How a Cunt Necklace Got Cersei Lannister in a $90K Thriller | "Long Pork" (Iris Dukatt)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr5O2GWrWlo

DESCRIPTION

In this episode of Film Festival Friends, Brandon Nick sits down with writer-director Iris Dukatt to talk about her short film Long Pork — a $90K reproductive rights revenge thriller starring Lena Headey, aka Cersei Lannister. Iris breaks down every channel they used to raise that budget, the popular story about the necklace that led to Lena saying yes, creating an intentionally disruptive film where the audience roots for a murderous woman and the very real political urgency that shaped the story from the jump.

Then, Iris steps up to the 60-second pitch — spinning Teyana Taylor (again) as the last human on Earth fighting against Hugh Jackman as an AI overlord who falls in love with her. It is exactly as unhinged as it sounds.

ABOUT IRIS DUKATT

Iris Dukatt is an emerging queer independent theatre/filmmaker. Currently Iris is directing a new play, HUNGRY WOMEN at Soho Playhouse, and scheming up feature film scripts. Recent directing credits include: Long Pork, Piglet, MYTHICC, Pretty Girls Don’t Light Their Own Cigarettes, and SUCKER.  

Website: https://irisdirects.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fuck.iris.dukatts.art/ 

ABOUT LONG PORK

In a post-Roe America where theocracy reigns, a renowned butcher meets the political predator responsible for the killing of her daughter and exacts bloody revenge, setting the stage for a revolution.

Film Festival Friends is a podcast about queer cinema, craft, and culture. Hosted by Brandon Nick. Full show notes and transcript available on our website: www.brandonnick.com/filmfestivalfriends

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TRANSCRIPT:

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. My favorite is one time I was in a screening and I heard someone go really loudly, that's Cersei Lannister. And I was just like, it is, that's her like just so loud. But I was like, I'm glad you got it out of the way. 

Brandon Nick: Thank you for joining me. I'm here with my festival friend, Iris. How are you feeling today or this evening? 

Iris Dukatt: I'm good. I, just bodied a nine hour Amtrak train from a festival because I got an ear infection while at the fest, so wasn't able to fly. 

Brandon Nick: Wait, you can't fly with, oh, because it would've hurt your ear?

Iris Dukatt: You cannot fly with an ear infection. You can like lose your hearing, so, yeah. It was like this whole, it's funny to be doing this film fest podcast after having these trials and tribulations during this Mercury retrograde. I'm like, 

Brandon Nick: Yes. 

Iris Dukatt: What a year it's been. 

Brandon Nick: Wow. Okay.

The first question is generally let's talk about the film, but I'm not a fan of, "so tell me about your film." So my challenge, which feels maybe easy for you considering your film, is to describe your film with a color, a sound, and a food. 

Iris Dukatt: Oh, okay. Okay. Color red. Sound, 

Brandon Nick: Bark 

Iris Dukatt: a knife chopping. Is what I would say. Like chop, chop, chop on a cutting board. And then a food, I'm gonna say the flesh of man. The flesh of man. 

Brandon Nick: Very apropro. 

Iris Dukatt: It's edible.

Brandon Nick: It is. I do, when I bite my nails, I do tend to chew my skin and swallow it. I dunno if I'm doing that with any, this is probably going to be the most left conversation I've had for this.

And I am so excited. Okay. How did you, how did you fund the film? And if you can share, what was the budget? 

Iris Dukatt: Yes. Totally. Yeah, I love budget transparency. This was a big short, the budget when we first broke it down was like over a 100K and I was like, ah. I was like, I, what are we doing?

Brandon Nick: I was about to ask you that.

Iris Dukatt: Look, I know. So luckily because of, we got a wonderful finishing post grant. We were able to get it down to 90, all said and done. And that is still, looking back, I'm like, that is an insane budget for a short. And it also, it went so quick. In production, I still had to make like really intense decisions about what to prioritize creatively.

But you know, here I was thinking I wrote a cheap short in one location, but it's actually two, it's a restaurant in New York City, we have SAG talent. You know, it just goes very quick. And I'm super, super committed to paying my crew. I've worked as an as assistant on many TV shows and, or, you know, TV shows, movies, whatever. And so I know that no one's showing up to a film set for their health. Yes, we like love it and there's like a joy to it, but it's backbreaking labors.

How we funded it was a mix of, I mean, we crowdfunded, I asked everyone I knew for money, and that was like sliding scale, you know. 

I happen to know some people, you know. Sure. My like, friends could throw me 20 bucks or, you know, I have a couple of people in my wheelhouse who could give like a thousand or 5,000. And that kind of added up. And then

Brandon Nick: I need your friends.

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. Yeah, they're, I feel like they're, they tend to be like parents of people that I know.

We love, spread the wealth. Boomers pay up, 

Brandon Nick: Yes. 

Iris Dukatt: And so we also- my, producing team was wonderful at, the art of the cold email and we really tried to think about, where do we have overlapping audience? Because there are people in the world who love to be a patron of the arts.

So something that we did, and that is like free information for everyone, is in the back of a playbill for off-Broadway and Broadway shows. If you look at the back, there are the names of donors who gave a 1,000, $5,000. So we pulled playbills from, you know, shows that had like feminist themes to them or, you know, were about reproductive rights.

And we just found the names of those people and we said, okay, cold email. And, you know, I think we got some money from that. Like we, we raised some money. Like the cold email work because we were bridging the intended audience of the film to the patrons that it is designed for.

I like to think after this whole venture, because it was really, it was quite a mountain for me to climb, to get over myself, to be like, okay, like my vision costs this much money, which scared the shit out of me.

I had never had this much capital supporting me on a project and I also knew that I needed it. And that, it, brings up all of this like imposter syndrome or it did for me at least. And, a way to reframe it for myself was this opportunity to be like, I'm building my, I'm building my audience before I even make the film.

And whether, so we went grassroots with crowdfunding. And then also we were starting to get to know people that we wouldn't have met otherwise with a really well thought out ask.

And we also, like me and my producing team, we have a kind of a lot of wonderful, liberal arts degrees from like schools. So we also looked at like the board of those schools and we were like, who here, you know, where can you find institutional support from where you've already been? And, yes, that comes with a lot of privilege to be like, wow, we like have these, like nice schools under our belts. But if it's not school, is it a non-for-profit you work for?

Is it, you know, like where in your community can you climb up a ladder? And it might be a little bit strategic, thinking about it, but, you know, we raised our budget. And it took a while. I think it took over a year for us to do it. I think we raised like 

Brandon Nick: Just the fundraising portion?

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. And well, yeah. We raised our production budget first. 'Cause we had, and that was like a mad dash. 'Cause we had to shoot during the strike 'cause of our, you know, actor availability. It was like, okay, we can get a SAG waiver where she's free. She might not ever be free again. She's a busy lady.

And so we just had to get covered. And then we were like, we'll figure out posts later. And then a grant came in, which was very helpful. It was actually like once, I stopped being so overwhelmed about it. 'Cause I think money's really triggering and can be, you know, super emotional it became this beautiful tool of wait, I, can, believe in myself and I can get this and I can build a community. I can build an audience. And I, hate to say it, but filmmaking is the juncture of art and entrepreneurship, so 

Brandon Nick: Yes. 

Iris Dukatt: you kinda have to accept that.

Brandon Nick: Yeah. Wow. No, that was actually, and thank you. I like, I appreciate all the transparency in it. I think it'll help. I mean, I know it's helping me. Like, in transparency it is helping me. I'm also in transparency, very gagged. I mean it saying it, it makes so much sense, but I'm also very gagged at your budget because I'm just like, wow.

I could've, I mean, and I'm naming this I'm so used to... like I, I'm a very scrappy filmmaker. Like so much of the work that I do was DIY. Granted, like home actually had a budget. I think home's budget was like 17 to 20k. And I'm, naming this like home and Long Pork were programmed together at NewFest.

So like our budget was 20k. I'm just like 90k? We like, just imagine what could I have done, what could we have done for home with home for 90k? But I'm also just like. What can Brandon create with 90k? 

Iris Dukatt: Mm-hmm.

Brandon Nick: All that to say, kudos to you on getting, being so ambitious with your idea and actually being able to rely on community and the Universe to actually provide that to you.

And I remember from NewFest the story that you shared, but how did you cast your film? 

Iris Dukatt: Yes. The favorite question of our star studded expensive short. Yeah, my favorite is one time I was in a screening and I heard someone go really loudly that's Cersei Lannister. And I was just like, it is, that's her. Like, just so loud. But I was like, I'm glad you got it out of the way.

No, she is, Lena's one of my champions. I'm so lucky that our paths crossed the way that they did. But, so I met her assisting on a TV show in 2021. And we just kind of struck up a set friendship. You know, it wasn't, I'd never seen Game of Thrones, so I kind of noticed everybody tells,

Brandon Nick: Like, still to this day or up until that point?

Iris Dukatt: Okay, well that's a funny story. So pin in that. So I, but while I was on set with her, I kind of noticed everyone giving her like a wide berth of respect and she just was really down to earth and cool. And I wasn't starstruck. I had seen Imagine Me and You. So I was like, I know I know her.

Which like, of course I'm so gay. I'm like, I, saw the lesbian rom-com in the early 2000s. You know, so I was like, I know she's an actor and she's obviously here. I'm on set with her and I was just, you know, we're both Libras. We were both like chatty and, it was a six month long job.

And this is what I don't say at festivals 'cause it's too long and in a shorts block, like you gotta share the mic. But one day on set or maybe at a party, I can't really remember. I'm like, I as an assistant would always try to kind of stand out with my clothes. 'Cause that would be the way that I could initiate conversations with people.

So I don't know if you're PA'ing get the sunglasses, you know, wear the cool statement sweater, do the thing and see who kind of gravitates towards you as you express yourself in whatever ways you can. But I had this necklace that said cunt on it, and as one does. As the gay PA does. And that like totally put her in stitches.

So I got her one as a friendship like offering. I was like, "Hey, like thanks for everything." Like just, you know, hope, you enjoy this.

Brandon Nick: The cunt in me sees the cunt in you.

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. Literally like Libra cunt to Libra cunt.

But she texted me after being like, "hey, this that was really sweet of you." And you know, she was like, she made it very clear to me that if I had a script, she, 'cause you know, we had been talking and she asked me one day on set, what do you wanna do? I was like, I wanna write and direct. She was like, that's amazing. And so she was like, she made it very clear to me that if I wrote a script that I wanted her to maybe be in, that she would read it.

And, she gave me her email, which was like, so sweet. And just you know, this is someone who wants to pay it forward to a young, queer femme artist. And, you know, she's an actor for an actor's sake, you know, and that is a very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to find in talent.

And so I kind of took it as a homework assignment of well, okay, what do you like to play? And she said, the most evil women alive. And then hit me with another text, vile. I was like, cool. I feel like that stacks with your body of work.

And so then I tried to watch Game of Thrones. I watched the pilot. I had a panic attack 'cause I was like, I'll never be able to work with this woman if I watch this show. She's so magnetic and amazing and I'll just get in my head. So I just started thinking of okay, well what's like the most evil thing a person can do? And I mean, I guess I'll spoil a little, I was like, well, murder. I wanna, I want the audience to root for a woman to commit murder. And, you know, the film is a reproductive rights revenge thriller.

And as I worked my way backwards of "okay, how do I get the audience to root for violence, as our shifting political landscape is literally like melting before our eyes?"

I started writing this at the end of 2021. I do have some friends who work in abortion, mutual aid funds, and they were kind of already, I mean, a, lot of us in America I feel like, heard the Roe overturn and there was like surprise we didn't see it coming. But those who have been working like this has been a long time.

You know, as soon as Roe was established, there has been a long time coordinated effort from the right to get it overturned. And you know, so I kind of had some insight from friends. I was really interested in, writing something about how femmes and queer people are so often wronged by the justice system.

Also watched that documentary, The Janes, when it came out, which is this amazing story about these women in Chicago who kind of coordinated this, abortion care when abortion, pre-Roe. And like the big point of that film is okay, if the laws are evil, then you break the law.

As a Libra, I'm obsessed with the themes of justice. You know, like I'm over here with the scales being like, I, in another life I'm a lawyer, you know, kicking ass for trans rights. But I'm a director, so not this time. Although I do kind of think they're the same job, just, you know.

Brandon Nick: Yeah.

Iris Dukatt: It's like you have a text, you like put a point of view on it, you argue it in front of an audience, similar things. Hot take? Maybe not.

And so all's to say I like kind of assessed the fact that I had someone who I knew would garner eyes if I wrote something compelling enough for her to say yes. And I wanted it to be about the justice system, you know? Then Roe v. Wade got overturned and it just felt so urgent to, you know, fuse all that was in my mind.

And so I sent her a very early draft and she said yes. And that kind of was like, okay, we're, going.

Brandon Nick: Wow. Making a movie here. 

I love that. No, and, synthesizing, I just love, how organic it felt like this project happened, like y'all were on another project, y'all held space. There were a lot of things that I imagined like, gravitated y'all towards one another. And then she was just like, yeah, you know, when you got something for me, hit me up. And you're like, I'll make something for you, even better. 

Iris Dukatt: I also think like, delays are divine. When I had so much time with fundraising 'cause and in so many films I was writing the whole time, you know, I took two years to perfect a 13 page script and now people are like, write a feature. I'm like, oh God, this is a hundred pages, it's gonna take me 20 years. Not actually, but I was learning a lot as I was going. 

Brandon Nick: Hey, popping in real quick. This isn't an ad, this is a request for community support. If you're enjoying film festival friends and appreciate queer storytelling, then join my Patreon today. These shows are free to watch, but they're not free to make your contribution helps me produce shows like this to sign up. Visit the link in my description. Thank you in advance. Now let's get back into the conversation.

So, this is me jumping around a bit 'cause I, just saw this and I wanna hold space for it while we're talking about the film, the actual film itself. In the credits, you, thank, there's like a moment that says, thank you Bubby for showing me the wonder of story or something like that.

Iris Dukatt: Mm-hmm.

Brandon Nick: I was watching the credit. I mean, 'cause I've, you know, been watching the credits in preparation for this and I'm just like, oh, that stuck out to me. I wanted to like, let me circle back to that.

So, yeah. Is there a backstory on this? Who is Bubby? And how did they inform your like the wonder of story for you. 

Iris Dukatt: Oh, I love that you caught that. I love that you caught that. So my Bubby was, I'm Jewish and you know, Bubby is what we call grandmothers.

Brandon Nick: Okay.

Iris Dukatt: And my Bubby was like the, like most like fierce, I mean, outspoken like fashion forward, like honestly cunty, like she was cunty, like old lady I have ever known. And she was like, she was the best. She passed when I was 14.

But before I was 14 we would have the best times together and she would like, she, you know. Would take us to movies. Like I grew up outside of Chicago. She took us to Broadway in Chicago. And she made it very clear. She was just like, she, I mean, I wouldn't have been able to access those things as a kid, but it was like Bubby dollars. She was like, let's go, kids. Like we're like gonna indulge in some culture.

I feel like that was where I kind of found like my worship and my religion of storytelling and art. And she kind of scratched that for me and showed me the path to that.

So I actually started to think of like how much I had repressed that grief and how much I missed her and how much I like owed to her, inspiring me as a very young artist. And, I feel like she's, and then I kind of started to like, instead of close down that, or shut off that call to her and that missing of her, I started to open it up and then I felt like, oh, suddenly, like I had a spirit guide. Like I was like, oh, my ancestor is with me all the time. And she kind of leads me to places. You know? Like that is present also in Long Pork of okay, how do you have a relationship with someone who's passed because you can.

So that's Bubby. 

Brandon Nick: That's, that was beautiful. Thank you. And I'm actually glad I caught it and that I asked because I love that we got to speak her into this moment. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. You know, this was my first big narrative film. I'd done a couple of music videos. I've directed a ton of plays, and I've done a few like iPhone shorts to kind of prepare for this.

But this was unlike anything I've ever done as a leader before. And so there definitely was like a bit of nerves of okay, I asked the universe I want to grow and I'm stretching myself. And I called in favors from my like, assistant days. I was like, okay, we need like varsity hair and makeup, you know, I was like, we've got big casts, we've got special effects. I'm like, we need varsity.

And so I reached out to the hair and makeup artist who worked on the HBO show that I was on with Lena, and they were like, yes. and also it was, we were filming like at the heels of the strike, like we literally acquired our SAG waiver like the day before the strike broke. But then it was the end of December and nothing was really gonna happen anyways.

So everyone was so eager and excited to be back on set, which was also like a wonderful thing because it was a very ambitious three shoot days.

The thing that was kind of like tricky was that all of our locations we had a hard out at 12 hours. It was like, and also we could not afford overtime. It was like overtime's not happening. And very ambitious shoot days and like. So that was the dance that I-- if there was any stress, it was like the typical of there's never enough time. But what was beautiful was that the team was so generous, excited on all levels and everyone, all of the department heads, I feel like we're in the same similar level to me of a lot of recent MFA grads, and people who just you know, were excited to be working. 

I hate the phrase "prove themselves", but it was like we all had this opportunity to like stretch. Like this felt like a big concept, big project, bigger budget than we've been used to. And we all hired our friends and, we, you know, worked really hard to make the tight time crunch.

And then it felt like just like this gorgeous team sports. You know, there's a big stunt that ends or, a big violent moment at the end. That was like a huge. I mean, we had practical effects, we had a stunt coordinator, we had all these people for this like one shot. And I knew going in, I could only have max two takes of it because of you know, all the blood. It would be like a costume reset that would take 40 minutes with this like ridiculous, practical rig and like all these things.

But since we were running behind and this is the climax of the film, I was like, I need this shot. It's very important shot. Because we were running behind my AD was like, I don't wanna stress you out. You know when they say that, you're like, what are you about to say?

Brandon Nick: I'm already stressed.

Iris Dukatt: I'm like, whenever you say that, Kailyn. Ooh. But she's like I don't wanna stress you out but given where we're at with our schedule, we really can only afford to do this once. And I was like okay, let's do this.

Brandon Nick: So there was only one take of it?

Iris Dukatt: We'll do this once. And so I remember it felt like we were like having this, and also like we, our first day of shooting we did, we had to do it at this, the, at the location where like the slaughterhouse was existing. So all of the hard stuff, the stunts, you know, the violent scene, all of that, that was happening on the first day.

And it's, you know, I was a little like nervous to land the company, but fear not. I consulted an astrologer because I'm woo-woo. And he was like, this is exactly how you're supposed to do it. You're supposed to do the hard stuff first. I was like, thank you.

The stars are in my hands. So whatever you need to do to make yourself feel good. But all's to say we're like loading up for this shot, i've got hair and makeup, I've got the SFX guy, I've got the stunt dude, I've got my ad, I've got cinematographer. We're all producers. We're all kind of huddled around being like, okay, like we have to do it.

And I'm like, is everybody, does everyone feel good about doing it? And everyone's like yes. And the SFX guy, I love him. He's this absolutely over the top individual named Josh Tory; also met from the TV show. Really great guy, but he kept on being like, I'm pretty sure it's gonna work. "I'm pretty sure." I, really need you to be a hundred percent.

He's I think it's gonna work, but you know, it's a throat slip moment. So we had this like practical rig where, you know, the actor Mark, he had this Kind of like fleshy thing on his neck that was like slit. And then underneath it was this like PVC tubing that went down outta the back of his suit. And at the other end, out of the shot of the PVC tuning tubing is connected, a funnel with our SFX guy Josh dumping blood in it and blowing into it as hard as he can. Like movie magic baby.

Brandon Nick: I'm pretty sure it'll work. 

Iris Dukatt: And, okay. So he was like, as long as there's no kinks in the tubing, I think we're gonna be okay.

I was like, okay. I really hope it works. And so we, I have this moment of walking back to monitor after we're like, okay, go team. We're gonna do it. And the whole cast and crew is downstairs. Like they came up from holding and they're watching behind you know, the crew monitor. Everyone is watching with bated breath 'cause we all want it to work.

And I'm walking back to my monitor, which it's so funny how it's okay, the whole crews have this one monitor. I couldn't imagine lost your mind. I'm like, why do I have to stand here alone? Well with my first day Beth, and I said a prayer to my Bubby. I was like, I need this shot. please make it work.

And you know, we call action. It goes, it works. I call cut everybody jumps for joy. Everyone's like yeah. It was just like one of my favorite moments as a director ever. And from that point on, like it was, you know, it was still, it was towards the end of our first day of shooting. We had two more days of filming. But once I got that shot, I relaxed. I was like, whew. 

Okay. We did it. We did it. We got it. 

Brandon Nick: What I'm also like synthesizing is right, like this is a, this is, I mean, in some ways, not your first, but like your, you know, your first real, I guess big swing. This is also a very big project.

With you know, big. So I, can imagine that there was some level of pressure on you, to make sure that I am actually leading this ship as best as I can. And that I can actually like, you know, do all the things that I want to do for this vision and not let anybody down.

And also just Not, you know, not be this person who everybody's what the fuck are they doing? So you're like, yeah. Who did, what did you have to like, let go of, or what did you have to put on or who did you have to become, in order to make this film and to and to see it through?

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. I love this question. Ooh, well, big question. It's it following my gut. Like I had to let go of any self-sabotage, any imposter syndrome that is ever any self-doubt that's ever crossed my mind because at the end of the day, you're just wasting time with that. It's like you're wasting your energy, you're wasting your time, you don't have it.

And the thing that kind of got me outta that, because I could certainly, spirals. And I feel like a lot of times in my youth, you know, I've been directing theaters in since my early twenties. that's what I went to college for. I love it so much. And so I was like practiced a bit on working with actors and leading a production like, but on a much smaller scale.

And so to rise to this occasion and, when I was in that smaller scale, I would waste a lot of time being like, is it good? I don't know how the audience is gonna take this. I'm very nervous to show it. I feel very vulnerable. Like sometimes I would joke being like, I think I'll die watching my own work 'cause like the first time the lights would go down, my heart would be like, I would just be freaking out. But also would have to sit still and you know. 

Brandon Nick: You're imploding internally in silence. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. No, totally. And, my worst fears never came true. I really had to work to translate my skills that I already had. And then I had to get over the fear of the camera, which again, like the delays are divine.

I had time to take a cinematography course. I took one at Sundance CoLab. Which like rocked. I was, you know, learning from some professor at AFI, I was like, great, I don't have to pay AFI, i'll just pay 500 bucks and take this course. And it was an amazing course. It taught me everything I needed to know.

I read the Visual Story by Bruce Block, that's just read that. Just if you are scared of the camera, read that book. It took me two years to read it, but I read it and then suddenly I could like, speak the language and be like, ah, yes, line depth, visual structure. You know, like mm-hmm. 

Exactly. Yeah. So to become the person I needed to be was really about loving myself, believing in myself. And then when I started to go down those like spirals of what if I fail? It was like, that's actually not what this is about. You know? And, then to then get the positive feedback of working with my department heads and seeing that my script was inspiring them to come up with these brilliant, beautiful ideas like, and that they were excited about it that would also get me through. We can't fail because we're all loving this project into existence. And that was, that was how I did it. 

Brandon Nick: Wow. No, that was, wow. So I imagine the, was probably your favorite, scene to shoot? Yes? Maybe. 

Iris Dukatt: My last supper is the reason I made the film.

Brandon Nick: Gotcha. 

Iris Dukatt: That was my favorite shoot. 

Brandon Nick: And so I'm actually glad you brought that up because I watched it early this morning and I was like, wait, the pregnant man is drinking wine. You probably shouldn't. 

Iris Dukatt: Just one.

Brandon Nick: You know, one glass won't hurt.

Iris Dukatt: You know, one mother doesn't have one cigarette.

Are we really that angry? Like pregnancy's hard, come on. 

Brandon Nick: But it was, really beautiful. You had said this earlier on in our conversation. but about the, big gag, I mean, at this point for whoever's watching, I think they understand that like somebody dies. So when the politician, gets his throat cut, I-- and I imagine you've probably experienced this a few times already-- but in the one live time that I've seen it, I remember that theater went up. Like we were so just yes, kill that man.

Eat the rich. So it's I, and I think not even for the, sensationalism of it all, but just like the, the indirect commentary of even if, well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Enjoying the conversation that you were having around retribution and the ways in which like we can, we should, fight back against oppression and oppressive systems.

Seeing that man get got, and then knowing that his, spoiler, just knowing that like his date was in on it, and I was just like, oh, I really love this.

Me it is, it is like the end of inception when the, topper is spinning and it's is this a dream? Isn't this a dream? Which is to say we were just like, did they eat this white man? What part of this white man is the most edible? Something about him feels I don't want to eat him. Did they even eat him or did they just kill him because he's part of the problem? So that is literally what the conversation became last night. Also, naming, again, competing thoughts, I just love how she put that meat in her mouth. I mean, pause. I love how she had the food on her taste buds. I need to reframe that. And she just sat in that moment of 

Iris Dukatt: yeah, 

Brandon Nick: Mmmm delectable. 

Iris Dukatt: I love to kind of, embrace ambiguity in storytelling to kind of be like, well, what does the audience think?

I know what I think. And they eat him. You know, there's a cosmic evening of a score that happens with her. And you know, a very tiny detail is that as she chews the ghost of her daughter fades away.

Brandon Nick: Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Iris Dukatt: So it's like the absolution of her grief comes from finally getting the satisfaction and not only killing this man, but literally eating him and dissolving him in her body and her stomach acid.

Because, you know, she, he took what, what she, yeah, he took what she built from her own body with her daughter. And so it wouldn't be even until her body like literally composted him. And this is also something I'm kind of obsessed with. Now I'm kind of being like, you know, there's a little bit of a, I, don't wanna say pigeonholing 'cause I do love it, and maybe this is just my first chapter as a director, but I've been asked to do a couple of cannibal projects now I'm like directing a cannibal play.

And there's something about it where I'm like, yeah, let's compost the patriarchy. Let's do it. Let's put it in our stomach. You know, I don't think in our world we can afford to waste. It's also a hefty way to, get rid of the evidence. So, you know, I know what I think.

Brandon Nick: I'm living

Iris Dukatt: in terms of that. Yes, she, eats him and that's the only way that like she can find peace.

Yeah. Human meats, red meat. I found this really creepy blog, about like how to best prepare human meat. And it was, I found out about this whole theory called Boar Taint, which is most animals or livestock that we eat are either female or Unix from birth.

Like they get castrated straight away. Because if a animal grows to like full form with testes or, you know, and has testosterone. When you cook that meat, it gets very gamey and very tough. Whereas like a more estrogen heavy meat is,

Brandon Nick: And she says that in the, so it's like factual?

Iris Dukatt: Yes, this is like a literal thing. Like I don't love, you know, talking about gender in terms of biology, but like in terms of how the cooking breaks down the hormones do have an impact on this. And all is to say that this blog that I found was you wanna find like a young 20 something woman who's very succulent and I was like, not them advocating for the killing of women again.

So I'm reading this article and they're like, the, person you don't want to get is like a 50-year-old man who's quite literally. They're like, they'll be very gamey. They won't have very much fat on them. It won't be very juicy. All this, that, and the other about like how it'll be really tough meat, the testosterone will ruin it.

I was like, I'm like reading this, just like leaning in, like, oh my God. Like I can't make this up. 

Brandon Nick: People know this.

Iris Dukatt: With that in mind, the blog told me that the best parts to eat. They were like, if you have to go with a man, I was like, work, if you have to. I'm like, okay. 

Brandon Nick: If you have to eat the patriarchy. If you have to eat the patriarchy. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. They were like butt cheeks, the pecs or the thighs are probably the meatiest part. And so I was like, okay, they're the butt cheeks.

You know, I'm like, this is what's up. so 

Brandon Nick: She ate his ass.

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. we're eating booty.

Brandon Nick: They jokes write themselves 

Iris Dukatt: And it's justice. Okay.

Brandon Nick: Long Pork could have been a comedy. 

Iris Dukatt: Honestly people do laugh sometimes. I was so excited when we were at the New Fest screening and that was the most, I have gotten like a few cheers before at that moment where people like yeah, get him.

Like, whatever. And that's what I wanted, for the audience to root for a woman to commit murder. So, okay, we've succeeded. But New NewFest, the whole crowd was like, yeah.

Brandon Nick: Yes. I remember! 

Iris Dukatt: I was, sitting with my producers and I turned to them and I was like, wow, NewFest, bring down the house. Let's go. So that was so cool .

Brandon Nick: Again, that, that moment was so palpable. And I think in some ways, I think why people, respond and react the way that they do is one, because obviously we're living in a very shitty society right now. And in some ways, Long Pork feels a bit too close to home.

But I think we revel in the level of absurdity that we can't enact in real life, which is to say there is some level of like projection where you know, Lena's partner has become, you know, somebody's mayor or somebody's like delegate, you know, somebody's president even. You know? So it's like we are seeing this avatar and celebrating and reveling in the demise of, you know, oppression.

but you brought up NewFest and so I do want to switch us into talking about the festival circuit. So yes, we were at New Fest together. you were there for Long Fork. I was there, as a producer for home my partner's short film, beautiful. What was. 

Iris Dukatt: I loved home. Beautiful. Home is such, Ugh. Just singing, singing, its praises. Thinking about it often.

Brandon Nick: Thank you. 

Iris Dukatt: Beautiful film. Honor to be screened together. 

Brandon Nick: I really loved our block. We had such a, we had such a diverse, block. Before, I guess we talked bigger picture in the festival circuit. How was New Fest for you? What was that experience like for you? 

Iris Dukatt: Well, New Fest for me is such a special festival. I'm based in New York and it's my hometown festival of choice. Like I've been going for years. I love the programming and I, you know, I think that they really stand by their mission of we program queer films for queer audiences and I've had my mind blown by, you know, some beautiful films that have played there.

And so, when we got our, like NewFest was like the one when we submitted to you know, there we submitted to so many festivals. And you know, it's a interesting path to go down. You have like hopes and expectations and then they get thwarted, but then other exciting things pop up and all these things.

But NewFest was one of those fest where I was like, I will feel so affirmed as an artist if I get into this festival. And it's not easy. I've had many friends rejected. It's a competitive, you know, I mean, they select wonderful work and there's a lot of people submitting, so, you know, you can never count your chickens before they hatch.

But when we got in, it was just this really, like significant win for me as a filmmaker. I was like, and then I was like, and then of course this block Food, Glorious Food. We're the, of course we're this block, you know, I was just so honored. And, you know, to cross over the line from audience to then filmmaker program.

Like I was, so, like that for me was one of my, it's be, it's been one of my favorite fests we've played at. And I think it's because I've been such a long time audience member and I don't work for 'em, but I could, I love them. 

Brandon Nick: No, same. I'm like quite always advocating for New Fest.

So before home, 'cause I guess in some ways, fortunate enough that to have been in New Fest two years in a row. So we were at New Fest this year for Home. I was in New Fest last year for a short documentary that I did. I remember I was so like very excited. I was like, I cannot wait to announce it.

'Cause similarly, it's you know, a lot of folks when they make sure films or feature films, there's a very, easily reachable list of films that everybody submits to, you know, like the the Sundances the South By,

Iris Dukatt: The lotteries.

Brandon Nick: The Cannes, you know, you know, hold on. Literally and I was like, the lotteries, I'm like, New Fest is my goal.

And yeah, just like I remember that first year experience has been like, wow, I'm really, I finally, again, like as you were saying, crossed that threshold of I'm just going from sitting in the audience watching other people's films to sitting in the audience, watching other people's films programmed with my film.

Iris Dukatt: Yes. And they take such great care of the filmmakers. I was like, wow. You know, all the little events and things and you know, I had, I booked a job where I, and I really needed it where I had to miss a good chunk of the festival, but I was so grateful I was able to attend the screening. 'Cause I would've been freaking 

Brandon Nick: Literal same. Literal, same. It was like we screened like Saturday morning. 

Iris Dukatt: Yes. 

Brandon Nick: And I kid you not, I think Sunday I was already, I was on my flight into Arkansas for a job. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah, no, literally I was going to Scottsdale the next day. I was like, well, this worked out. So, but yeah, no, I, so New Fest was like such a special, just like milestone for myself as an artist. And then also I was just so happy that the film could be there and, You know, like it's, just always, you know, we shot the film in New York, so any opportunity I can have to be like, crew cast, come back, let's see it on the big screen. It's just so, and like to be at Nighthawk and I just also loved the tag of this year of queer film as an act of rebellion. I was just like, I just felt really, exactly where long pork was supposed to be. So yeah. 

Brandon Nick: It felt so thematically fitting, like literally. 

Iris Dukatt: Absolutely. So NewFest was definitely a peak for me of our festival circuit, but we've had a really, we've had a really robust one.

I, you know, the lottery's kind of broke my heart, you know, in terms of I was like, oh, like I thought I would get into South By, ah. And who's to say that like maybe one day I will. But it wasn't this film and that's okay. I'm actually really grateful to have leaned into the genre festival circuit.

We, you know, I mean, we played Fantasia, which was incredible. We had our world premier at Final Girls, which is this amazing festival in Berlin that programs horror from women and gender queer filmmakers. Oh, and the programming was like, top notch. The films I saw were heavy metal and punk. I was, like, I was having the best time in Berlin. Also, like when Berlin calls, I go, I'm like, Berlin, duh.

Brandon Nick: Like sure. 

Iris Dukatt: You know, it was the best. You know, other ones that I attended that I loved were, we got into Holly Shorts, love an LA show. That was great in terms of just I got a lot of industry attention from that.

That was probably the screening that, you know, reps reached out to me for which still kind of doing that dance, but hey, it's nice to be asked, right? Nashville Film Fest is like this very wonderful genre fest that you know, we played in the graveyard shortz block and like I had to go to Tennessee.

I had to talk about and you know, I was really itching to go and that's part of why I had such high hopes for South By. I was like, I wanna go to Texas. Like I wanna, you know, this, these are extreme states where, you know, these are the front lines of, you know, the reproductive rights issues. So, haven't had a Texas screening yet, but maybe we will, maybe we won't.

But Nashville was really special because, you know. I got to be in Tennessee and I was not sure of okay, what if there's hostile people in the audience? And the fact is there weren't, there were more just queers on the front line who came up to me and shook my hand after being like, thank you for making this film and showing it here.

We need to see stories like this and yeah. You know, that's both very meaningful, but also tinged with a little bit of heartbreak because the reality is just way more intense there. And yeah. And then also I left more hopeful than I've ever been. Like I went to the Lipstick Lounge, which is this amazing queer karaoke bar my last night. And it was so party. And like I was like to be in queer community at the front line of the resistance. I was like watching all sorts of people sprout ballots all night and like before I knew it, suddenly it was 4:00 AM it's last call. The MC is alright, we're like shutting this place down. Remember to register to vote. I'm like, ah. 

Well yeah. Yes. 

Literally I'm like, okay, we're here. Like it felt so, it was just a perfect, like I was so, it was so great to go and I loved that one. Other shout outs, other, I mean, New Fest was so special. I was like gutted. I had to miss Woodstock. But I, my producer went and had a great time. But I, this job like, kind of kept me from going.

Brooklyn Horror was really great. Like the genre fest is loud and like the audiences that come through are so awesome. I love horror nerds and they're exactly the kind of people I want to be hanging out with and showing my work and that they show up at costumes. I mean, I just went to the Three Rivers Film Festival this weekend in Pittsburgh, and we were in, a, chiller theater block to honor Bill Cardell, who was this like network horror host.

And, costumes were encouraged and I was dying that someone who like checked my ticket was dressed as a Furby. I was like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Like, this is perfect.

And I love this. But again, like I, I never really set out to be a horror filmmaker. I just like telling the stories of femme villains and I guess that makes me a horror filmmaker.

And so I'm finding my audience at these genre fests and I love them. And I, it makes me wanna keep making more, but yeah. I'm obsessed with monsters, so I probably will, you know, 

Brandon Nick: If you don't have the number, if you were to guess, how many festivals have you been in as of Tuesday, November 25th, and how much do you think you've spent on festival fees? 

Iris Dukatt: I think we're in like the 13 to 15 range numbers of selections, which is a lot. And I'm, again, very, very grateful because I also have a lot of filmmaker friends who like don't have as abundant of a run. So anytime, we're selected, I just say thank you to the universe and it's another opportunity to put the film out there.

After getting it to Fantasia, which I feel like is a fest that gets a lot of eyes, that's when we got a lot of like invitations of please,

Brandon Nick: we'd like to see your film. Send me a screener. 

Iris Dukatt: Here's a waiver, come through. Like I'm like, Ooh, a waiver. Yeah, let's save some money. How much have we spent on the festivals? I mean, honestly I have not been keeping track on that, but I know we're over budget.

I know that, I know we budgeted like a thousand dollars going into it and I think we're probably close to I don't know, two or three. It's expensive. It's an expensive game's. And we submitted to a lot of places and honestly, like looking back, I would maybe do it a little differently. Wait, like we, we made our whole festival strategy about like submitting to the early Sundance deadline. 

And I think we had certain hopes because we were like, oh, this cast is so eyeball grab. Yeah. But maybe, but I think that after doing the circuit that I would actually maybe try to submit to New Fest first, or you know, build up the go, go almost a little backwards.

Go with the summer and fall fests first. Stack laurels. Make yourself attractive to Sundance. And then, because it's almost a harder sell if they haven't seen that it works in front of audiences. So that, and I've heard both ways. There is, no, ifs ands or like, there's no wrong or right way to do it. Ultimately you should just go where you're wanted and the film's gonna play where it's gonna play.

So, and then also, I think too, like I was kind of gutted because, you know, it was like a no from Sundance, South By, then Tribeca. I just, like the top end of our festival application. I was starting to doubt. I was like, is the film good? And then I like it's really good. Calm down.

And you can't, you actually can't have your, the metric of your film be about like, well, where does it get in? And also you know, let's say you get no selections, your film still has value and it still needs to be seen. And there are still ways to build an audience for it, whether or not, you know, it's got the laurels or not.

Brandon Nick: I think that's something we were telling, ourselves or something that I was telling us. For home, because I think with Miss Honey, I'd kind of just been submitting haphazardly. 'cause I didn't, I wasn't really clear on like strategy. But then I think for home I, it was like, recognizing because I'd already done the festival run once that like the rejection is not solely about, it is not solely a matter of like how good your film is. It is just can this be programmed with other things?

And like you've seen home, and like I've seen long, so it's contextually, I just knew that, home would be a struggle to, I knew home would be a struggle to hit as many of the festivals that like my doc did.

Because tonally they are very different, right? And it's home is very much a short film about this young, queer, homeless person who was like, you know, literally, contemplating contracting HIV to get housing. And I know a lot of festivals probably didn't even know what to do with that material matter.

And again, shout out to New Fest for like actually seeing the vision and for the other festivals that it has been in for seeing the vision. But I think I, we knew, that while this is a very gripping, similar to what you were saying, like we think this has all of the like the components the variables to do what it needs to do at the lotteries. Home has been having, a bit of a struggle. But you know, and trying to like, you know, hit the festivals to get the, like the, laurels that you want to like start, you know, your new trailer, you know, all these things. It's like, yeah I don't know if they, know what to do with it.

And I've been making some level of peace with that as well. It's just Home may not be home, may not have a home everywhere, essentially. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. Which is a shame because it should be played at, you know. I mean, it's, a gorgeous short and it's a really compelling story that it's hard to sit with. But I feel like often times, you know, you know, you want the institutional validation because you wanna feel, you know, that, I don't know, success that comes with it, and there's so much out of our control.

And, if you're making work that's actually maybe like a bit more confrontational, or, you know, I don't mean to call home confrontational, but it is. Or, maybe uncomfortable. 

Brandon Nick: No, I wouldn't use that word, but I do like that framing though. 'Cause I do think home was a film that was, you know, meant to maybe disrupt or agitate.

So I think confront, yes, confrontation was along the line. 

Iris Dukatt: Yes. Yes. I would use confrontational, maybe for Long Pork, that, that's like a word that I've been kind of thrown around. I'm like, yeah, it's gotta saying shut up Supreme Court, we don't like you. Anyways. but, I think that if your work is disrupting, these bigger institutions kind of have to weigh certain things.

And it's not about the quality of the film, it's more of you know, there's then questions of well, who's on our board? You know, questions like that. And, so I've, you know, after kind of maybe nursing some, you know, oh, I got rejected. It hurts. I worked so hard. I thought it deserved it.

And just because you don't get it doesn't mean you don't deserve it. I think all films deserve to have a beautiful premiere and, you know, everyone's on the red carpet making you feel like a rock star because it's, I mean, to make a film is a miracle. Like everything is fighting against you for it to work.

And you know, I think that, the festival circuit has taught me the lesson of just go where you're wanted and go where the audience is ready for you. Because, that's where you're gonna have your most, meaningful experiences as a filmmaker. And, you know, I think that home, it makes so much sense to me that it's playing at Queer fests and it makes so much sense to me that it was playing at New Fest.

And I mean, that, I felt the house at Nighthawk, you know, really locked in and were so moved because it was, you know, this really just heartbreaking inner conflict that this character's going through of wow, we're gonna put, you know, like these health risks over you know, a human need, which is housing.

It just, it was, and it's not something that I've thought of or, you know, a struggle that I've put my mind to. So I think that it's like this beautiful film that needs to be seen. And also I think it is like this film specifically that needs to be seen by queer people because we're all inside of that. So 

Brandon Nick: Thank you. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. I loved it. And I hope to see its success and I love to see what, you guys make next. Don't waste your money either. don't play it. Like we, I love Aspen Film Festival, but they don't really program genre, so we were like, we're gonna withhold, we're not gonna spend the money on that one.

You know, like as much as we would love to play there. But it just, so do your homework going in of okay, like what kind of films do they program? Do we fit into it? And so my big emphasis was like I want this to play at Queer fest and, genre and that's, it's funny how the genre fest also have these niche like queer horror blocks. That's where we're programmed typically. So.

Brandon Nick: The niche within the niche.

It is time for a 60 Second pitch, a creative sprint designed to exercise your imagination. Here's how it works. We've got four spin wheels with lead and supporting actors, movie genres and plot devices. I'm gonna spin the wheels and whatever fate hands us, that's your movie. You'll get 30 seconds to ideate, then 60 seconds to pitch your film idea out loud. Let's go.

So I'm going to press spin now. I'm so excited to see who you end up with. Ooh. Okay. Teyana Taylor has been a big one. I think I need to take her off the, so you have Teyana Taylor as your lead. She's having an amazing year. She's getting in all these films. Now you have Hugh Jackman as your supporting and it is an animated film about the AI takeover. No pressure. That actually sounds like a really fun project, though. 

Iris Dukatt: This is gonna, yeah, this is hearty as hell. 

Brandon Nick: Your 60 seconds begins now. 

Iris Dukatt: The Last Human On Earth starring Teyana Taylor and Hugh Jackman.

Teyana Taylor is the last human on Earth in this animated action thriller about the AI takeover of the world. She is fighting Hugh Jackman, who is a evil AI robot who has turned all humans, either killed them or converted them into robots. And Teyana Taylor is here to save Earth. She does it. How she saved herself is using her, magical brain powers of shielding from his witch robotic reach into her brain so he can't read her like he reads the rest of the humans.

She's just so magical. And she actually causes him to short-circuit so much that he falls in love with her beauty. The end.

Brandon Nick: Oh my gosh. I wish you could have heard me. I was on mute, but I was screaming! No, my jaw hurts. I think I could actually hear the second you actually had to like continue building. It was like, all right, I have some of the train built, but now I have to keep, I have to 

Iris Dukatt: Literally, yes. I'm like, okay.

Brandon Nick: Wow. 

Iris Dukatt: But fun movie. And I think that she's live action and everything else is animated around her, so. 

Brandon Nick: Wow. So that was exciting and fantastic. I can't wait. What did you say the movie was called? 

Iris Dukatt: The Last Human on Earth. 

Brandon Nick: The last human on earth. Yes. Very much excited for when the Last Humans on Earth, never comes out.

That's gonna be my new way of saying, 

Iris Dukatt: I'm like, we write it maybe next, next 

Brandon Nick: I of course the cyborgs, and the AI are killing people. It is, it's very apro pro. 

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. It's probably what, 2026? Actually, I'm not calling that in, but like, who knows? 

Brandon Nick: Right. Knock on wood that that is not the case. We, do not need Iris to make another too close to home horror film about something.

Iris Dukatt: Yeah. Actually I'm not allowed to write horror anymore because it just keeps on becoming real. I'm too witchy. 

Brandon Nick: Well, thank you so much for, joining me on Film Festival Friends. This has been such a eye-opening, mind boggling, exciting conversation. Is there anything that you wanna leave me or the viewers, listeners with before we part ways?

Iris Dukatt: Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been so fun chatting. And I'm so glad we met at New Fest. Anything I'd like to leave people with, if you're thinking about making that film, just go make it. Just go do it. And it doesn't have to be $90,000. I'd actually recommend it not be like, just go make it with an iPhone. Figure it out. Get your friends. Make it. 

Brandon Nick: Yeah. Wow. And again, congrats on that. 'Cause I mean, like between all of the channels, raising 90K is no feet. So congrats again on, on that. And congrats with long pork. It is such a powerful film. I'm excited to see what you do next. 

Iris Dukatt: Thank you. Thank you.

Likewise.