Meet Sophia De Baun

We recently connected with Sophia De Baun and have shared our conversation below.

Sophia, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but I have developed confidence and self-esteem from listening and learning – from being curious and asking questions, and putting my eggs in multiple baskets and taking the risk of being bad at something instead of focusing on being successful at just one thing. The film industry is over-run by fragile egos, but what gives me confidence is my comfortability taking risks, exploring new territory, and expressing ideas that aren’t safe but rather attempt to get at the complexity of experience.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a multi-hypenate filmmaker based out of NYC and teach film theory at Barnard College. I work as an editor and camera operator, and also write and direct my own films as well as produce films with a team of close collaborators. My films focus on exploring concepts related to gender, sexuality, and identity. My background in gender theory and feminist theory is the through-line of all of my art as well as the basis of my teaching. My most recent notable work includes “Chiqui” pilot (Sundance ’22, Vimeo Staff Pick), a series of music videos for the X-Ambassadors album “Townie” (’24), and an upcoming pilot “Born2Lose” which will be screening this year, 2025, at festivals such as LALIFF, SeriesFest, Atlanta Film Festival, among others. Also, be sure to look out for my upcoming pilot, “Dot”, about an age-gap relationship.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Writing. Every aspect of filmmaking is writing when done well. Beyond the screenplay, shot-listing is writing, cinematography is writing. You have to have a narrative logic, a sense of story-telling through light and framing, camera movement. Directing is writing, acting is writing, through movement, intonation, gesture. Set design, costume, all of it. Editing is an arduous re-writing process. Anyone who calls themselves a filmmaker, whether they are a director or a grip or electrician, should learn how to write. It’s also an essential life skill.

Alongside writing comes reading. Developing critical reading skills – critical viewership skills – is essential. We live in a world where we are constantly told what to do, what to like, what to be. Developing a critical gaze and ability to both love but also be unsatisfied with the world we are given is the only way we can improve upon it and imagine something better.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I find that the number one obstacle for myself and many other artists and people I admire is money. As narrative, documentary, and experimental filmmaking becomes increasingly blended with commercial, the wealth disparity has contributed to an oversaturation of commercial-leaning filmmakers and a pressure for those who don’t fit into that mold to adhere. It also has contributed to the decline of small businesses, artisans and experts. Arts funding has dwindled while cost of living has gone up. To mitigate this, I try to give back to my community and use and pay for the services of my community, and most of all I continue to make art that I want to make without giving into pressures for it to look a certain way or have a certain message.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sophiadebaun.com
• Instagram: @sophidebaun

Image Credits

Carlos Cardona