I had the opportunity to talk to actor/writer/producer Lydia Ellis Curry and director Alyssa Thordarson about their short film, “Chronic,” which will premiere at the 11th Annual NOHO Cinefest 2024 on Sunday, September 15th at 1 PM. Learn more and get tickets here: https://cinefest.ticketbud.com/shorts-11.
“Chronic”: When Emma, Ruth’s sister and best friend, comes to help Ruth recover from endometriosis surgery, tensions flare and bonds are tested as Ruth struggles with feeling left behind. The film stars Lydia Ellis Curry, Shaina Schrooten, and is directed by Alyssa Thordarson.
Lydia Ellis-Curry is an actor and writer who hails from Portland, Oregon. For most of her life she has been a theatre artist and teaching artist and recently returned to Chicago to expand her career opportunities. Recent credits include Chicago Fire and the short film “Chronic,” which is her first credit as a screenwriter and producer. Lydia is so excited for “Chronic” to begin its festival journey in North Hollywood. She is proudly repped by DDO.
Alyssa Thordarson is a filmmaker, writer, and actor whose short film work has screened at 60+ festivals, including Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International, LA Shorts, Hollyshorts, and Out on Film, winning dozens of awards and finding online homes with Omeleto and Split Tooth Media; as an actor, she has appeared on CHICAGO MED, EMPIRE, THE CHI, and others. Her work explores the resilience of the human spirit and the nonlinear processes of healing. FOXHOLE, her debut feature as a writer-director, is in active development with Pigasus Pictures.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: CHRONIC came to me first as my friend Lydia’s lived experience: her frustration as her illnesses kept her from milestones and timelines she had anticipated, and her determination to live the life she dreamed of in spite of them. Her ability to find both humor and pathos in her situation is unique, and what I loved about her script is that this isn’t a “message movie.” It’s a character study of a woman at a crossroads and how her closest relationship both comforts her and throws into sharp relief all the things she still wants for herself. CHRONIC is Lydia’s emotional truth, and I believe audiences will be drawn to this story’s refreshing honesty and vulnerability — the same way I was.
