Filmmaker Statement

My UCLA Undergraduate thesis film, the experience of making Shafted was really a culmination of the relationships I built and lessons I learned while at film school. Many of the collaborators on this project can be found across the crew lists of every project I've made since. Narratively, the film is a reflection on how difficult it is to navigate masculinity as a young man in contemporary society. Andrew’s experience is a more absurd re-imagining, but many young men can relate to the feeling of being pressured by friends and environment to “be a man”. Shafted explores the ridiculous and confusing nature of modern masculinity in a humorous way. Or maybe it’s just a 13-minute d*ck joke, but at least it’s a 13-minute d*ck joke with heart.