Monday Sep 19, 2022

On Air with Brandon Jay Exclusive Interview with Claire Chubbuck

On this episode the Founder of Cathartic Realism Films Claire Chubbuck stops by to share her amazing story of how to turn Tragedy into Purpose. Claire shares some of the unique projects she's working on and her views on the Metaverse. Don't miss this special episode.

Who is Claire Chubbuck?

Claire Chubbuck is an emerging female director that creates mission driven content that creates catharsis for those working on it - she calls it “Cathartic Realism”. Cathartic Realism is a genre where artists tell the story of their personal traumas to find healing through catharsis.

A take on the “true story” trope, this genre allows artists to depict their truths - the way it felt to them, but with an ending where you win for the purpose of cathartic release. The only way we can let it go is to feel it. She works with actors to use the traumatic events in their lives to make art.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Claire Chubbuck is the daughter of internationally celebrated acting coach, Ivana Chubbuck, and award-winning director/producer, the late Lyndon Chubbuck.

After going to Scripps College in 2007 for Economics, she graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with honors (recipient of the Founders Award) and a BFA in Filmmaking in 2012. Straight out of the gate she worked at AMC Networks as a Programming and Scheduling executive. While working there, Claire began creating short form content for SundanceTV’s International channels that was broadcast worldwide.

In 2013, Claire worked as a producer on “Pussy Riot: The Movement”, the first comprehensive film that tells the full story - from arrest through release from prison and beyond - of the remarkable women who defied a strongman, survived Russian prisons and rallied the world behind them. The documentary also examines the perversion of the Russian Constitution by ex-KGB officer and President Vladimir Putin.

In 2014, Claire moved to Participant Media, whose films include Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth, Food, Inc., Waiting for ‘Superman’, The Help, Contagion and Lincoln. There she worked to launch a linear television network, Pivot.

In 2015, Claire found her fiancé dead of tragic circumstances and, in one second, everything changed. Since then, she has been trying to help other people find an explanation for their traumas - enough to move forward without shame - with a unique community of artists that want to create. She found this community when she began teaching at Ivana Chubbuck Studios. As a teacher, she has found great pleasure in being part of inspiring others, many to great success.

After spending time teaching, Claire reemerged with a new directorial debut in 2019 with ‘how I lost my virginity’, a short film detailing her best friend’s real-life experience of kidnapping and rape - intended to provide catharsis while looking at the systematic problem that allow for the victims of sexual assault to far outweigh the perpetrators.

In 2020, “how I lost my virginity” won over 17 awards and was shown at several high-profile film festivals including Beverly Hills Film Festival, Chain Film Festival, Santa Monica International Film Festival, SF Indie Fest, Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival, Marina del Rey Film Festival, among others. Claire personally won “Best Direction” at the Best Shorts Competition in addition “Best First Time Director” at Canadian Cinematography Awards, New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA), and Top Shorts Awards. The first theatrical showing of the short was at Marina del Rey Film Festival, where the short won the Audience Award for “Best Short”.

During the quarantine of 2021, Claire made an experimental film called (Corona) Viral Monologues, which had it’s theatrical premiere at the Chinese Theater as part of the Silicon Beach Film Festival, where we were awarded the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short. This hour long special won “Best Artistic Film” at the Atlanta Award-Qualifying Film Festival 2022, “Best Narrative” at the Washington Film Festival, was a semi-finalist for “Best Ensemble” and “Best Experimental Film” at the Los Angeles Film Awards, and was an official selection for the Global Indie Film Awards. Claire also won Vegas Movie Award’s Prestige Award for “Best Female Filmmaker” for this film.

Claire currently has 2 short films in post-production, 2 short films in pre-production, and a feature film in development.

On Air with Brandon Jay Exclusive Interview with Claire Chubbuck

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