Mutt
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“This Movie Could Only Happen at This Budget in New York City”: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz on Mutt
A breakout at Sundance, Berlinale and New Directors/New Films this year, Chilean-Serbian writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s debut feature Mutt is as scrappy and charming as its canine title. Following a frenzied 24 hours in the life of New York trans man Feña (Lío Mehiel, the first trans actor to win the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting at Sundance), Mutt explores the constant micro-aggressions that trans people face daily—even in a supposedly hyper-tolerant locale, especially from loved ones—and the connections and community that make these encounters sting a little bit less. Even when Feña faces his capricious ex-boyfriend, moody tween […]
by Natalia Keogan on Aug 18, 2023 -
Trailer Watch: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s Mutt
The trailer arrives today for Mutt, the feature debut of writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz. The film premiered at Sundance in January (where star Lío Mehiel received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting, becoming the first trans actor to do so), before subsequently screening at Berlinale (winning the Generation 14plus—Best Film award) and closing out this year’s New Directors/New Films. The trans coming-of-age film will open at New York City’s Film Forum later this summer. Here’s the official synopsis: Feña (Mehiel), a young trans guy bustling through life in New York City, is afflicted with an incessantly challenging day that […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jul 18, 2023 -
“I Like to Channel Musicality Into the Act of Editing”: Editor Adam Dicterow on Mutt
Feña (Lío Mehiel) is a 20-something trans guy living in Brooklyn in Mutt, the feature debut from writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz. His life is instantly thrown into tumult when a series of people reenter his life unexpectedly, leading to the opening of old wounds. Editor Adam Dicterow talks about the process of cutting Mutt, also offering insight on how lucky he felt to work on the film in the first place. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 29, 2023 -
“Really Great DIY Energy From the Beginning”: DP Matthew Pothier on Mutt
In writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s film Mutt, a young trans man named Feña (Lío Mehiel) travels all around New York City during one particularly hectic day that brings forth unexpected relics from his past. Cinematographer Matthew Pothier tells Filmmaker about the process of shooting this project, including a lighting hack he adopted from the NYPD. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Pothier: One of the producers had seen a […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 29, 2023 -
“It’s Been a Mad Dash to the Finish Line” | Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Mutt
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? “Miracles in real time.” I don’t know when in the production process we started saying that, but it’s kind of been our motto ever since. The biggest unforeseen obstacle for us was our lack of time. Mutt is having its world premiere only four months after wrapping principal photography. My editor and I had two weeks to put together a […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2023 -
Watch: Erin Sanger’s Short Film, Mutt
Erin Sanger’s excellent SXSW-premiering short, Mutt, is online, and it’s this week’s Short of the Week. The site’s Jason Sondhi gets at what’s great about this film in his write-up, particularly citing its original way of exploring what can often seem like familiar territory — the family addiction drama: The more times I watch Mutt, the more I’m convinced that it is one of the best short film scripts I’ve ever encountered. Even as I first formulated this impression however I remember finding it odd—the dialogue in the film isn’t especially sparkling, nor is the plot overly intricate. There are […]
by Scott Macaulay on Sep 29, 2018
