West Coast World Premiere for Chicago Film ‘Chronic’

The World Premiere is here for an impactful Chicago-made short film. The strength of sisterhood is at the heart of director Alyssa Thordarson’s Chronic. The film will debut at the North Hollywood Cinefest in Los Angeles this Saturday, September 15th at 1 pm PST.

“I’m thrilled to kick off our Chronic festival run at North Hollywood Cinefest, marking my third outing in as many years with them,” Thordarson shared with SCREEN. “Noho was very good to my previous films, After (A Love Story) and Paper Planes, and they always curate a thoughtful, diverse, and wide-ranging slate of films in an environment that really celebrates filmmakers and fosters connection. Both our writer-star, Lydia Ellis-Curry, and our director of photography, Pouya Shahbazi, will be in attendance for our screening and I’m excited for them to represent us to Hollywood audiences at the beginning of our exhibition journey.”

Chronic is a Chicago-made short film about a woman recovering from endometriosis surgery with the help of her sister and best friend; the surgery isn’t the only thing she wrestles with as she tries to fight feelings of being left behind while her sister flourishes. Thordarson directs a script by Lydia Ellis-Curry, who also stars. Producers are Thordarson, Ellis-Curry, Clare Cooney, and Jill Oliver. Executive producer is Alan C. Strutz and Mickey O’Sullivan serves as associate producer.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here.

The film now is especially meaningful to Ellis-Curry, who wrote the script and also plays the lead role of Ruth.

“Chronic is based on my lived experience with myriad chronic illnesses; in particular, endometriosis,” she says. “After we had chosen our shoot date, I realized that March happens to be Endometriosis Awareness Month. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 folks with a uterus and in 2024 we still don’t have a basic screening process, proper testing, or widespread resources for people struggling with this debilitating disease. Laparoscopic surgery is in fact the only certain way to diagnose individuals who may have been struggling with widespread symptoms for years. I wrote Chronic to shed light on the profound loss experienced by young folks navigating their twenties with invisible illnesses. I am also proud that Chronic focuses on the bond of two sisters, normalizes queer love, and passes the Bechdel test with flying colors.”

Here are some first look screenshots from the film…

Thordarson’s bond with Ellis-Curry and her script was also a driving force behind the production. “I’ve always been drawn to stories about relationships specifically, and what I loved about Lydia’s script was the textured reality of a sibling bond as well as the frustration of feeling left behind due to circumstances beyond your control,” Thordarson shared with SCREEN. “It’s fertile ground for a short film, and having known Lydia since we were theater students together at Columbia College, I couldn’t be prouder to help bring her story to life.”

Tickets for the World Premiere can be purchased by clicking right here

As Chronic forges ahead through the festival circuit, check back here at SCREEN for updates on the film, including festival premiere dates and more. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.