Meet Danielle Bernstein and Jason Maris of Clear Films Productions in Adair Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Bernstein and Jason Maris.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I founded Clear Films in 2006 to make my first feature documentary film, When Clouds Clear. Now we are a full service production company that uses media to amplify social and environmental struggles affecting our global community. We produce independent film, television commercials and photography projects that are exhibited all over the globe. We started and have now closed Gallery L1, a gallery that was dedicated to promoting artists’ first solo exhibition and a critical time in their career. Still involved in the Fine Art side of things I manage a historic body of photography for James Bond, brother of the late Julian Bond.

Originally an Atlanta Native, I grew up in Buckhead and attended the Lovett School. It was my family and the arts program in high school that really encouraged and helped me to develop my creative interests. I attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. There I fell in love with film and learned that no one was going to help you be an artist unless you start something yourself. It is in Boston that I began my daily practice of making. It is also where I was introduced to every healing and holistic wellness.

My first film, When Clouds Clear, was shot and editing in Ecuador and featured a small town that had successfully ousted multibillion dollar copper mining companies for over a decade. Drawn to the local characters, the film is the story of the resistance from the perspective of a 12 year old boy. When Clouds Clear attended over 50 film festivals and was the recipient of numerous awards. Notably we were the winner of a Cine Golden Eagle Award, Social Justice Award at the Santa Barbara film festival, recipient of the NYSCA grant, and Nominated Best Environmental Documentary of the Decade. We gave much of the proceeds back to the community to help with transportation to and from school.

My last feature documentary, Imba Means Sing is also about a young boy, Moses who pursues his education through the African Children’s Choir. As the celebrity drummer from the Grammy-nominated African Children’s Choir, Moses relies on his youthful resilience. Growing up in the slums of Kampala, Uganda, Moses and his family lack enough resources for him to even attend the first grade. Moses is only eight-years-old when the film begins – yet he knows all too well that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure his future and change the course of his family’s life. We follow Moses as he works for an education and spreads the magic of his African childhood. It screened at the United Nations, received two IndieFest awards and is distributed in over 37 languages worldwide by Sony Entertainment and Delta, and it is now available worldwide on Netflix.

I am currently producing and editing, homemade. With my partner in life and work, Jason Maris. The film is a five year, cinematic and intimate journey about a marriage, invisible wounds and the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and addiction. Weaving between the monumental landscapes of Utah, Washington DC landmarks, cinéma vérité scenes and recorded phone calls, HOMEMADE tells an intimate story of US Marine Adam Sorensen and his wife Victoria. Our film and impact campaign aims to spark a much needed dialog about the transition from active duty military to civilian life. This will be release early 2018.

I am the chapter leader of Film Fatales, a national organization of female directors who mentor and support one another in their careers and a member of NEXUS.

Outside of are and film endeavors, Jason and I have a growing family and are based in Atlanta, Georgia.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Making a film is one of the most challenging endeavors in the creative arts. It’s a constant test of character, creative vision, patience and loyalty or maybe perseverance is a better word.

I could elaborate on how each film was challenging but this sums up the entire experience.

Being a female director has also been challenging. With an industry that historically under funds female directed content. Raising money is always a challenge however this is starting to shift.

I am the Atlanta Chapter Leader for an international network of Female Filmmakers! This has been a huge support to the local female director community. We meet once a month for dinner to mentor, support and advise one another.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Clear Films is a full service production company that focuses on documentary film and impact campaigns. We also produce commercial content for a variety of businesses, ad agencies and non-profits.

This means help conceptualize the story or idea, we put together the perfect production team for each project and we see it through to post production or editing picture, sound and music.

Our passion is to amplify the most pressing issues of our global community. Whether it is a non-profit, business or an independent film, we consider how the media we produce affects the world around us.

Our mission: to open hearts, spark dialog, build empathy bridges, one film, one audience member at a time.

What were you like growing up?
I loved the outdoors, I spent a lot of time outside on my own and I was deeply drawn to cameras. In family videos (VHS) and travel photos I am always holding the camera. We had an old Nikon film camera growing up and a VHS video recorder.

My parents collected art and photography, so growing up around iconic images of Henry Cartier Bresson, Walker Evans, Helen Levitt was a huge influence. I was also lucky enough to attend a high school. The Lovett School, that was and still is very supportive of the arts. They had a photography program that was more advanced than many college entry level programs and I think I skipped a few classes hiding out in the dark making work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clearfilms.com
• Phone: 6785020047
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @daniellebfilm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clearfilms/
• Twitter: @clearfilms

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