StarCentral Exclusive: Arielle Raycene Opens Up About Her Award-Winning Role in Growing Daisies

Actresses Arielle Raycene (Bupkis) and Alessandra Williams (Spencer Confidential) are making serious waves in the indie film scene with their daring short film Growing Daisies. Produced under their banner Daisyland Productions, the project has become a critical darling, sweeping accolades at top-tier festivals and cementing its status as a boundary-pushing, experimental masterpiece.

A haunting dive into the mind of a woman unravelled by desire and obsession, Growing Daisies is as visually arresting as it is emotionally unsettling. The narrative follows Daisy, a complex and tormented figure, navigating a blurred reality where fantasy and fixation collide. Audiences are pulled deep into her internal world—a realm where sensuality meets psychological suspense—making for an unforgettable viewing experience.

The film’s impact on the festival circuit has been undeniable. At the Berlin Indie Film Festival, Growing Daisies won Best Short Film and Best Editing, while Indie X Film Festival awarded it the prestigious Grand Jury Prize. Alessandra Williams was named Best Female Director, and Arielle Raycene claimed Best Actress, a testament to their powerful synergy both behind and in front of the camera. The film also received the Best Experimental Film title, and an Honorable Mention at the New York Independent Film Festival, with more festival appearances on the horizon in 2025.

StarCentral Magazine recently sat down with Arielle Raycene to delve into the creative process behind the project, the themes that drive the film, and what it’s like to collaborate with powerhouse talent like Alessandra Williams. From raw vulnerability on screen to bold storytelling choices, Raycene opens up about how Growing Daisies pushes artistic limits—and why that matters.

1. Growing Daisies has already made a strong impression on the festival circuit, winning multiple awards across categories. What initially inspired you both to create this film, and how did the concept evolve during the production process?

The whole thing started with this creative and productive chemistry between us. We had an overwhelming need to create something meaningful, yet also something we could accomplish with just the two of us. There’s this inherent anxiety and darkness to the concept that, honestly, feels appropriately uncomfortable, like most worthwhile human experiences.

Arielle channeled Daisy in a way that was, frankly, terrifying and brilliant—I mean, the character’s internal chaos essentially dictates how we perceive everything. It’s like her psyche is the camera lens. And then—this is the part that still amazes us—New York itself became this third character. Not the tourist New York, but the real New York—indifferent, occasionally beautiful, frequently hostile, always authentic.

We clung to the script like a life raft, which was absolutely necessary because Daisy’s character is so… magnetic in her destructiveness that she could have pulled the whole project into creative anarchy. We needed those boundaries. The ending… well, it leaves you with this existential dread about where she’s headed next. Very unsettling, but that’s life, isn’t it? Everything meaningful is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. That’s what we were after.

2. The film’s visuals and narrative push boundaries in a bold, experimental way. How did you approach blending provocative imagery with such an intimate, psychological storyline?

We were terrified about balancing all these elements—I mean, we were also completely excited. Every lingering shot, every moment where we just… sit there with the discomfort—it’s all meticulously calculated. The sexuality in the film was a whole other animal. We wanted it to be this contradictory experience—simultaneously unsettling and beautiful, like most meaningful relationships we’ve ever had or those that’ve been spectacularly ruined.

There is something fundamentally absurd about attempting to visually represent someone’s inner psychological landscape. It’s like trying to photograph a dream you had after eating too much pizza at 3 AM. But that tension—between Daisy’s interior world and the harsh reality of New York’s indifferent streets—that’s where all the interesting stuff happens.

We found ourselves obsessively focused on this collision between her psychological reality and the physical world.

3. As collaborators, how did your individual artistic backgrounds—Arielle’s experience in theatre and comedy, and Alessandra’s work in film and fine art—shape the creative process behind Growing Daisies?

You know, it’s remarkable—that we somehow collided at this particular moment in our crazy creative journeys. We’re both at this precarious point where we’ve suffered enough to actually know what we’re doing, which is the cosmic joke of any artistic endeavor.

Arielle brings this theatrical background that’s just… well, it’s exhilarating. All that raw emotion and comic timing—it’s like watching someone who can juggle knives while reciting Chekhov. Meanwhile, Alessandra obsessed over frames and visual metaphors to an extent that any one’s therapist would call it “concerning.”

The beauty of our collaboration is that we’ve both reached this point where we’re too exhausted to pretend anymore. There’s something liberating about creative desperation, you stop caring what your mother thinks or anyone for that matter.

We’ve stumbled into this terrifying freedom where we own our stuff, our fixations, our deeply questionable life choices—and miraculously transform them into art. It’s empowering in that unique way where you simultaneously want to celebrate and hide under the bed. But that’s where all the interesting work happens, isn’t it? In that uncomfortable space between validation and panic.

4. Alessandra, you were recognized as Best Female Director for this project. What drew you to directing, and how does your acting experience inform your work behind the camera?

This directing award is surreal, just wonderful! You know, when I was acting full time, I’d be standing there on set, sweating under those lights, and I’d look at the director and the cinematographer and think, “Those people are controlling the universe right now… what magnificent anxiety that must be.”

My acting background—those years of self-examination—it turns out to be the perfect training for directing. I understand the peculiar psychosis required to expose yourself emotionally while technicians adjust lights and someone’s eating a sandwich just off-camera. It’s like therapy, but with better lighting.

The first time I completed a project from conception to final cut was a moment of overwhelming revelation. I sat there in the dark as the credits rolled, feeling a profound sense of happiness that was simultaneously the most unsettling moment of my life. It was like discovering you’ve been speaking a language fluently that you didn’t even know you knew. And since then, it’s just getting more fun.

Receiving this recognition for “Growing Daisies” is like the universe telling us we’re on the right track and to keep going even deeper.

5. Arielle, your portrayal of Daisy earned you the Best Actress award. How did you prepare for such a psychologically complex role, and were there any personal or artistic challenges you had to overcome?

Working with Alessandra was transformative; having a female director who intuitively understands the nuances of feminine psychology created a foundation of trust that proved essential. She cultivated an environment where I could safely explore Daisy’s psychological extremes without judgment or restraint.

I think we may all very well contain elements of Daisy within us—those primal, unfiltered impulses that socialization teaches us to suppress. My approach required identifying and amplifying these typically hidden aspects of myself. What makes Daisy such a compelling character is her complete immersion in the present moment. She exists in a state of pure impulse—desire and action exist without the buffer of consideration that most of us maintain. This represents the polar opposite of my naturally analytical approach to life and decision-making. The greatest challenge was maintaining emotional authenticity while navigating Daisy’s more destructive tendencies. Finding the humanity beneath her impulsivity—the vulnerability driving her behavior—was crucial in creating a portrayal that invites understanding rather than simple judgment. The balance between raw expression and psychological truth was my north star.

6. Both of you have worked in major productions alongside Hollywood heavyweights. How does the creative freedom of independent filmmaking compare to working on larger studio projects?

You know, there’s this existential whiplash between independent and studio filmmaking that’s just… well, it’s simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. With “Growing Daisies,” we’re basically running around New York like maniacs, carrying equipment, directing, acting—probably violating numerous labor laws and definitely several personal boundaries.

Time warps completely in indie filmmaking. We’re moving at this frenetic pace, just the two of us doing the work of fifty people, which is either the height of creative freedom or some form of artistic masochism.

There’s this romantic notion about gorilla filmmaking—this nostalgic fantasy that we’re like the early French New Wave directors, running through the streets with cameras, fueled by cigarettes and philosophical dread.

Don’t get me wrong—having a full crew of professionals is miraculous. When you have a gifted cinematographer who doesn’t also have to hold the boom mic while ordering lunch, the artistic possibilities expand exponentially. It’s the difference between a solo performance and a full symphony of talented creatives all channeling their anxieties in harmony.

Different stories demand different approaches. Some tales need that claustrophobic intimacy only possible when you’re shooting in spaces so small you can’t turn around without accidentally knocking over a table of props. Others require the grandeur only possible with studio resources. We have those bigger visions waiting to manifest when we’re ready to trade our current anxieties for more expensive, better-catered anxieties.

7. Growing Daisies dives into themes of sexual obsession, fantasy, and reality. What conversations do you hope this film sparks with audiences, and why do you feel these themes are important to explore today?

We made this film about sexual obsession and fantasy, with all these uncomfortable territories. This is where all the interesting human drama happens, somewhere between desire and catastrophe.

It’s fascinating and terrifying to watch audiences react. People come up after screenings with these intense emotional responses, sometimes crying, sometimes looking like they want to hug us or have us committed.

The themes feel unnervingly relevant today because we’re all walking around with these pristine social media versions of ourselves while internally wrestling with demons we can’t even name. Everyone’s desperately pretending to be normal online while privately Googling “is it weird if I…” at 3 AM. This collective delusion of psychological togetherness while actually being completely alone—it’s the perfect recipe for existential disaster.

My desperate hope is that someone watches this film and thinks, “Wow, someone else understands this thing I’ve never been able to explain.” That brief moment of connection in the darkness of a theater might be the most meaningful thing we can offer. Not answers—Of course, no, we have no answers—just the comforting knowledge that we’re all equally questioning together.

8. With more festival appearances ahead in 2025, what’s next for Daisyland Productions? Are there future collaborations or projects you’re excited to tease?

Oh, yes, we’re already embarking on the next creative renaissance, and we couldn’t be more excited about it! It’s an adaptation of an acclaimed literary work that we’re particularly passionate about. Building on the creative synergy we established with “Growing Daisies,”

Arielle will be stepping into the lead role, bringing her distinctive talent and depth to this compelling character. Allesandra will take on dual responsibilities as both director and cinematographer, allowing for the visual consistency and intimate storytelling approach that defined our work on “Growing Daisies” while expanding our creative ambitions. The cinematography for this adaptation presents unique challenges that I’m eager to explore, particularly in translating the novel’s distinctive atmosphere to screen.

Preproduction and principal photography are scheduled to commence this summer. While we’re keeping specific details confidential at this stage, we can share that the source material explores themes that align with our artistic sensibilities while taking us into exciting new narrative territory. This project represents a natural evolution of our collaborative vision while pushing us to grow in new directions as filmmakers.