“Gay Haircut is a short film about a stand-up comic who is dating a woman for the first time in her career. As an act of commitment to both her girlfriend and to writing new material, she decides to get a gay haircut.” Filmmakers Krista Fatka on GAY HAIRCUT which screens at SxSW 2022.
Welcome to SxSW and congratulations! Is this your first SxSW experience?
Krista Fatka: Not exactly. I was living in Austin in 2004-ish and got to see Einstürzende Neubauten and The Locust. But as a filmmaker, yeah, I’m new.
How did you first hear about SxSW and wishing to send your project into the festival?
Krista: I doubt I would have thought to submit our film to ANY film fest, let alone one as well known as SXSW. My girlfriend, Jude Harris, who directed and produced GAY HAIRCUT, submitted the film. She has been to the fest as a producer several times, and again this year with BAD AXE, but this is the first film she’s had accepted as a director.
Tell me about the idea behind your project and getting it made!
Krista: Last year I was very anemic and lost a bunch of hair. People said it looked fine but it was just flaccid with a pencil thin ponytail. I wanted to cut it all off and start fresh, but make it comedy cause that’s what I do. And as a stand-up and actor, appearance is also a part of what we present in our performance. You can’t go on stage with a shaved head and NOT address it, let alone keep the same headshot. So my new era of stand-up includes material about my gay haircut and my gay haircut lifestyle.
Who are some of your creative inspirations? Any particular filmmaking talent or movie that inspired you for this project?
Krista: I really let Jude take the reins as the director of this project. I knew she wanted to use Zackass (JACKASS FOREVER) as talent but I didn’t know exactly what we would be able to pull off in the haircut scene. She developed a show with him for MTV a while back. And I knew talent in LA through stand-up. It’s a bit mumblecore, like a Cassavetes dinner party of our talented friends.
What would you suggest to film festivals as a way to show more short films or make them more accessible to audiences across the country?
Krista: I would love a festival pass for shorts online. It feels like shorts just go live on the internet after festivals, so why not have a little fanfare in the meta verse or something.
If you had one piece of advice to offer someone to get their start as a creator or filmmaker in the industry, what would you suggest?
Krista: Write stuff and make stuff. I’m a stand-up comic which there’s literally no barrier to entry so long as you can get to an open mic. If you love it, you find a way to keep doing it and better opportunities come to you. If you have a phone, you have a camera, so just fuck around and find out.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 11-20. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!