Q&A with Filmmakers Clare Austen-Smith, Sofia Dobrushin

Sep 21

Sofia Dobrushin is a Brooklyn-based, Bay Area-raised multidisciplinary artist focused on comedy and film. After earning a BFA in Acting with a Directing concentration, she booked a role on HBO’s High Maintenance, sparking opportunities across stage, screen, and behind the camera. A 2023 Ars Nova CAMP resident, she develops original comedic work with Catherine Bloom. Her directing has screened at Brooklyn Women’s Film Festival, Austin Comedy Short Film Festival, and more. Sofia continues creating as a director, actor, and producer uplifting Queer, BIPOC, and female-centered stories

This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series

What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?

Clare: The idea essentially came to me fully formed. I had a note on my phone with the basics that I jotted down but I just knew how it began, how it ended, who Miranda was, everything. Rarely do ideas show up so fully formed like that, so I felt I had to honor it by making it. Sofia: The first time I met Clare we knew wanted to make something together. Having shit myself at Herald Square at one point in my life and going through that true chaos — as well as other gut health issues — reading the combination of the intense scenes and heightened comedic moments spoke to me.

What was your favorite part of making your film? Memories from the process?

Sofia: Arriving to the park to film and it was off leash hour and its what I assume "All Dogs go to Heaven" looks like. So many doodles in Carhartts. Clare: On our first day onset, we were shooting in a swanky apartment in Bushwick, and the toilet got clogged within two hours. A PA had to run out and buy a plunger.

What was a big challenge you faced while making this film?

Our biggest challenge was filming our scene with the prop gun. We had to get last minute insurance, patch together multiple locations, and get incredibly creative with Molly pretending to be holding the gun versus actually holding the gun when we could shoot with it. You can't tell right? Right?

Films are lasting artistic legacies; what do you want yours to say?

Sofia: A freak in the cinematic sheets. Clare: That I had a banging body and an amazing intellect.

Can you talk about the festival experience? How does it feel to have your film selected?

Sofia: Amazing. We filmed so much of our film here in Bushwick. I've really developed myself as artist while living in Bushwick for the last 9 years. Clare: It's really cool to be able to screen our film at a festival that takes place where we literally made it.

What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?

Sofia: Coconut water, expired probiotics, and food I forgot about. Clare: Tofu, iced coffee that has been brewing for so long it's lethal, and kimchi.

This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series

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