Clinical
After meeting in their therapist's office, two women battling their own mental health issues form an unlikely friendship when one helps the other confront a pregnancy scare.
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Lauren CiaravalliDirectorLove Daily
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Lauren CiaravalliWriterLove Daily
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Grayson PropstProducerMillenium Girl
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Kahyun KimKey Cast"Alina"Cocaine Bear, American Gods
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Sarah Jes AustellKey Cast"Hayley"Looserville
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Kalilah RobinsonCinematographerAmerican Murderer
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Mario FierroEditorA Place In The Field
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Hayley RosenthalMusic By
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Comedy, Drama
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Runtime:8 minutes
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Completion Date:March 31, 2022
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Production Budget:5,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Lauren Ciaravalli is a WGA Award Nominated writer/director whose work has aired across traditional and new media platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Teennick, Snapchat, and Facebook Watch. She is an NYC-born, NYU-educated creator with a passion for female-driven comedy and romance. She recently directed L.O.L. Surprise: The Movie (Netflix) which peaked as the #6 Movie on Netflix in the USA in October 2021. In 2019 she was tapped to direct Season 1 of BratTV’s series SUNNYSIDE UP. Prior to that, AwesomenessTV hired Lauren to write and direct an episode of the romance anthology series LOVE DAILY (Netflix), for which she earned a WGA Award Nomination. She has developed with Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and her films have played at Oscar-qualifying festivals across the country. More can be found at www.LaurenCiaravalli.com.
On a personal level, I've dealt with many mental health issues, but I did not get proper help (or even know I was suffering from an illness) until I was in my mid-twenties. When I was finally diagnosed with OCD at the age of twenty-four, so many things about myself and my life finally made sense. I was fortunate to find a great therapist and psychiatrist who helped me recover as much as possible and create a sustainable treatment plan. It was the friends I made in my twenties who enlightened me that answers and help were out there, and encouraged me to seek it. I only wish it had happened sooner.
I believe telling stories that illuminate mental health conditions and experiences is a great way to foster a conversation on a topic that is too often silent and stigmatized. CLINICAL, is not an after-school special about mental health awareness. Rather, it's a dark comedy that portrays what it's like to live with anxiety and depression, and a testimony to the power of friendship in the process of healing. Our goal is that audiences will relate to the experiences of Hayley and Alina and feel a sense of comfort and camaraderie in their own mental health journeys of those of their loved ones.
After years in therapy, I am finally ready to write about this deeply personal experience. The filmmaking approach will be equally sensitive and personal, with a small scope and carefully selected cast and crew. In terms of the small, personal nature of the film, I am inspired by Frankie Shaw's short film SMILF (2015), along with the artistry of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sarah Gertrude-Shapiro and Rose Matafeo.