The quietly broken hearts of ‘Hold Me, Softly’ Inside the haunting microbudget romance from Phoenix-based director Ina Tiernan Bailey

There’s a bruised intimacy to Hold Me, Softly, Ina Tiernan Bailey’s directorial debut, that refuses to shout its pain. A muted love story told through the Arizona sun haze, the 66-minute feature draws its emotional weight not from grand gestures—but from curbs, glances, and unsaid things.

“There’s an achiness about Calvin and Snow’s stories—the currents underneath what they say and do—that I couldn’t walk away from.”

Bailey wears nearly every hat imaginable—writer, producer, co-director, costume designer, and set designer. Filmed on location in Phoenix and distributed via Filmhub, Hold Me, Softly debuted April 25 on Amazon Prime and Fawsome, with more platforms rolling out soon.

Uncover the unknown

🎬 Watch the film: Amazon Prime 📽️ Official trailer: YouTube 🎤 Pre-interview with Bailey: Watch here

When two shadows collide

The story: Snow (played with aching stillness by Jasmine Berber) is locked in suburbia, quiet and recoiled—until Calvin (Andrei KoGolenok) moves in across the street. Both carry trauma. Both hope for something else. Their connection unfolds in spaces between words.

“It’s about two people who were never taught how to ask for help—learning to do it, just barely, through each other.”

Berber, a mechanical engineer and martial artist, entered the film world as a fight choreographer. Her precision, restraint, and poise bring Snow’s loneliness to life with unexpected strength. KoGolenok, a Belarusian actor known for The Christmas Letter and The Revolution, plays Calvin with the raw weight of someone mid-repair.

“Jasmine’s interpretation showed me who Snow could be—not just what I had written, but the woman she becomes when she finally dares to feel again.”

Making more with less

Bailey partnered with Carlos Berber—co-director, editor, and DP. Their collaboration stitched together a film that punches above its budget.

“When it came to directing… Carlos filled in the gaps for me. There’s a lot of technical details he helped me navigate.”

Bailey and Berber held long, intentional rehearsals with the cast before emotional scenes.

“We’d set aside time before filming to talk, really talk. About what it meant. About what hurt.”

Bailey credits assistant Ignacio Fimbres for helping her juggle the firestorm of tasks that came with wearing five creative hats on a microbudget schedule.

“There were days I was answering emails in costume, adjusting the light, then running to direct. That’s when you need people you trust.”

A love letter to muted light

Shot in Bailey’s Phoenix hometown, the film turns sunlight and silence into emotional tools.

“We picked locations with muted scenery so the tree they meet under would feel important… the neutral tones allowed the AZ light to transition into Snow’s dreamy point of view.”

Arizona’s natural flat light gave Bailey the backdrop she needed to show absence and longing as mood—not just plot.

“I knew the scenes would be quiet, but I wanted the light to do half the talking.”

Composer Bobby Brader’s restrained piano score lingers in the background like a ghost—soft, but unmistakable.

“Music wasn’t there to lead. It was there to echo. To haunt.”

Runtime, rhythm, and release

Hold Me, Softly doesn’t overstay. Its tight runtime is a choice, not a limitation.

“Snow and Calvin’s story is brief, but it isn’t shallow. Their lives don’t explode—they dissolve and reconfigure.”

The film’s digital rollout is handled by Filmhub, who Bailey calls “an incredible distribution partner.”

“They streamlined everything I had to turn in… customer support has been a highlight.”

For indie filmmakers navigating distribution, she sees Filmhub as a gamechanger: “They make the hardest part feel possible.”

A story about presence

At its core, Hold Me, Softly is about the sacred power of showing up.

“I hope anyone who watches HMS can carry with them the importance of presence. Sometimes it takes the right person standing alongside you to face the things you’re afraid of.”

It’s a story that whispers. That lets silence hang long enough to feel like truth. That doesn’t need answers—just witness.

Witness the unseen moments

“This isn’t a film about being saved. It’s about being seen.”

Where to find it

Hold Me, Softly 🎥 IMDb 📸 Instagram 🖥️ Official Site 📼 YouTube