VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz On Film ‘Mutt,’ Trans Rights At Sundance Premiere

In the film Mutt, viewers follow Feña (Lio Mehiel), a young trans man, as he navigates high school and relationships in New York City.

In an exclusive interview with uInterview, writer and director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz discussed why he wanted to make this film.

“Well, I’m transgender and there was such a lack of representation,” he began. “I really wanted to put out there a portrayal of a trans man that takes place within 24 hours where we get to really explore the intimacy of what it’s like to be, you know, a son, an older brother, a lover and just get a sense of the fact that we’re not all alone and that sometimes we just need to reach out and ask for acceptance and it’s going to be there.”

Klotz went on to explain how the film has changed since deciding to make it and how he hopes it impacts trans youth.

“This movie took me five years to make so a lot has changed in those five years and it’s gotten so much better and then so much worse in other places,” he said. “I feel like the pendulum is swinging in a very erratic way so I’m really excited to be carving out this space for the trans youth to see themselves represented and hopefully be able to protect them a little bit better. I mean we’re in Utah there’s a lot happening right here and in Texas as well. I hope that this helps people just see us as not very different.”