THE INTERVIEW
Mars, 2024
CATHERINE CONNOR DUFF
DIRECTOR OF THE SLATE
BEST ACTRESS
Katherine, tell us a bit more about yourself. Where does your desire to be an actress come from?
I grew up watching classic films: Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. These four masters among others inspired me to want to be a filmmaker, writer and actress. The actress I connected most with as a child was Katharine Hepburn; she was so unapologetically herself- and electric to watch on the screen. She brought every scene to life with wit and relentless professionalism. Seeing her, I knew that there was nothing I would rather do than what she achieved.
What is your background?
I grew up in San Francisco, living in a rather dangerous neighborhood at the time, while going to school in one of the richest. It gave me a unique perspective on the world, seeing both sides of the coin from a young age. It definitely inspired me to be an actress and writer- both professions are ultimately about understanding dichotomies and trying to understand and master as many perspectives as possible.
Katherine you won Honorable Mention for Best Actress at the RED Movie Awards, what does that mean to you?
Better an Honorable Mention than a Dishonorable Mention, I always say! In all seriousness, thrilled to have been awarded and very grateful to the whole team at the Red Movie Awards.
There’s a real sense of mise en abyme in this project, with an actress filming herself for an audition. You’re filming your film in a very realistic manner. Did you draw inspiration from your own life?
My film THE SLATE was based on a domestic argument I found accidentally recorded on my self tape camera- I thought it would make for a great short film, where reality is blurred à la cinéma vérité style of the new wave films of the 1960s, from which I draw a lot of inspiration. I wanted to convey raw authenticity, the unsuccessful balance of career and relationship, and remove the line between fiction and fact. As an actress in LA, I also wanted to explore the audition method where we film so many self tapes using our own homes, our own equipment, and our own readers, in my case, an uncooperative boyfriend.
What was the biggest challenge in this shooting?
The shoot itself was a breeze. I acted, wrote, and directed it, so I was very easy to work with! Jokes aside, my co-star Jon Cody was incredible throughout the process, my producer Judyth Daley was a lifesaver, and my father was invaluable as an editor on my writing, as he always is. The biggest challenge however was creating enough distance between what really happened and the story itself.
Do you have an anecdote to share with us in particular?
You are both an actress and a director on this project. Isn’t it too complicated to wear both hats on one project?
While it is challenging to separate yourself and judge your performance impartially as a director, I find the more I am involved in a project, the more I care and the more I have to lose. Having created this project from its infancy made me put all my energy and love into it- when that happens, it’s less of a chore and more of a labor of love. I thrive wearing many hats- and hats are very fashionable anyway.
You are both an actress and a director on this project. Isn’t it too complicated to wear both hats on one project?
While it is challenging to separate yourself and judge your performance impartially as a director, I find the more I am involved in a project, the more I care and the more I have to lose. Having created this project from its infancy made me put all my energy and love into it- when that happens, it’s less of a chore and more of a labor of love. I thrive wearing many hats- and hats are very fashionable anyway.
What is your next project?
As an actress, I have a movie that will be coming out later this year about the dangers of cults. As a writer, I am completing a 60 minute drama pilot about the 1930s Dustbowl in the Midwestern United States. Two more short films are in the works, part of my “Industry Series” of which THE SLATE is one- DINER THEATRE concerns four theatre actors in Manhattan which is being produced later this spring, and PAY DEFERRED is about extras on set in Los Angeles, which will be produced later in the fall.
