Brian and Jeff welcome director/writer/producer BT Meza to discuss his new film Affection, released in theaters May 8 and on video on demand June 5.

Meza connects horror and joy through his love of watching horror, recounts early influences like reading Pet Sematary and Jaws and watching The Exorcist, and explains how he began making work by constantly photographing and filming, including music videos.

He describes getting Affection made through supporter collaboration, producer Austin Walk’s advocacy, and persistence through pandemic delays.

The conversation highlights filmmaking’s collaborative demands, Affection’s blend of sci‑fi and horror rooted in plausible technology, and its commitment to practical effects created by Slither effects artist Dan Rebert with no CGI.

Meza discusses the three-character cast (Ellie, Bruce, Alice), themes of memory, identity, grief, and a tension driven by Bruce’s need for certainty.

Affection