EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Stills from ‘The Belladonna’, Javid Rezai’s new burlesque short starring Janiq and Stella Talpo

10 June 2026 | By Natalia Albin

The Belladonna centres on Stella, a burlesque dancer plagued by visions of her late mother, whose grief turns into paranoia when she becomes convinced that fellow performer Cherry is conspiring to steal her crown as queen of the club. Written and directed by BAFTA Rocliffe alumn Javid Rezai and produced by Dolphragon, the film bills itself as a "psychoglitter thriller".

Stella Talpo (The Diplomat), who also serves as producer alongside Rezai, stars in the title role, with Janique Charles, known professionally as Janiq (Six the Musical, The Lion King), opposite her as Cherry. The ensemble includes Se Carr, Anna Tymoshenko, and a roster of celebrated burlesque performers: Petit Pois, Miss Coco Belle, Donna Poderosa, Spookey Bones, and Turkish Delight.

"The Belladonna is a dream project for me and Stella, we've been dreaming of this since we were kids in our bedrooms making endless home movies," says Rezai. "We would terrify ourselves watching Scream and The Blair Witch Project, sprinkled with a good mix of Jawbreaker and Clueless. This is a mix of both worlds."

A predominantly women-led crew includes Emmy Ren as cinematographer, editor Beth Wood, costume designer Lucy James, hair and make-up designer Cha Chabrat, and composer Adina Nelu. The film is executive produced by Mustapha Wehbi of Slick Films and is supported by the charity Cabaret Vs Cancer.

The Belladonna is set to premiere on the festival circuit in the coming months. See an exclusive first look at stills from the film below.