Filmmaker Profile: Megan Chumbley
Megan Chumbley
Megan Chumbley is an up-and-coming queer director who likes to make an audience squirm. Good Grief, a dark comedy short film about a dysfunctional family in the aftermath of a suicide, audiences in laughter and tears. Baby Yoga, a horror comedy short starring lots of pregnant women, garnered attention at BEYONDFEST 2023 for its “hilarious and disturbing” imagery. Their dark comedy Pool Party——about a trans woman combating microaggressions——captured hearts at OUTFEST and NewFest 2023. The Current, a short film about sexual violation told from the POV of the assailant, premiered at Woodstock Film Festival 2022 and received the Audience Award at Boundless Film Festival.
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?
There was a suicide in my family and I felt inspired to tell a story that captured the myriad of ways in which people respond to such a shocking and unfathomable death. I think that most people going about their lives avoid "big feelings" and I think that it is especially true with suicide– it's a lot easier to act like nothing happened rather than face the emotional reality of the situation.
What was your favorite part of making your film? Memories from the process?
My favorite part of the process was shooting it. We filmed the entire short in two days and had such a great collaborative energy on set. Even during the more heightened emotional scenes we were able to maintain a positive and collaborative working environment.
What was a big challenge you faced while making this film?
We have a large cast of really great actors and I would say the biggest challenge was putting the puzzle pieces together of the casting process and casting people who looked and felt like they were related.
How do you approach storytelling in your films? What’s your process for developing a script or concept?
I always start with an image or a line of dialogue and then word vomit ideas on a notes app on my phone– then I start going through the notes and try to make sense of the story and go from there.
Can you talk about the festival experience? How does it feel to have your film selected?
It is so exciting to be a part of Bushwick Film Festival this year– this will be our New York premiere and we are so grateful and excited to share this story with audiences in New York.
Megan Chumbley’s Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series.
