Creators of the Woods Hole Film Festival Share Their Inspirations

      The Woods Hole Film Festival had an aptly layered title for a collection of vibrant, enjoyable, and creative short films: Summer Camp.

      This selection featured films that not only embraced campiness and humor but also conveyed hints of sadness, reminiscent of a long summer day. Following the block, moderator Steve Young — a festival veteran — spoke with four filmmakers about their often unexpected inspirations.

      From an ‘80s comedian to a Flannery O’Connor story, the filmmakers shared a varied and surprising array of influences.

      Here’s what they shared.

      Taylor Blackwell on ‘It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story’

      Alan Tudyk and Taylor Blackwell in “It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story,” courtesy of the Woods Hole Film Festival.

      Taylor Blackwell, an actor based in New York, hadn't known much about comedian Judy Tenuta before her passing in 2022.

      The standup comic of the '80s and “love goddess” made a name for herself with her bold, larger-than-life persona, which included playing the accordion between jokes. Blackwell's attention was captured by her obituaries, partly because she also plays the accordion.

      Blackwell wrote, directed, and stars in “It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story,” which serves as both a fantastic and heartfelt tribute to Tenuta.

      “I really discovered more about her after she passed, as I read numerous articles about her — that the ‘Aphrodite of the Accordion,’ her self-given title, had left us. I thought, ‘Who is this person?’” Blackwell remarked. “As a long-time accordion player myself, it's rare to hear about accordionists in the news, especially female ones, and that sparked my desire to learn everything about her. I began to think, ‘We have many things in common, and we sort of resemble each other, so perhaps there's something worth exploring here.’”

      Her portrayal of Tenuta is remarkably accurate, despite the comedian’s intentionally varied vocal range.

      “The higher register of her voice came naturally to me, but she does possess a lower, gravelly tone as well,” Blackwell explained. “That was much more challenging to master.”

      The film incorporates fantastical elements, such as Tenuta dating the pope, portrayed by Alan Tudyk. Blackwell noted that Tenuta's family fully endorses the project.

      “They’ve all seen it, and they allowed us to use her own costumes — and accordions,” Blackwell stated.

      Lisa Dodell on ‘Beetroot’

      Carrie Jean Henley in “Beetroot,” courtesy of the Woods Hole Film Festival.

      “Beetroot” features an outstanding performance by Carrie Jean Henley as a young woman who unexpectedly reunites with a peculiar childhood toy. While she deals with a skin condition — and the unpleasant side effects of her mother’s attempts to remedy it — visions of the toy continue to haunt her.

      Imaginative and dynamic, the film transitions from surreal to impactful as Beetroot symbolizes the childhood she's gradually leaving behind. However, Dodell mentioned that the stuffed toy central to the film isn’t based on one from her own youth.

      “I found a doll on Etsy,” Dodell shared. “I had some correspondence with the woman who makes them. It felt somewhat familiar, but I knew I had never seen it before. It was also like, ‘What in the world is that?’”

      Dodell continued: “Many find it quite scary, but to me, it represents something very spiritual. When she encounters it, it's akin to having an experience with God.”

      The Millers on ‘A Good Script Is Hard to Find’

      “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” directed by The Millers, courtesy of the Woods Hole Film Festival.

      Married duo Jeff and Mary Riche Miller, working under the name The Millers, collaborated on the wild short “A Good Script Is Hard to Find,” a meta comedy where events in a bold screenplay seem to become reality. Mary Riche Miller wrote and starred in the film, while Jeff Miller handled writing and cinematography.

      “It’s amusing because people say, ‘Oh, write what you know,’ so they assume I must have written something that only a psychopath would enjoy. That’s not entirely true; it’s close, but not quite,” Mary Riche Miller joked.

      The title references Flannery O’Connor’s Southern Gothic short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” about a family killed by a criminal called The Misfit after their vehicle crashes.

      “It’s one of my favorite stories by one of my favorite authors,” Mary Riche Miller expressed.

      She recalled that O’Connor once used an epigraph from a quote by St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “The dragon is by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you. We go to the father of souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.”

      In “A Good Script Is Hard to Find,” the