Healing
Your
Your
Story
Centering the Survivor:
The Cathartic Realism process is a series of steps that are created based on current, innovative research - resulting in a film that acts as token of their truth - while allowing the survivor to find catharsis.
About Cathartic Realism
Writing
Cathartic Realism is an actor-focused filmmaking process where individuals turn their personal traumas into authentic stories. The actor, as both writer and performer, tells their story of shame, guided through a psychiatrist-assisted process aimed at finding catharsis. By blending therapeutic techniques with honest storytelling, Cathartic Realism encourages both creators and audiences to confront and embrace their experiences, fostering a shared journey of empathy and understanding.
is where you find
forgiveness
Production
is where you find you
Power
Post
is where you find
acceptance
Release
is where you find you
Purpose
the Process
the Process
Embrace your power through Ivana Chubbuck's techniques and emotional diaries, objectives. These tools help rewrite your narrative, shifting from victim to author of your story. Instead of reliving the past, you shape key moments with purpose and control.
Expressive writing serves as a cathartic healing tool, releasing deep emotions. This process transforms trauma into strength, offering liberation and emotional clarity. By confronting experiences through creative expression, actors find empowerment and authenticity in their craft.
WRITING
the Process
During production, actors work through emotional trauma in a safe, cathartic space, transforming how they perceive their past through the combined use of Polyvagal Play Theory and Chubbuck Study. This process rewires their emotional responses, enabling healing and peace. By confronting past pain, they find their voice and release emotions they may never have expressed. Ivana Chubbuck's exercises and Polyvagal Play’s safe, playful interactions engage the body’s healing pathways, building resilience and regulation. The result is not just powerful, authentic performances, but a symbolic transformation of trauma through communal, cathartic action.
Production
the Process
You own your story by showing the audience your version of the experience to shine a light on the things that cause us shame.
“We desperately don’t want to experience shame, and we’re not willing to talk about it. Yet the only way to resolve shame is to talk about it. Maybe we’re afraid of topics like love and shame. Most of us like safety, certainty, and clarity. Shame and love are grounded in vulnerability and tenderness.” Dr. Brene Brown
Post
the Process
Upon release, there are two pools of people. We have fellow survivors, who open up to creating a community upon seeing the film. In the past, we have inspired silent survivors to open up and start their own healing journey.
The second pool of people are those who have not experienced the trauma they witnessed on screen. We provide those people with a new understanding of this trauma. Like how jurors in a trial are affected through understanding what is effectively a story, we have the capacity to effect change by revealing authority on how an experience feels to the survivor.
Your purpose is found within each group.
“When we find the courage to share our experiences, and the compassion to hear others tell their stories, we force shame out of hiding, and end the silence”
Dr. Brene Brown.
Release
The
Team
Claire Chubbuck
Founder/CEO
Claire Chubbuck, named a "Director to Watch" by Hollywood Digest in 2023, is an award-winning director celebrated for her actor-driven films and her signature approach, Cathartic Realism. This method encourages actors to channel real-life traumas into their performances, creating authentic, emotionally resonant art. Claire is also the Vice President and a teacher at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio, where she mentors actors in this transformative process.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Claire started her career as a programming executive at AMC Networks during its rise to prominence with shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men. She later served as an executive at Participant Media, helping launch the PIVOT broadcast network. Her passion for storytelling extends to producing a wide range of content, including festival-winning documentaries and short-form projects for organizations such as ACLU, Oxfam, Stand Up 2 Cancer, and SundanceTV.
Recognized for her dedication to authentic storytelling and the development of actors, Claire continues to teach master workshops internationally while creating impactful, truth-centered films.
Ivana Chubbuck
Board of Directors
Ivana Chubbuck is the founder and director of the Ivana Chubbuck Studio and the creator of the widely adopted Chubbuck Technique, used in many Oscar-winning and nominated performances. The Chubbuck Technique teaches actors to use their emotions to empower their goals, transforming pain and insecurities into powerful fuel for character development. The Studio offers 26 ongoing classes, both in-studio and online, aimed at producing and nurturing actors, writers, and directors in a rigorous professional environment. Over her 35-plus year career, Ivana has worked with numerous Academy Award winners and nominees, including Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, and Halle Berry. Her students have achieved significant recognition at the Academy Awards, Emmys, and Tonys, with notable successes such as Judith Light’s consecutive Tony Award wins. Ivana is also the author of the best-selling book "The Power of the Actor," which has been translated into 20 languages. Globally, accredited Chubbuck Technique teachers and schools are found in numerous countries. Ivana frequently holds international seminars and workshops and has taught at prestigious institutions like the Beijing Film Academy and The Juilliard School. Recognized by the Russian press and actors’ community as this century’s Stanislavsky, she received a lifetime achievement award from the Russian International Film Festival for her contributions to the film industry alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, William Friedkin, and Francis Ford Coppola.
Sofia D’Marco
Co-founder
Originally born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sofia D'Marco is a Los Angeles-based actress and writer known for her exceptional talent and dedication to the craft. Over the past decade, Sofia has studied under Ivana Chubbuck, who inspired her to write and star in her first film, "HILMV," a deeply personal project based on her life. Directed by Ivana’s daughter, Claire Chubbuck, this film led to the creation of Cathartic Realism, a groundbreaking storytelling approach that Sofia pioneered to find healing from sexual trauma through art. As an accomplished actress and esteemed teacher at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio, Sofia has honed her skills in the Chubbuck Technique, becoming an expert in this powerful acting method. With over 13 years of experience as a student and more than 5 years as a teacher, she has been instrumental in inspiring and guiding the next generation of performers. Sofia's students consistently praise her ability to motivate and support them in achieving their goals. Her award-winning performances on stage and screen have garnered critical acclaim, demonstrating the transformative power of the Chubbuck Technique. Sofia's unwavering commitment to excellence and profound understanding of this method continue to shape her remarkable career and influence the Ivana Chubbuck community.
Dr. Joseph Gottfried MD
Board of Directors
After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1984, he pursued medical studies at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, initially aiming to become a Family Practitioner. His interest shifted to pediatrics during his third-year rotations, eventually leading him to focus on psychiatry after working with children and adolescents at the Lafayette Clinic. This facility, known for its psychiatric inpatient and outpatient treatment, greatly influenced his passion for mental health care, particularly through the introduction of the DSM-III and various therapeutic approaches. Completing his medical degree in 1988, he undertook a general psychiatry internship and residency at the University of Colorado, followed by a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. From 1994 to 2003, he served at Colorado West Regional Health Center, providing comprehensive psychiatric care across western Colorado. In 2003, he moved to Fort Collins, where he became the Medical Director of Larimer County Mental Health Center before joining Poudre Valley Hospital. There, he helped establish the hospital's first child psychiatry clinic, building a distinguished practice over two decades alongside Dr. Udupa, dedicated to treating children with severe mental illnesses.
Bayan Joonam
Board of Directors
Bayan Joonam is an award-winning filmmaker and the host of VICEtv's "The Search for Q," the network’s third highest-rated show of all time. Before this, he produced MTV's "16 & Recovering," which won the RFK Human Rights Book & Journalism Award for Best Domestic TV, and was the Senior Producer for CNN's Anthology of Short Documentaries that aired in the summer of 2021. From 2012 to 2018, Bayan partnered with actor Rainn Wilson to build SoulPancake, a digital media brand known for uplifting content. As head of production, he led the creation of over 50 award-winning programs, including "Kid President" and "My Last Days," resulting in nearly a billion views and multi-season television franchises. Before SoulPancake, Bayan worked at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where he revamped their online content workflow. Bayan holds a B.F.A. in Film, Photography, and Visual Arts from Ithaca College, with a minor in Art History, and studied cinematography at Idyllwild Arts Academy. His work has earned numerous accolades, including a Daytime Emmy, a People's Choice Award, Television Academy Honors, and multiple Webby and Telly Awards. He also executive produced the critically acclaimed documentary series "Magic City: An American Fantasy" and has his work featured on platforms like Max, Hulu, Paramount+, and Vice. Growing up in Israel, a personal encounter with a suicide bomber attack fueled his commitment to creating work that addresses ideological divides.
