Bren Dubay is a profoundly inspiring mentor and educator. Her deeply probing work as a playwright, which often deals with the cyclical nature of trauma and abuse, directly influenced the creation of my first feature film Pop Love, on which she served as a key creative adviser and one of the lead actors. She is an exemplar of the nurturing mentor, prodding young artists to dig deep and challenge themselves to push beyond preconceived notions to chart out new territory with each successive work, something she does herself with each new play she writes. She gave me the courage to find and use my voice at a time when I, like so many young people, was unsure of myself, setting me on the course for a lifelong journey in film making. She continues to be an inspiration as an artist who charts her own fiercely independent course through life while remaining deeply committed to the building and sustaining of community.
| Kyle Henry
| Filmmaker, Assistant Professor
| Northwestern University