As a first-time characteristic filmmaker, writing and directing is sufficient to put in your plate, however with “Bunnylovr,” actress Katarina Zhu knew the entire impetus for creating the challenge was to craft the sort of character she was dying to play. Talking with IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio at Sundance’s IndieWire Studio, offered by DropBox, Zhu was joined by her forged, which incorporates her buddy and peer from NYU and Stella Adler Studio, Rachel Sennott.
Recalling their time in class collectively, Sennott instructed IndieWire, “We needed to go round in appearing faculty and, like, say a phrase to explain what vitality you gave off. Everybody to me was like, stoner. She might work in a grocery retailer and be actually excessive. That was mine. However for Katarina, it was like, queen, angel, no matter.”
Although Zhu appreciated this reminiscence, her precise post-grad efficiency output was hampered by the restricted roles accessible to her, a incontrovertible fact that contributed to her creating “Bunnylovr.” Whereas she didn’t initially suppose to tackle the lead function she was writing, as the method went on, she realized it wasn’t one thing she might give as much as another person.
“My transition into writing, directing, I feel was born out of an absence of seeing myself within the issues that I used to be going out for, when it comes to auditions,” mentioned Zhu. “The fabric that I used to be studying wasn’t resonating with me, and so I wished to jot down roles for myself that felt extra genuine to my expertise. And so it simply naturally made sense for me to play the half.”
Whereas Zhu’s character Rebecca is the predominant focus of the piece, “Bunnylovr” additionally displays the bizarre, poisonous males many ladies come into contact with each residing in New York Metropolis and on-line. Certainly one of Rebecca’s purchasers within the movie is performed by “Hit Man” star Austin Amelio, who confronted the distinctive problem of filming all his scenes through webcam.
“The logistics have been, I used to be in a really tiny lavatory — tiny sizzling lavatory — on the webcam. And, yeah, it was bizarre. We have been proper subsequent to one another although, however it was unusual,” Amelio mentioned of the expertise. “Usually, you’re form of appearing with somebody, and also you’re of their vitality subject, or one thing like that, and one thing’s taking place. And, yeah, I assume it was fairly fascinating doing it over webcam.”
Jack Kilmer’s involvement in “Bunnylovr” could also be even stranger, contemplating he solely has one scene, however it makes a big impact on the general movie.
“I solely got here in on the final day of their shoot really,” mentioned Kilmer, “however Katarina was tremendous beneficiant along with her restricted time, and sitting with me and speaking in regards to the character and the themes, and I used to be bugging her loads about it. I wished to make it memorable and relatable.”
Equally, Perry Yung, who performs Rebecca’s estranged, playing addicted father, additionally wished to dissect how his character helped pave the best way for the issues that his daughter faces all through the movie.
“I believed it was a vital a part of the story, proper? As a result of that is the place we actually really feel, I feel, the origins of what love is for this character, and it comes from trauma, coping with trauma,” Yung instructed IndieWire. “And this specific mother or father/little one love, the mother or father has an habit drawback, proper? In order that creates issues.”
Watch IndieWire’s full video interview with the “Bunnylovr” group above.
“Bunnylovr” premiered on the 2025 Sundance Movie Pageant. It’s presently searching for U.S. distribution.
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