Help make our darkly comic lil film about kissing! Plz (˘ﻬ˘)

Big Slop Sap - a film about paying lip service.

Things turn weird between James and his two female dinner-party guests when the subject of his prudishness around kissing emerges.

Directed by Hunter Hawke

Starring Bernard Cohen, Michelle Moriarty and Chloe Margot

Consulting Producer - Peter Vack

On Frogs and Princes

Big Slop Sap is an idea I had for a short film when I was in my junior year of college. Covid had just hit, and the only girl keeping me company in my off-campus apartment bedroom was a creepy figurine of a young princess holding a frog up to her face with a crown on his head based on the Grimm fairy tale. I had acquired her in 2019 at a Brigantine Island beach shop called Surf Sundries while running sound on a friend’s beach-themed short film. She wasn’t on display on one of the shelves. She was hidden in the back without a price tag on her where we shot a scene day-for-night. The lead actress made fun of me paying $20 because paint was chipping off of her, “she looked like trash,” and I probably could have gotten her for free were I a better negotiator with the store owner who seemingly picked the number out of thin air. However, I think I saw a whole story in this little statue for the first time then and there, and $20 for the piece of PD rich with all those associations seemed like a bargain to me. Perhaps, I didn’t want to haggle because I didn’t want to offend the fair maiden. Seemed wrong to call her worthless before sweeping her off her feet. Still had some of that Toy Story Andy inside of me, believing this “it” had real skin, eyes, and ears, and a soul.

I didn’t write a first draft until we were assigned the exercise to write a film with no more than three characters, which would be our thesis film we got to produce in the spring. The professors claimed the character constraint was to help us strengthen our capacity to develop drama without lots of bells and whistles, but there was much speculation amongst the students this constraint was actually for the purposes of making our stories more covid-friendly-producible. I wrote a film about two girls and one guy in a room talking about awkward first kisses, which led to some kissing and some disagreement. Standard fare for a horny, lonely film school nerd. In another way, it was a film about a frog being kissed and turning into a real boy—a prince!

Unfortunately, my boomer, queer, feminist professor didn’t quite see it that way. (To be clear, I adored this professor and include these adjectives not to deride her but to honor her by painting a vivid picture.) She told me that not only was my script far from covid-safe (dispelling all pretense at this point), it was a problematic male fantasy where the two women are only there to serve the man. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I thought there was something honest and real in my movie. When I attempted to defend it, she acknowledged there may have been a generational difference in perspective and encouraged me to seek the opinions of my female classmates, so I did.

The responses from my peers were more encouraging. My close friend Emma said even if there was a male-fantasy element to it, it wasn't merely hot. She defended it as a character study in how the two girls responded so differently to the guy. She felt it was true to life in its exploration of time-honored themes like intrasexual competition—dangerous in a good way, confronting us with unflattering aspects of our humanity. She insisted I couldn’t abandon this script. I had to make it!

The following semester, the school issued more stringent covid requirements based on industry standards that were being implemented at the time, so the script was shelved and all but forgotten about.

When I moved to New York City four years later, I met a paradoxical enigma of a man named Bernard Cohen at a poetry reading. He seemed at the same time both charmingly awkward and dynamically charismatic no matter who he was talking to. The kind of guy who would smile and look you in the eye when he addresses you and you would feel totally seen. Not judged—understood. Our resident Gatsby! It was clear he wasn’t putting on a persona; he was simply embracing his love for the arts and inspiring creativity in everyone around him. I knew I had to cast him in something, though I wasn’t sure what yet.

Months passed, and my girlfriend Rose who primarily works in STEM asked me to teach her about screenplay format. Whilst digging through materials, “Big Slop Sap” re-emerged from the bowels of my computer. We read it together, and we knew instantly it was the perfect vehicle for Bernard. “It’s kind of a hot movie!” Rose exclaimed aloud. She’s not alone in appreciating that the film has something kinky about it.

But when I wrote the film, I don’t think I was trying to write something kinky. I was going back in my mind to the vacant tech-ed room of my middle school with all of the lights off when I was a nervous, confused, awkward thirteen-year-old and for an uncomfortable, magical minute, I got to share a kiss with a cute princess who I liked, and for a split-second, I swear I was transformed into a prince.

In other words, I wrote from the perspective of the frog.

Our Talented Cast

Bernard Cohen as James

Bernard Cohen is an author and musician based in New York City whose work has appeared in Spectra, Expat, HAD and others. He also runs the online publication Charm School with his friend Vivi Hayes. This is his first time acting for the screen.

Michelle Moriarty as Mimi

Michelle is a New York-based actor, writer, and producer with a BFA in Theatre from Boston University. Her film credits include the short films The Moth by Juan Pablo Rivera Garza and Stinky Girls by Adam White. Her theatre credits include Where We’re Born at Adult Film, Zoomers and Quartet at the Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research, and Homunculus at the IRT Theater. Michelle is the co-owner of Farmhands Productions and the co-host of the podcast Good Judgment.

Chloe Margot as Ingrid

Chloe Margot is a New York based actress, dancer and writer currently studying at the William Esper Studio. She recently acted in and wrote the original play, Expensive Imagination, and is currently working on Hedda Gabler as Thea Elvsted. Her film credits include short films such as Blood Ties by Mackenzie Jamieson, Feathers by Bob Getty, Baroque by Shelby Dillon and more. She works professionally as a dancer, performing in music videos, clubs around the city, and at various live performances, such as her dance show series, Folly’s Haven.

Our Skillful Crew

Barton Cortright - Director of Photography

Bart Cortright is a cinematographer. Over the last 10 years he’s lensed over 20 feature films primarily in New York City. Recent credits include Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling that the Time for Doing Something has Passed (Cannes, TIFF, Magnolia Pictures) and The Cathedral (Sundance 2022, Venice 2022). The Cathedral went on to win the John Cassavetes Award at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards and receive distribution through MUBI. Bart graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA and studied lighting design and photography. When he’s not shooting he is frequenting the plethora of rep cinemas in New York.

James Kolsby - 2nd Unit Director of Photography

James Kolsby is a cinematographer and director based in New York City, specializing in short films, music videos, and branded content. His work focuses on narrative storytelling, exploring the intersection of glam, grunge, and magical realism.

Gavin Edmonds - Production Sound Mixer and Boom Operator

Gavin Edmonds is a New York City-based filmmaker and sound professional with a specialty in sound mixing and design. A former NYU Tisch student, Gavin’s passion for visual storytelling began at age eight and has since driven his work on productions like AC’s 500 Flowers (2024), American Glizzy (2020), We Were Nine, and The Patriot Way (2019). Gavin’s filmmaking integrates theatrical crafts and emerging technologies, including puppetry, practical effects, and VR/XR virtual production, to create distinctive, immersive narratives.

Emily Vortherms - Intimacy Coordinator

Emily Vortherms (she/her) is a New York City-based Intimacy Coordinator with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance from the University of South Dakota. With over 200 hours of specialized training through Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) and Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE), she is certified as a Mental Health First-Aider and Rape Crisis Counselor, bringing a depth of expertise to her work. Emily has contributed to a diverse range of projects, including the Sundance 2024 selection Tendaberry as Assistant Intimacy Coordinator and the SXSW-nominated short film Dressed, which also appeared at festivals like Indie Memphis and Montclair. Her credits span indie shorts such as Frat Pie and Special Delivery—both showcased at prominent festivals like Palm Springs and HollyShorts—several student films, and TV concepts like Monogomish. Emily’s commitment to fostering trust and advocacy in storytelling extends into her work as the Operations and Communications Associate at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), where she helps elevate musical theatre development and engagement.

Lindsay Mummert - Production Designer

Lindsay Mummert is a multidisciplinary designer whose work spans theatre, film, and art exhibitions. Known for crafting bold, sculptural environments that elevate storytelling, Lindsay brings a unique artistic vision to every project. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago and also trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Her recent projects include the 2024 miniseries Divine Intervention, created by Zina Ellis and directed by Kelly McCready, as well as Boys Go to Jupiter’s music video for “Virginia,” directed by Sam Vladimirsky.

Kathleen Kelleher - Assistant Director and Line Producer

Kathleen Kelleher is a Brooklyn-based writer/director who works as a 1st AD and producer for indie short films. She is from Jacksonville, FL and studied film at Oberlin College. Her most recent short film, Rust, is currently in the final stages of post-production.

Peter Vack - Consulting Producer

Peter Vack is a New York-based film director, actor, and cultural provocateur recognized for his bold, boundary-pushing work in both film and memes. His sophomore feature www.RachelOrmont.com (2024) recently premiered in New York at The Downtown Festival, provoking a wild array of discourse on the popular review site Letterboxd.com. He also directed the cult indie film Assholes and starred in indie darlings The Code (2024) and PVT Chat (2020). Known for blending avant-garde artistry with cultural commentary, Peter collaborates closely with emerging talents, including sometimes family members, notably his sister, Betsey Brown.

These funds will help immensely as we move into post-production and our 2nd unit shoot. Thank you for taking the time to explore our project!