Pay Deferred (2025)
Written / Directed / Executive Produced by Katherine Connor Duff
Produced by Joanna DeCastro, Amy Cosby & Serena Laney
Cinematography by Steven Mangurten
Edited by Patrick Devaney
Imani Woodley, Steph Martinez, Kristin Wetenkamp, Cameron Case & Sarah Casey in Pay Deferred (2025).
Logline: Three female extras fight to get a speaking part on the set of a horror movie.
Genre: Satirical Dark Comedy / Industry Farce / Meta Short
Tone: Acerbic. Witty. Unforgiving.
Runtime: 16 minutes
TRAILER
WHY I MADE IT:
During turbulent times, I chose to write, direct, and produce a madcap comedy that skewers the entertainment industry and pokes fun not only of the people that inhabit it, but myself as well.
Pay Deferred is my love-hate letter to Hollywood; a satire born from heartbreak. My rage isn’t just punchlines - it comes from a proximity to power, the ache of being so close to mattering. It skewers women’s roles in the industry, gatekeeping, and survivalism in the Hollywood food chain.
Mined from my personal experience and many of my fellow artists, the piece is voice-forward, feminine, and unafraid of ugliness. Ariella, Tracy, and Jane aren’t just caricatures. They are you, me, and every woman in LA who’s been told to wait her turn.
AWARDS:
BEHIND THE SCENES
STILLS:
