Sundance 2020: Filmmakers Bridget Moloney + Claire Coffee on Making Art Out of Motherhood
#243 • Actress Claire Coffee (Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector) and director Bridget Moloney share their excitement in premiering their short film BLOCKS -- an existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit plastic toy blocks -- at The Sundance Film Festival.
I find out what they're planning to wear to Park City, Claire's foolproof cocktail of choice, their altitude-proof skincare regimen, and what their lodging situation is like (bunk beds, perhaps?).
This is the story of two mom-friends who were creatively frustrated and feeling rejected, who decided to figure it out, and make something together.
I can't wait for you to hear Bridget and Claire's thoughts on how to take a bet on yourself and trust your own voice even when you're neck deep in childrearing.
Xx Ellie Knaus
Special thanks to our sound engineer Owen O’Neill, production assistant Olivia Hastie, and Jeremy Turner for our original theme composition.
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Crib Notes (AKA Episode Research)
Blocks the Film Trailer - Blocks the Film
Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector - NBC
How Chris Thile, Who Remade ‘A Prairie Home Companion,’ Spends His Sundays - The New York Times (Claire’s family)
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Mom: Is Domestic Life the Enemy of Creative Work? - The Cut
About Our Guests:
Bridget Moloney-Sinclair + Claire Coffee
Bridget Moloney-Sinclair is currently a member of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women. Bridget is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied Theatre and Creative Writing for Media. She has a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine, concentrating on couples and family therapy. She is also an actress, making her living and qualifying for great health insurance one national commercial at a time. Her independent pilot I WAS A TEENAGE PILLOW QUEEN, which she wrote and directed, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival's TV Fest. She lives in her hometown of Los Angeles with her husband and two small children.
You can connect with Claire on Instagram
Photography by Luke and Mallory Leasure
Claire Coffee is an actress best known for her role as Adalind Schade on NBC's long-running series GRIMM, but she considers her claim to fame being Ellie Knaus' best friend. She's been acting since age five and graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in Theater. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn with her husband Chris and four year old son, Calvin. Claire co-created the web series "Chelsey and Kelsey Are Really Good Roommates" with Ellie, and last year produced and starred in the independent pilot "I Was A Teenage Pillow Queen" written and directed by Bridget Moloney, which premiered at TriBeCa's TV festival. More recently, Claire can be seen as Danielle in Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector and one third of a throuple on CBS' SWAT.
BLOCKS the film | Trailer
Look! It’s Bridget Wearing Atomic Moms Merch!
Atomic Moms Podcast Pairing:
Hollywood Director Julia Hart on Filmmaking, Confidence, and Motherhood
#219 - Julia Hart shares her personal odyssey from HS English teacher to screenwriter and feature film director. Rachel Bresnahan, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and David Strathairn are just a few of the respected actors bringing her stories to life.
In this in-studio conversation, Julia reveals how becoming a mother empowered her to step into the role of director and how motherhood influences the stories she tells. And Ellie shares an empowering matrilineal secret found in her grandmother’s locket.
Also, we discuss the importance of owning our stories as well as the sensitivities necessary in writing a character of another race.
x Ellie Knaus
How to Keep the Love (and the Kids) Alive! | Karisa Bruin, comedy writer, director, actor
#192 • What starts as a relaxed tête-à-tête between old friends reminiscing about theater conservatory and miniature boobs evolves into a super honest conversation about the effects of our own mother’s parenting styles, pro tips from couple’s therapy, and what we’d perhaps do differently as 'creative moms' if we got another shot at caring for newborns. Meet Karisa Bruin, you'll be fast mom-friends. x Ellie Knaus