Gwen is pulling out all the stops for a romantic dinner to save her crumbling marriage but her smart home assistant, NEXA, has other plans. When recipes go rogue and the AI starts offering unsolicited relationship analysis, Gwen begins to suspect the device her husband so lovingly integrated into their lives may have intentions of its own. As her meal prep unravels, she’s left to wonder: is it just dinner that’s ruined... or her entire life?

Director Biography - BJ Barretta

Born, raised, and based in Philadelphia, BJ Barretta is a digital-video innovator and three-time Webby winner who has driven more than 3 billion views for brands, publishers, and media companies. After earning his M.A. in Film from American University’s School of Communication, he built his reputation in non‑fiction. His first documentary, Surviving Death: A Paranormal Debate, premiered at the Philip K. Dick Film Festival, aired on PBS stations, and streamed on Hulu, Amazon, Roku, Xfinity, and Apple. Barretta produced season six of DIY Network’s I Want That and was a producer on TLC’s Toddler Bowl, then moved into digital with Discovery’s interactive doc Whale Wars: Blood & Water—an Interactive Emmy finalist and double Webby winner—plus several Shark Week projects. 

In 2016 he launched Upworthy’s brand‑video studio, picking up 34 industry awards for mini‑docs with brands such as Starbucks, Verizon, State Farm, and Capital One before rising to Head of Video. He later built Audacy Sports’ digital‑video operation, shaping strategy and content supporting 35 sports markets, including iconic stations WFAN (New York) and The Score (Chicago). 

A Quart of Salt is Barretta’s first leap into narrative filmmaking—a dark‑comedy debut that brings his human‑driven storytelling to fiction.

Director Statement

What do we sacrifice when we invite technology into the most intimate corners of our lives? AI tools and smart devices feel like seductive conveniences… until progress outruns our preparedness, leaving us naïve, exposed, and ripe for exploitation.

Rooted in non-fiction, I’m wired to capture authenticity. We shot handheld, in a single day, inside a cramped Wilmington, DE, Airbnb, letting tight walls and jittery frames pressurize the story. That vérité tension is anchored by my wife, Erica Moody, whose performance propels the viewer through every spike of anxiety. The green hue—equal parts inspired by Fincher’s Fight Club unease and an homage to The Matrix—signals that something is off before the dialogue admits it.

My hope is that A Quart of Salt leaves you laughing, unsettled, and—just maybe—a bit more aware of the devices that are always watching and listening to you.