diff --git a/rename_and_filter.sh b/rename_and_filter.sh
index be1d3e6..f32448a 100755
--- a/rename_and_filter.sh
+++ b/rename_and_filter.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #  Extension filter:
 #  - Default: mp4
 #  - "*"    : all files
-#  - "jpg"  : only .jpg (with or without leading dot accepted, e.g., "jpg" or ".jpg")
+#  - "jpg"  : only .jpg (with or without leading dot accepted, e.g. "jpg" or ".jpg")
 #
 #  Logging:
 #    RENAME: "old_name.ext" => "new_name.ext"
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ rename_file() {
   # Guard: identical path, nothing to do
   if [[ "$src" == "$dst" ]]; then
     if (( DRY_RUN )); then
-      log "NOCHANGE (dry-run): \"$(basename "$src")\" (nothing to do)"
+      # CHANGE: add `--` so basename doesn't treat dash-prefixed names as options
+      log "NOCHANGE (dry-run): \"$(basename -- "$src")\" (nothing to do)"
     fi
     return 0
   fi
@@ -99,10 +100,12 @@ rename_file() {
   done
 
   if (( DRY_RUN )); then
-    log "RENAME: \"$(basename "$src")\" => \"$(basename "$candidate")\""
+    # CHANGE: add `--` for safe logging
+    log "RENAME: \"$(basename -- "$src")\" => \"$(basename -- "$candidate")\""
   else
     mv -v -- "$src" "$candidate" >/dev/null
-    log "RENAME: \"$(basename "$src")\" => \"$(basename "$candidate")\""
+    # CHANGE: add `--` for safe logging
+    log "RENAME: \"$(basename -- "$src")\" => \"$(basename -- "$candidate")\""
   fi
 }
 
@@ -182,7 +185,8 @@ strip_reserved() {
   local base ext token lw
   local -a parts new_parts=()
 
-  base="$(basename "$name")"
+  # CHANGE: pass `--` to basename for dash-prefixed names
+  base="$(basename -- "$name")"
   ext=""
   if [[ "$base" == *.* ]]; then
     ext=".${base##*.}"
@@ -243,15 +247,21 @@ fi
 for path in "$DIR"/$pattern; do
   [[ -f "$path" ]] || continue
 
-  orig_basename="$(basename "$path")"
+  orig_basename="$(basename -- "$path")"
 
-  # 1) remove reserved tokens from basename
-  stripped="$(strip_reserved "$orig_basename")"
+  # NEW RULE (minimal): remove ALL leading dashes before processing
+  clean_basename="$orig_basename"
+  while [[ "$clean_basename" == -* ]]; do
+    clean_basename="${clean_basename#-}"
+  done
+
+  # 1) remove reserved tokens from basename (on the cleaned name)
+  stripped="$(strip_reserved "$clean_basename")"
 
   # 2 & 3) normalize (spaces -> "_", collapse "_", trim)
   new_name="$(normalize_name "$stripped")"
 
-  # NEW: If nothing changed, do not attempt to rename at all
+  # If nothing changed, do not attempt to rename at all
   if [[ "$new_name" == "$orig_basename" ]]; then
     if (( DRY_RUN )); then
       log "NOCHANGE (dry-run): \"${orig_basename}\" (nothing to do)"