The Hottest State

Ethan Hawke directs and co-stars in this bittersweet coming-of-age drama about the emotional rollercoaster experienced by a young actor as he searches for love. Shortly before his 21st birthday, William (Mark Webber), meets and falls in love with Sara (Catalina Sandino Moreno), an emotionally scarred singer/songwriter. William's relentless pursuit of Sara takes him from a New York tenement to a Mexican hotel room, only for Sara to eventually walk away from the pressure.

William's emotional turmoil stems from being abandoned by his father as a child, and the film builds towards an attempted reconciliation between the two.