Filming on Stubborn Beast kicks off in Savannah, GA, as Scout Tafoya and Tucker Johnson assemble a seasoned cast and seek partners after a successful crowdfunding effort
The independent feature Stubborn Beast has moved from announcement to production, with shooting slated to take place in Savannah, GA. Directed by critics-turned-filmmakers Scout Tafoya and Tucker Johnson, the film will capture a single fraught holiday in the life of a fractured household. Production is scheduled to begin on April 28 and to wrap in mid-May, keeping the shoot compact and focused.
This project brings together performers from both film and digital spheres and pairs them with a creative team that blends critical writing and genre filmmaking. Backers rallied around an initial crowdfunding drive to get the camera rolling, and the producers are currently pursuing additional financial partners and a distribution plan to ensure the film finds an audience beyond its festival run.
Stubborn Beast follows a group of step-siblings and divorced adults as they confront grief and interpersonal strain over a difficult holiday. At the narrative center is a returning grad student, played by Sam Clifford, who comes home expecting a private conversation and instead discovers that her mother is absent. Left with only her stepfather, Stephen, portrayed by Paul F. Tompkins, the two characters are forced to navigate emotional truths without the moderating presence of the household matriarch. The film emphasizes intimate, character-driven conflict and the uneasy terrain of family obligations in the absence of a stabilizing figure.
The ensemble combines familiar faces from television, streaming, and independent film. Paul F. Tompkins (known for Lodge 49 and Bojack Horseman) headlines as Stephen. Meredith Salenger (credited for Star Wars: Tales of the Empire and The Journey of Natty Gann) joins the principal cast alongside Sam Clifford (appearing in Cape Fear on Apple TV+), Bill Corbett (of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax), Lorelai Linklater (known for Boyhood and American Trash), and Autumn Noel, who brings experience from vertical dramas such as The Words and Baby Please! Don’t Come Home for Christmas. Casting choices emphasize actors with range in both comedy and drama to balance the film’s tonal shifts.
Among the principal parts, Sam Clifford anchors the narrative as the graduate student whose return catalyzes the story, while Paul F. Tompkins anchors the domestic side as the stepfather Stephen. Supporting performances from Bill Corbett and Lorelai Linklater expand the family dynamic, and Meredith Salenger and Autumn Noel add depth with their varied screen resumes. Agency representation for the talent includes UTA for Tompkins, Authentic Talent & Literary Management for Salenger, Privelege Talent for Clifford, and Key for Noel. A public photo credit for Salenger appears courtesy of Nick Holmes.
The film is being produced under the banner of Honors Zombie Films, the production company co-run by Tafoya and Johnson. Alongside them, producers include Meredith Salenger, Paul F. Tompkins, Sean U’Ren, Thomas Hedges, Ben Lebermann, and Ryan Harrison Warnberg. Executive producing duties are handled by Mark Pellington, whose credits include The Mothman Prophecies and forthcoming titles This is Buzz and Lone Wolf. The team aims for a lean shoot schedule in Savannah, taking advantage of local locations while keeping production concentrated within the announced window.
Tafoya and Johnson come to this feature with a mix of essay filmmaking and genre work: their previous titles include Eyam and Hang the Pale Bastard, and they have produced critical video essays such as The End of History examining the influence of Ridley and Tony Scott. Tafoya is also the author of books on filmmakers John Ford and Tobe Hooper and created the acclaimed video series The Unloved for RogerEbert.com. Both directors describe this project as a milestone that brings their passions for criticism and narrative filmmaking together, and they have emphasized the collaborative trust of a cast and crew willing to work within a modest independent framework.
Following a successful crowdfunding initiative that seeded initial production needs, the producers are actively seeking additional equity and distribution partners to support post-production, festival plans, and wider release. The team has expressed optimism that with finishing funds and a distribution deal in place, Stubborn Beast can move from the Savannah shoot into a festival circuit and beyond, leveraging the directors’ critical profiles and the cast’s diverse credits to attract attention.