An irreverent romantic dramedy about a gay man who falls in love with his dead mother’s hospice nurse, while struggling to reconcile with his elderly father…who’s secretly a porn director.
What inspired you to start making films?
I can’t remember ever really wanting to do anything else. I grew up in Hollywood and I’ve always adored films, and depended on them. I’ve been a professional actor for over a decade, and while it’s been an amazing ride so far, I got to a point where I didn’t want to rely on other people to determine my value as an artist. I wanted to have a lot more agency over the kind of roles I play and the kind of stories I tell. It’s been so empowering to build a creative team with a shared vision and a deeply felt enthusiasm for one another. I’m so thankful for all the remarkable people on both sides of the camera who made this project as beautiful as it’s turned out to be.
Were there any challenges in making this project?
Of course! There are always plenty of challenges. But it was so thrilling to find a way through them. We had a lot of noisy wind on our very first morning filming Johnny and Edward on the park bench, which really affected the sound. But we got an incredible post-production sound mixer who solved all the noise issues. We were originally supposed to have two scenes with Johnny and Edward in the park and then two in a bar, but it was so tough to find a bar location that wouldn’t stretch our budget and force our crew to do a hectic company move. So at the last minute, I rewrote the scenes to all take place in the park, which not only saved us a lot of time and money, but I think it also makes the whole sequence a lot more romantic, and it allowed us to end with them watching the sunset on the lake as the geese fly by. A very happy turn of events.
Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
It’s been so thrilling to watch audiences go through a range of emotions – people have told me they were crying, and then started laughing a second later, which is so rewarding to hear. I want every audience to have their own experience, but some of the main thematic questions of the pilot are – How do I live more intentionally, knowing I’m going to die someday? How can I tell a more affirming story about my parent and myself? Is there beauty on the other side of grief? How can I lean into joy, without running away from sorrow and heartache? Is there ever a wrong time to fall in love?
How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
It’s a great honor! This is our third big LA film festival in a row! We started at Dances With Films, which programs only independent content; then we were at Outfest, which was all LGBTQ+ content; and now we’re at HollyShorts, which of course programs only short-form content. So it’s been really exciting to be a part of all those different communities and to present a project that speaks to such a variety of audiences. I’m so excited to hear people react to “” and to meet so many other amazing filmmakers, and to watch their films.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I do a lot of work in the theatre, so I hope to be back on stage again soon! And I have a handful of feature screenplays I’m excited to move into development once the strike is over. And “For Years to Come” has more festivals coming up in the fall, which we’ll announce soon! We’re all so excited to find the right collaborators with whom to make a full season of this show!
Thank you to James for taking the time to talk! All of these amazing films, as well as all others from the 19th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival will be available in person, at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Los Angeles on their scheduled nights throughout the festival. Tickets for the festival, as well as the screening schedule, can be found here. They can also be viewed digitally, with tickets available on BitPix.
BITPIX TV News 