Claudia Bailey is an award-winning writer and director. They make work celebrating queerness and aim to tell stories that can facilitate change and create tangible impact to better the lives of LGTBQIA+ young folk. They’re also one of the most modest people about.
Here are a few extra things to know:
• Claud graduated from AFTRS in 2019 as the recipient of the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Award.
• Claud wrote their AFTRS graduation film, SUNBURN, which won Best Screenplay in the prestigious and richest LGBTQIA+ awards in Australia, ‘My Queer Career’ for Mardi Gras Film Festival , Australians in Film AFTRS Selects showcase. The film screened at numerous festivals (MIFF, CinefestOZ, Flickerfest +) and is currently streaming on ABC iView.
• Their latest short, RIGHT HERE, (starring Audrey Mason-Hyde and Zoe Terakes) had its Australian Premiere at Sydney Film Festival as a Dendy Finalist and was nominated for Best Screenwriter Finalist at CinefestOZ.
• They were one of thirteen international recipients to be awarded Inside Out RE:Focus Fund.
• Recently, Claud was awarded the inaugural Wear it Purple Arts and Culture Fellowship for 2023, where they’ll produce a new yearly grant FOR and BY LGBTQIA+ young people.
• Claud is currently giving us the wrap from New York where their film has screened at NewFest!
It’s little wonder why I’m thrilled a humble Claud put aside time to share what this start to their career has really been like.
“ Directors who value the voices of others over their singular vision are making authentic work.”
What is something you’re glad is becoming more ‘mainstream’ in our industry, Claud?
I’m not sure if it’s mainstream yet but at least within my own circles or people I look up to – ethical filmmaking that is collaborative and dismantles the archaic hierarchy of the auteur theory.
The role of the director has been built on this idea of auteurship – that a director has a singular vision of the film in which they are the god-like leader of.
Top of the food chain shit.This is problematic when you look at directors who are making work about minority groups that they are not a part of.
They might’ve got on a consultant but really – they are hiring someone for a few days, taking their knowledge and then keeping the power for themselves.However, when I look around I’m seeing directors who are shifting the power dynamics. They are making the participants involved co-directors or working with cultural safety officers throughout the entire production.
These directors are prioritising the safety and wellbeing of their crew/cast and subject matter. I’m talking about directors like Sophie Hyde, Maya Newell, Genieveve Clay-Smith, Katrina Irawati Graham – the list goes on.
It is up to the director to shift this culture. Authenticity is born in safe spaces. Directors who value the voices of others over their singular vision are making authentic work.
Take us back to young Claud - What world were they in and what was in their world?
Young Claud went to a Catholic All-Girls school and was watching the Twilight Behind-the-Scenes on repeat. Big lofty dreams of moving to New York and being a famous filmmaker.
They also desperately wanted a boyfriend – which is now hilarious to me cause I’m very very gay.
What piece of art impacted a young Claud?
So much. I think it was the introduction itself to art that impacted young Claud the most.
I clearly remember being sixteen and finding my own taste for the first time. Finding my favourite books that have all stood the test of time. Falling in love with cinema.
Finding artists I loved and going to their live gigs and buying their records. It absolutely was the foundation for building my personhood.The burning desire to consume as much art as possible, to sink my teeth into new things. That hunger impacted young Claud the most and I often channel young Claud to continue to be curious.
Your work often centres the perspective of queer youth from conception to final product. Thinking of ‘Sunburn’ to ‘Right Here’ I adore the joy that is an undercurrent across all your films.
Can you elaborate on what this is for you as a film maker and personally?
Hand-in-hand with great suffering is great beauty. Our ability as humans to experience pain and joy simultaneously is a marvel to me. Recently, I met someone with a tattoo of the word ‘maybe’ on their arm. I’m going to absolutely butcher the story behind it, but essentially it’s from this old proverb:
A man’s son breaks both his legs and the entire town runs to the man and says ‘oh it’s awful that this has happened to your on, he cannot work anymore’. The man replies ‘maybe’.
Then the war comes and many young men are conscripted. However, the man’s son cannot go as he has broken legs.
The town runs to the man and says, ‘oh this is so great that your son doesn’t have to go to war because he broke his legs!’. The man responds ‘maybe’.
I don’t envy any casting director. An already tough job is the first thing pointed to when it comes to needing a big change and the last place most people will experience being at the helm of. You’ve had this rare experience.
Can you share how you nailed casting for ‘Right Here’ and what work is involved in getting it right?
‘RIGHT HERE’ is a non binary story. I’m non binary and I wrote it.
The two main characters were both enbys too. So that was a non-negotiable from day one. As it always should be.
Casting the older role was very easy because I wrote the part for my best mate who is also my favourite actor. However, casting Grace, a teenage enby, took some more work.We did a nation-wide call-out on social media to find a 15-18 year old non binary, trans or gender queer teenager. We got queer youth-focused organisations to share the post around and received over 50 auditions. From here, we had so many incredible options for who to cast as Grace but ended up going with the very talented and wise, Audrey Mason-Hyde.
I’ve told you this story as finding the right people for your project only takes an extra 10% of energy and time – and it is always worth it.
Cast your net wide. Make it accessible. Think about how to get it in front of the right eyes and groups. Don’t just pop up an ad on Starnow or Instagram.
Do that extra 10% and it always be worth it.
Also it goes without saying – make sure you’re connected to the subject matter and community your project is about on a personal level. Consultancy isn’t enough, it is exploitative by its nature.
Your trajectory has been acknowledged by peers and industry bodies, but when was a time you thought
“Yep. I have found my place”.
I feel grateful that people respect me as a filmmaker but I’ve never based my own self worth on it. Being acknowledged by peers and bodies is great – but if you are chasing it, it can compromise why you’re making your work.
However, finding my place has been a longer journey that is tightly connected to working out who I am as a filmmaker but most importantly, as a human.
“The more I work out my values and why I wish to make work – the more I find my place in the industry. “
As a rule of thumb, I want to genuinely like everyone I work with – as human beings and creatives.
To answer your question though, I had a very nice moment the other day.
I was in the car and got a call from a producer friend who was asking for recommendations for cheap cinemas in Sydney and I actually could help – because I knew things… wow.
What’s a habit or mindset you’re finding useful and think new players should adopt?
To take my time. I’m in no rush to succeed anything by a certain age.
I have belief in myself and my career – and I don’t wish to rush the process. It’s kind of like meeting someone who you know you’re gonna be in love with someday.
You know you’ll get there. But you don’t want to rush all the beautiful early days of getting to know each other and building trust. That’s how I feel about my career trajectory. I know I’ll get there so I want to take my time and enjoy every moment.
It Sunday morning. The schedule for next week is chockers.
You’ve screamed in the pillow...
What do you do next to keep zen and moving forward?
I remind myself that I will get everything done. I always do. Stressing about it doesn’t help anyone. I remember on the set of my first film, ‘Cherry’, I was extremely stressed out. I couldn’t sleep or eat weeks before the shoot. I was producing and directing – a lethal combo…
On the last day of shooting, my friend’s mum (who’s house we were shooting at) pulled me aside and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told her that it was this, filmmaking. And then she said, “well you better start enjoying it”. And sometimes the most simple advice is the most helpful as I carry it around with me to this day.
What the heck is the point of me doing all of this if I’m not enjoying myself?!
I have to remind myself to have fun. And it works! Getting out of my own head and looking around always inspires me.
Where will this cannon of work by Claudia Bailey lead us next ?
I have a big project on the horizon that I’ve been patiently waiting to start.
I had a really tough start to the year and so wanted to wait until the dust had settled before throwing myself into this new project, my biggest undertaking yet. I cannot really say anything but that is where I’ll be focusing most of my energy.The other extremely exciting thing is my Arts and Culture Leader Fellowship with Wear it Purple.
Essentially, for the entirirty of 2023, I get to work with Wear it Purple to develop their entire arts and culture program by creating a new annual grant FOR and BY LGBTQIA+ young people to make art.
Plus, they’ve also given me $20k to bring RIGHT HERE, to schools all around Australia!
So a pretty big year ahead. I’m very excited.
Anything else you’d like to add / scream out to the industry?
Don’t be a dick!
Claudia, you’re terrific. Thank you for sharing and making time from across the pond, reminding us to never forget about the beauty and power in short films and for not being a dick.
That’s The Wrap On Claudia Bailey folks!
You can keep an eye out for Claudias work on here or follow all their adventures on instagram. Claudia recommends:
Recently saw… : Okay bear with me… Yes Man.
I watched it the other night and I actually think it stands up. It’s about saying yes in life BUT THEN – knowing when to say no. Wow. Huge stuff.Someone whose work excites you: Maya Newell!
An amazing doco-director that is extremely collaborative in her process, which means she makes genuinely heartfelt docos that have the ability to open audiences hearts and create real change through empathy. Check out: In My Blood it Runs, Gayby Baby, Dreamlife of Georgie StoneSong that sums you up this season?
‘Constant Surprises’ by Little Dragon