The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris Hadley

This week, The Viewfinder Podcast continues its focus on the 2026 Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival as we explore two totally different but nonetheless spectacular Louisiana-made movies. 

First is the critically acclaimed, very funny and very raunchy musical comedy/thriller Peeping Todd, which won the festival's Best Louisiana Feature award and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play. 

Peeping Todd is directed by Josh Munds (who wrote its wacky original songs) and stars Chris Alan Evans (who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Munds) in the title role of a lovestruck stalker who zealously plots and plans to win the heart of his beautiful but romantically frustrated neighbor Claire (played by Mabel Thomas) no matter the danger, the humiliation, the pain - be it physical or emotional or both - or even the legal consequences. 

Next comes the eerie short sci-fi satire Hivemind Deluxe, written and directed by Evans, which takes a haunting yet highly thought-provoking look at a young woman - Rae, played by Maddie Nichols - fighting to resist the manipulative power of an unearthly force that gives her the chance to live an all too perfect life, only for that opportunity to come at the devastating expense of her individual freedom. 

Both films also feature the outstanding original music of composer Bence Farkas, who in addition to orchestrating the unforgettable and zany tunes heard in Peeping Todd, created an equally strong dramatic score for the film that plays to its most comedic and most suspenseful qualities. 

Meanwhile for Hivemind Deluxe, Farkas took on a more psychological approach built around the movie's futuristic atmospherics, the terror and trauma of an alien abduction experience, and the high cost of blindly believing the unbelievable in a universe where, due to politicians, media influencers and messianic cult leaders, the truth is no longer something that's undisputed.

Find out more about Peeping Todd on its official web site:https://www.peepingtoddmovie.com/

Watch The Viewfinder Podcast on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastWithChrisH 

Listen to the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74f0gQbYgsQHlCHEucUWjA 

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-viewfinder-podcast-with-chris-hadley/id1465499690 

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Show logo designed by Matison Leblanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

Written and directed by Trevor Poole, the emotional dramedy Dead Air puts a would-be standup comic - Joey, played by Wesley Boone - in a crisis that’s no laughing matter: having to pay tribute to his best friend while under enormous pressure to not be funny.

Struggling to be respectful yet desperately craving to crack a joke or two about his fallen buddy in front of his grieving family and friends, Joey tries to honor their wishes, but will he find the right words to honor the pal he’s lost, and will he do both with his dignity and his sense of humor intact?

Dead Air recently played at the Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival, and on this week’s show I’m proud to welcome three members of the amazing team that helped bring Dead Air to life: Poole, Boone (who also co-produced and edited the movie), and the film’s colorist and lighting tech, Tre Wilson. 

Watch The Viewfinder Podcast on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastWithChrisH 

Listen to the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74f0gQbYgsQHlCHEucUWjA 

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-viewfinder-podcast-with-chris-hadley/id1465499690 

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

On Instagram: @TheViewfinderPodcast 

On TikTok: @TheViewfinderPodcast 

Show logo designed by Matison Leblanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

On this week's show, we're joined by Miguel Angel Ferrer, the writer/director of the critically acclaimed, award-winning drama THE SHADOW OF THE SUN.

Selected by Ferrer's home country Venezuela as its official entry for Best International Feature Film for the 2024 Oscars, its story follows two brothers - one, an ex-singer now struggling to pay the bills (Leo, played by Carlos Manuel Gonzalez); the other, his deaf younger sibling (Alex, played by newcomer Anyelo Lopez) whose songwriting talent may hold the key to a better life for both of them, but only if they work together to achieve it.

THE SHADOW OF THE SUN is now streaming on various platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and YouTube Movies.

Watch The Viewfinder Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastwithChrisH

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod

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On Instagram: @TheViewfinderPodcast

On TikTok: @TheViewfinderPodcast

Show logo designed by Matison LeBlanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

On this week's all-new episode of The Viewfinder Podcast, we're joined by another member of the brilliant ensemble cast of AMC's THE VAMPIRE LESTAT and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: actor Gopal Divan, who portrays the mysterious scientist/physician Dr. Fareed Bhansali.

Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastwithChrisH

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74f0gQbYgsQHlCHEucUWjA

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-viewfinder-podcast-with-chris-hadley/id1465499690

Follow Gopal on Instagram: @GopalDivan

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On TikTok: @theviewfinderpodcast

On Instagram: @TheViewfinderPodcast

Show logo designed by Matison LeBlanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

Shot entirely on 16mm film, the evocative documentary UNSEEN OLYMPIAD takes an emotional look at the journeys of young athletes from around the world as years of preparation and struggle lead to moments where victory and defeat are measured not just by effort but also by heart.

Directed by Casey Shaw, who first joined us last year to talk about his remarkable analog-shot character drama ALMOST FORGOT HOW TO SWIM, UNSEEN OLYMPIAD was filmed in 2023 at the Winter and Summer World University Games, and earlier this year it played during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina as part of the event’s Cultural Olympiad.

The film will next screen at the upcoming Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival on Saturday, August 29th at the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It’ll be shown back-to-back alongside fellow documentary THE SIGHT UNSEEN, beginning at 11 AM Central Time.

To purchase a pass or an individual ticket for the festival, visit The Manship Theatre's web site:

⁠https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/batonrougeundergroundfilmfest-er67h-pptxj-5aeyc⁠

For more information about Shaw's production company Shawscope, visit:

⁠https://shawscope.com/⁠

Shawscope's YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@shawscope/⁠

Shawscope's Vimeo channel: ⁠https://vimeo.com/shawscope⁠

Watch The Viewfinder Podcast on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastwithChrisH⁠

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast⁠

On TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@theviewfinderpodcast⁠

On Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/@TheViewfinderPodcast⁠

Show logo designed by Matison LeBlanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

This week's Viewfinder Podcast brings you a conversation with the brilliant, lovely and talented actor/writer/filmmaker Azizi Donnelly (LADIES IN BLACK, BABYLON).

Follow Azizi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azizi__donnelly/

On iMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9566599/

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: https://www.x.com/ViewfinderPod

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On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@TheViewfinderPodcast

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

Show logo designed by Matison LeBlanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

On this week's edition of The Viewfinder Podcast. we talk to filmmakers Emmalie El Fadli (co-writer/director) and Hansof Waller (co-writer/producer) of the acclaimed queer short film comedy YOU AND ME MAKES THREE, now on the festival circuit and set for a wide release soon.Find out more about the film on its social media pages:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youandmemakesthreefilm/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youandmemakesthreefilmFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561381770336X: https://x.com/YouMeThreeFilmOn iMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt40311690/Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X: https://x.com/ViewfinderPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheViewfinderPodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@TheViewfinderPodcast Show logo designed by Matison LeBlancAnnouncer: Erik Woods

This week, The Viewfinder Podcast brings you a chat with the writer/director of charming Canadian indie romantic comedy MIDDLE LIFE, Pavan Moondi.

For more info on MIDDLE LIFE, visit its web site:

https://middlelifefilm.com/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middlelifefilm

Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheViewfinderPodcast

On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theviewfinderpodcast

Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheViewfinderPodcastWithChrisH

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74f0gQbYgsQHlCHEucUWjA

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-viewfinder-podcast-with-chris-hadley/id1465499690

Show logo designed by Matison Leblanc

Announcer: Erik Woods

With nods to seminal coming-of-age movies like John Hughes’ FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF and Richard Linklater’s DAZED AND CONFUSED, writer/director Gregory Pellerito’s MOMENTS OF YOUTH (now on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms) takes a funny, adventurous and sometimes bittersweet look at one extraordinary day in the lives of a group of high school seniors - a day where frantic yet friendly competition leads to hijinks, hilarity and ultimately, self-discovery. Pellerito joins us to talk about the film on this week's show.Find out more about MOMENTS OF YOUTH on its official web site:https://jackpotpix.com/moments-of-youth/moments-of-youth-new/MOMENTS OF YOUTH's social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Moments-of-Youth/61588343952471/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momentsofyouth_movie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moymovie2026Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPod On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcastOn Instagram: @TheViewfinderPodcast On TikTok: @TheViewfinderPodcast Show logo designed by Matison LeBlancAnnouncer: Erik Woods

This week, writer/director Alexis Lloyd takes The Viewfinder Podcast through the making of one of his most revealing and most unique projects - the improvised group therapy drama GROUP: THE SCHOPENHAUER EFFECT. Adapted from Lloyd's acclaimed web series GROUP, the feature film's ensemble includes eight actors, including Tony nominee Thomas Sadoski (THE NEWSROOM, WILD, LIFE IN PIECES, and Lloyd's 2012 anthology 30 BEATS), in a fascinating and at times intense series of loosely scripted "sessions" held by real life psychiatrist Dr. Elliot Zeisel. Find out more about the film on its official web site: https://www.groupthefilm.com/ And on its Instagram page: @group_tse Follow The Viewfinder Podcast on X @ViewfinderPodOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheViewfinderPodcast On Instagram: @TheViewfinderPodcast On TikTok: @TheViewfinderPodcast Show logo designed by Matison LeblancAnnouncer: Erik Woods