Filmmaker Statement

I've always been fascinated by the psychology of religion, especially the whacky ones. Televangelism is high on the list. The challenge as an artist is how to communicate my thoughts on the matter through film - thus the character of Tony Dufrensne was born; an unemployed paranoid schizophrenic who goes off his medication to pursue televangelism. I am less trying to make a statement about religion or mental health than I am trying to make a film that is just straight up entertaining - because I find just the premise of Tony and his rival, Bill (The televangelist) rather funny on its own. But it is worth mentioning that great care was taken with Matt (who plays Tony) to create an accurate and respectful portrayal of the disease. This short film is the first act of the feature film of the same name, which was written during the height of the Covid lock-downs. My hope is that this film perks some interest in that project - which is a pretty wild ride. I hope you enjoy!