Lucky Bastard.
✳︎
BEST B-Movie.
✳︎
Director: Iris Almaraz.
✳︎
Country: United States.
✳︎
Runtime: 00:05:00.
Lucky Bastard. ✳︎ BEST B-Movie. ✳︎ Director: Iris Almaraz. ✳︎ Country: United States. ✳︎ Runtime: 00:05:00.
Lucky Bastard
BHIFF is totally stoked to, like,TOTALLY introduce the festival winner for best B-Movie LUCKY BASTARD.
"Two friends, Joey and Tyler, have spent too many nights playing games together, each testing the limits of trust and cunning. While passing the time with cards and snacks, Tyler scratches off a lottery ticket and hits the jackpot, $500,000. Joey’s congratulations seem warm, but a darker impulse simmers beneath his smile. In a shocking instant, Joey seizes a bat and violently turns on his friend, claiming the winning ticket as his own.
In a story where everyone loses more than a simple game, it becomes impossible to know which one is lucky and which one is the bastard.
Iris Almaraz
BIOGRAPHY
Iris Almaraz earned a BFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University and an MFA in Screenwriting from Stephens College in 2025.
A three-time Sundance Writing Lab finalist. She is currently a fellow with Mentoring Latina Directors.
Director Statement
Lucky Bastard is a story about trust, greed, and the thin line between friendship and betrayal. I was drawn to the story because it examines how people behave when the stakes are high and what lengths they are willing to go to claim their own version of luck. Joey and Tyler have played too many games together, and the dynamics of rivalry and compulsion push their relationship to a violent breaking point.
For me, the film is as much about psychology as it is about action. I was inspired by grindhouse movies and their unflinching approach to suspense and shock. Since this was my first time staging a violent attack on a limited budget, I wanted to lean on the expertise of masters and pay homage to the iconic shower scene in Psycho, using tension, framing, and suggestion to create impact beyond what the budget could provide.
Watch the trailer!