Meet Claudia Chakmati | Producer & Development Executive

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claudia Chakmati and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claudia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
This is a very good question because, in the entertainment industry, risk assessment pretty much constitutes the bulk of our job, and we can do that in many different ways. Right now, the landscape for film & TV doesn’t look as exciting as it did 7-10 years ago. Back then, streaming had just gotten into the mainstream market and it suddenly became a platform for upcoming filmmakers to get their big break, and an avenue for different ways of storytelling (that were deemed “risky” back then but are common now). Today, we’re seeing the opposite of that, where streamers have become much more conservative and traditional in their programming – for a myriad of reasons that we don’t need to get into right now. All of this is to say that risk is a massive factor informing our industry, and I think about it everyday: whenever I read a script, a book, or hire a writer or director for a specific project; risk, and the lack thereof, is ever present in our day-to-day decisions as producers.

As far as taking risks personally, I’ve done plenty of those – all of which led me to where I am today. I guess the first major risk I took was deciding to get into the film industry in the US, having come from Brazil. I was already at a massive disadvantage coming in, but I’ve also had to take risks with the jobs that I was accepting, the people I decided to work with, and ultimately, all of these got me here. I am glad I took all of those risks, and I would do it all again if I had the chance. In my mind, only risk-takers are those that are really successful in this business. If you don’t take risks, you’re not breaking any ground, and where’s the fun in that?

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a lot to be proud of, thankfully, but I’m most excited about the future of Rhiza with my business partner. We’re a very young production company, with a docu-feature and a few shorts under our belt, as well as a couple of features percolating. We’re a hybrid Brazil-US venture, with the sensibility of telling Brazilian stories (or stories from Brazilian creatives), married with the quality and commerciality of American films. But to be clear, we’re also not only tied to stories that hail from Brazil, we just want to shine a light on these in a way that feels universal; think “Parasite”, or “Anatomy of a Fall” etc. For us, it’s quality over quantity; filmmaker-driven projects with artistic integrity and a commercial sensibility. Because of our background abroad, we have this fantastic opportunity to leverage our global knowledge and experience within the American and European film markets with our own roots. Not every creative coming from Brazil can say that, and that’s where we think we can fit into the industry organically.

Getting to this point was not easy at all, particularly because I’m not American. The opportunities for us here are very different, and much harder to come by, so I had to be inventive in my career trajectory. But I wouldn’t work half as hard as I did if it weren’t for that same fact, so I’m thankful that the road wasn’t easy. I’ve had to develop a thick skin and be comfortable living with a certain amount of uncertainty. And in all honesty, this feeling helped me be able to deal with the same uncertainty that we navigate as producers everyday in a volatile business, so it’s all in service of making me a more successful and well-rounded producer in the long-run. I’m grateful I did all that I did to get here, but I won’t say it’s not exhausting!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA has such a vast amount of different things to do, that it’s hard to pick specific things! What I love about it is that there’s something here for everyone: every neighbourhood has it’s own vibe, so I guess it depends on the friend who’s visiting. If they were more bougie and a fan of the finer things in life, I’d probably suggest hanging around the west side. Brentwood, albeit mostly residential, has a great little pocket of things to do: take a stroll down the farmer’s market on a Sunday, walk around the Brentwood Country Mart, have a wine at AOC or dinner at Jemma Di Mare or Sugarfish (the one in Brentwood is one of the OG ones, I believe). In Venice, I love spending a good Saturday afternoon eating seafood and having some wine by the sea at Dudley Market, and then walking around the area for some drinks at Gran Blanco or Market, which also has great food and turns into a club later in the evening. I’d also take them to Broad Oyster Co. in Malibu for the best lobster roll in town and drive all the way up to Point Dume for a nice little sunset view.

For my too-cool-for-school, hip artist friends, I’d do some east side hangs. We’d probably stroll around Silverlake and start with stopping at one of their funky cafés, walk around Sunset Junction for some vintage clothes shopping, and then grab some food and drinks at Night+Market, capping off the night at Cafe Stella.

I didn’t even cover half of it, but that’s the beauty of LA! It’s a city for all types of people.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
What a lovely way to thank someone! I love this. I have so many people I’d love to dedicate shoutouts to, but I guess there are three particular mentors I’d like to focus on today. Apart from my dear family and friends, of course, the former who have given me everything I could ever dream of and all the support I ever needed, I have three mentors who have taught me much of what I know to this day. The first one is Mike S. Ryan, one of my college professors at Emerson College who taught Creative Producing and showed me that I was not, in fact, the writer-director I thought I wanted to be, but indeed a producer. He showed me how to love and understand the role of a producer like no one else, and told me that all of my skills and strengths were a way better fit for a producer than a writer. Thank the heavens he singled me out and did that because I would *not* survive as a writer. Mike changed the way I saw my role in this industry, and I’ll always be thankful that he geared me towards this massive pivot in my trajectory.

My second dedication goes to my current mentor and colleague, Tracy Ryerson. We’ve worked together a bit over two years now and my learning curve from the first day I met her to this day has been exponential in ways I never imagined possible. I always knew I was a quick study, especially when I put my mind to things, but she took me under her wing and gave me the freedom and space to evolve day in and day out. A lot of that comes from trusting each other, but I’m so thankful that she was open to trusting me from the very beginning because I’ve been able to go from zero to ten very quickly, in an industry that constantly tries to keep you down. She’s always empowered me and valued my creative instincts as an equal, which was crucial for building my confidence as a producer.

Lastly, I’d love to thank my Co-Founder and partner of Rhiza, Gabriela Matarazzo. This isn’t the traditional mentor-mentee relationship we all know because we’re both the same age, but I learn from her everyday simply by working alongside her. Her work ethic, assertiveness, and sharp focus are things I aspire to improve on constantly, and her talent as a writer never ceases to amaze me either. I hope I give her the same sense of encouragement and support, and that we learn from each other, because being able to look up to and learn alongside your business partner is the best thing anyone could ask for. We’re both learning things as we go, and that’s the coolest part about starting a business with someone else.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10287334/

Instagram: @cacauchakmati

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-chakmati-b51bb1158/