Filmmaker-Actor Todd Flaherty (“Chrissy Judy”): “You Have To Feed The Hungry Ghost”

Show Notes

Dennis is joined via Zoom from Provincetown, Massachusetts by Todd Flaherty, the writer-director-producer-editor and star of the new film Chrissy Judy. The film is about two struggling drag performers in New York City whose ride-or-die friendship is tested when one of them moves to Philadelphia to be with his boyfriend.  Todd talks about why he wanted to explore the theme of gay friendships, having virtually no experience in drag before making the movie, what it’s like to direct yourself in sex scenes and how his making the film grew out of the frustration he was feeling as an actor in New York. He also talks about how he made such a visually-striking, self-assured film with only himself and two other crew members; his brother Brendan as cinematographer and his sister-in-law on sound. Other topics include: his favorite film festival memories, why he chose to make his character Judy a occasionally irritating hot mess rather than a likable every gay, the entrepreneurial hustle of being a filmmaker, living in Provincetown year round, going to a taping of Saturday Night Live, appearing with Marisa Tomei and Bill Irwin in the upcoming film Best Place and P-town fox that was so desperate to be in show business that he crashed the set. Instagram: @toddflaherty