Filmmaker Statement

I made TAPS because I’m addicted to dating apps, social media and hookups. As a genzier , I’ve found that my phone often becomes this overwhelming, complicated force—part validation, part escape. Apps are a distraction, a coping mechanism, and sometimes a form of self-sabotage. I wanted to explore that addiction, not in a preachy way, but through absurdity and comedy. Social media and hookup culture are everywhere, but we rarely question why we’re hooked. What are we running from? What are we trying to feel? TAPS is me acknowledging my addictions, and asking if anyone else out there might see themselves in the chaos, too. I am so proud I made this short, with an all queer crew and also because it was my first short that I made without nobodies permission or waiting for funding, as a QTPOC from low socioeconomic background, traditional funding routes are not always accessible. So I am glad I was able to create something amongst all the chaos that is filmmaking.