleen O’Neil, and Hilgartner. Executive Produced by Steve Hilgartner. Director-writer Nate Hilgartner took the stage to accept the award on behalf of the team. “I had the fortune to make this film with my family: my cousin Shannon Semler and my parents, Kathleen O’Neil and Steve Hilgartner. I have the most supportive parents in the entire world. Thank you so much. This award also belongs to our lead actress Hannah Deale who gave so much of herself to this role and our cinematographer Alex Podolyanchùk who made this film possible, and beautiful. It belongs to all the cast and crew who gave so much of themselves, and my wife Fariha Khan, who has been so supportive during this whole process. We hope to be able to share it with the world very soon. And thank you again Dances With Films,”acknowledged the filmmaker. NO CHOICE is both a cause-driven film and an intense drama with elements of the horror genre. It tells the story of Amy, played by newcomer Hannah Deale. When Amy becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she begins experiencing harrowing, prophetic dreams warning her that she will die if she cannot get an abortion. She embarks on a desperate search for help, only to find herself caught in a brutal conflict between her fight to survive and a nation that has stripped away her rights. TEASER-TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/1085701236?share=copy This feature is the directorial debut for Hilgartner. It delivers a powerful message about the crucial political issue of access to abortion. He added: “This award belongs to all the women who helped with the script in all kinds of ways; women who’ve been pregnant, women who have never been pregnant, women who had abortions or miscarriages, women who are mothers, and the incredible medical professionals who were all women. This film is about an important issue. It’s about women’s bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom,” concluded Nate Hilgartner during his acceptance speech at the Dances with Film festival. This accolade places NO CHOICE on the radar for further festival selections. The film is currently available for sales and distribution. Nate Hilgartner, the director of NO CHOICE, received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 2025 Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood, CA, USA. Photo by Dustin McWethy @DUDESTIN Kathleen O’Neil (producer), Nate Hilgartner (writer/director/producer) and Steve Hilgartner(executive producer) of NO CHOICE, holding the trophy of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature. 2025 Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood, CA, USA. Photo by Dustin McWethy @DUDESTIN TEASER: https://vimeo.com/1085701236?share=copy NO CHOICE © Hilgartner Productions IMDb NO CHOICE | SYNOPSIS Bokshi follows Anahita, a young woman struggling with the trauma of her mother’s brutal disappearance. Finding solace in Shalini, her compassionate history teacher, Anahita joins an unconventional school excursion to a mysterious prehistoric site. There, she encounters ancient forces rooted in the region’s mythology that force her to confront her terrifying destiny. Bokshi is a chilling coming-of-age story that blends supernatural folklore with themes of ecology and female empowerment. Nate Hilgartner © Hilgartner Productions / Vincente De Paulo IMDb Nate Hilgartner (Writer-Director) Nate Hilgartner is a writer and director, born in New York City and raised in Ithaca, NY where he filmed his debut feature, NO CHOICE. A 2014 graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Comparative Literature, Nate spent five years in Hollywood working in script development and writing screenplays. He later moved to Brooklyn, and earned a Master’s degree in Cultural Reporting and Criticism from NYU. Hilgartner is currently touring the festival circuit with NO CHOICE while developing the screenplay of his second feature, a period drama based on the true story of a group of artists struggling under an oppressive regime.