Gretl Claggett

New York
Directing, Writing
These are days of radical reinvention … and I’m no stranger to that.
With MFAs in Acting, Poetry, and Nonfiction, plus successful stints as an On- and Off-Broadway Actress, a top-selling Business Development Executive, a Branded Content + Experiential Creative Director, and an Indie Filmmaker, my eclectic background has forged a career steeped in Transmedia Storytelling: I’ve created short- and long-form narratives across multiple genres and platforms to tech-forward immersive experiences for the world’s biggest brands, including IBM, SC Johnson, and SONY, to name a few.
I’m committed to telling diverse, singular stories that captivate and catalyze transformation in individual lives and shared cultures.
My first film, HAPPY HOUR — narrated by Julianne Moore — screened at 18 festivals, winning awards and garnering praise from Oscar-winning Writer/Director Robert Benton: “Happy Hour is a lush, elegiac film about an extremely difficult subject and Ms. Claggett handles it masterfully.”
My second film/proof-of-concept TV pilot, STORMCHASER, is a female-forward, nuanced satire that allegorizes this era in “Merica”: Global Warming, Disaster Capitalism, Bullying, Morality, a Shrinking Middle Class, and Country Divided. STORMCHASER screened at 65 festivals worldwide — winning AMC Network’s Inaugural “Best Female Creator” Award at Stareable Fest, “Best Writer and Director” Awards at the New York Women in Film & Television Festival, and “Outstanding Writing” at the Catalyst Content Festival. Other awards included multiple wins for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Film, Best Pilot, Best Cinematography, Best Actress and Actor, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Original Score/Soundtrack, and Best VFX. STORMCHASER is now available to stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu/Fandango.
FLIP THE SWITCH — a restructured 15-minute version of the film — was a finalist in the international Stage 32 Short Film Contest, and also screened at multiple festivals around the world, winning awards. Other narrative work includes directing several episodes of the comedic CHRONICLES OF A BLEEP YEAR OLD, co-creating and producing the horror short BOY, ALONE IN WOODS, and script doctoring the feature BEYOND THE RUSH.
Another passion of mine is pioneering the use of innovative technologies to shape inspiring brand stories. Clients have included AstraZeneca, AT&T, Avis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Canon, Chase, Genentech, IBM, Marriott, McDonald’s, Merck, Pfizer, SHRM, SONY, and SC Johnson, among others. My specialty is merging live performance with multiscreen multimedia and VFX for audiences up to 20,000 with global livestreams to thousands more. In this realm, my work has been honored with Cannes Corporate Award nominations, Telly Awards, and a JP Morgan Chase Luminary Fellowship for Entrepreneurship.