Home » Horror » Steam (2021) – a gay horror short film by Joao Dall’Stella
Steam (2023): A Queer Horror Short About Love, Lust, and Fear Behind the Steam
Born in Brazil, Dall’Stella moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film, directing a series of short films that reflect his perspective as a gay person of color. His short Dia De Las Carpas earned the DGA Student Grand Prize for Latino Directors and was showcased at renowned venues such as CAA Moebius, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and several Oscar-qualifying film festivals. Another of his works, Stalls, has been screened at over 50 LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide.
As a proud member of the Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities, Dall’Stella began making films to create his own world — one that celebrates these identities through authentic storytelling.
“Steam is my love letter to the LGBTQ+ community I belong to — a mix of personal experiences, emotions, and reflections gathered throughout my life. It’s fun, thrilling, and a bit terrifying. It blends love, sex, and death — the holy trinity of horror. The genre naturally carries that campy flair that resonates deeply with queer audiences, which is why so many of us adore it.
An essential part of the project was casting LGBTQ+ actors. When you tell stories from within your own community, you help shift the industry itself. We need to tell our own stories — unapologetically and without diluting their authenticity just to make them more palatable for mainstream audiences.”
