Private Project

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.

  • Lauren Ciaravalli
    Director
    Love Daily
  • Lauren Ciaravalli
    Writer
    Love Daily
  • Grayson Propst
    Producer
    Millenium Girl
  • Kahyun Kim
    Key Cast
    "Alina"
    Cocaine Bear, American Gods
  • Sarah Jes Austell
    Key Cast
    "Hayley"
    Looserville
  • Kalilah Robinson
    Cinematographer
    American Murderer
  • Mario Fierro
    Editor
    A Place In The Field
  • Hayley Rosenthal
    Music By
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lauren Ciaravalli

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.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

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.