Logline: After a mysterious mask accompanies his DNA results, an Afro-Latino man must unlock its dark secret to uncover his missing girlfriend and confront a haunting legacy that once sealed his alleged African ancestors.

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THE STORY : KAY, a talented Afro-Cuban musician in New York, streams his latest song from his Bronx apartment. Internet trolls respond harshly, questioning not just his culturally inspired music but his very blackness. Seeking answers about his origins, Kay and his girlfriend, TAL, a PhD student, visit his adopted parents. The only help his foster parents can offer is a genealogy testing kit they had been holding onto for some time.

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As Kay grapples with his identity, his relationship with Tal strains under the weight of his growing isolation and a secret Tal carries alone. Surprisingly, Kay’s genealogy results reveal an almost entirely West African heritage with little Cuban ancestry. But the real nightmare begins when Kay dons an African mask sent by ROOTED ANCESTRY along with the results. Peering into its eyes, he sees a dungeon filled with terrifying apparitions pleading for release. Kay discards the cursed mask the same night Tal visits to reconcile. A massive argument forces them to sleep in separate rooms. Awakened by a noise, Kay finds a haunting female figure fleeing his living room with the mask, and Tal is nowhere to be found.

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When the police dismiss his story, Kay embarks on a desperate search for Tal. His reality warps as nightmares blend with hallucinations, triggering panic and chaos in his life. He finally confronts DR. MINA, the enigmatic genealogist behind Rooted. With the help of his assistant, JONAS, the doctor traps Kay in the mask, releasing ATO, Mina’s brother, imprisoned in purgatory since 1820.

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Inside the mask, Kay finds Tal trapped with tormented spirits. TUO, the only prisoner without shackles, saves them upon realizing that Kay's bloodline connection allows him to operate the mask. Tal's pregnancy, which she reveals, has also allowed her to be trapped inside. Even with Tuo’s protection, a darker nightmare awaits: reliving a mass suicidal drowning over and over again. The ancestors’ “unclean” deaths are the very acts that sentenced them to purgatory.

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Reunited with his brother and lover, OWUSUA (the haunting female figure from Kay’s apartment), Mina plans to destroy the mask. Ato opposes, not wanting to condemn the other prisoners to purgatory. Their conflict escalates until DET. BRISTOL arrives, following up on a missing person report. A confrontation ensues, ending with Ato’s death, allowing Kay's return to the living world through an indigenous guided meditation technique from Tal’s doctoral research.

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Kay fights to retrieve the mask from Jonas and is hunted by Dr. Mina, whose deadly skills with a hunting spear remain intact despite his age. The final showdown sees Mina dragged back into purgatory by Ato’s and the other prisoners' spirits. Owusua sacrifices herself, allowing Tal to return. In the end, Kay finds his connection to his West African heritage and the family he never knew. With Tuo's help, Kay puts the ancestors' souls to rest, releasing them from purgatory.

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​​ROOTED is an ancestral haunting of a different kind. Based on the award-winning short film, this chilling tale delves into the popular world of genealogy testing, exploring universal themes of identity and connection in a way that transcends the ordinary family tree.