Jamie Monahan
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Unstoppable!

4/26/2018

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From the 61st Emmy Nomination party, to the “Anatomy of an Orchid” premiere at Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival, and adventures at Tribeca Film Festival I feel unstoppable! 

Friday night I saw the world premiere of the documentary Bethany Hamilton: UNSTOPPABLE at Tribeca and was hit on such a deep emotional level. At 13 Bethany was on track to be one of the best surfers in the world if not the greatest when in a terrible twist of fate her arm was bitten off by a shark. Not only did she relearn to swim and surf with one arm but she competed in the NSSA National Championships and won first place in the Explorer Women's division. 

At the height of her career she discovered she was pregnant but pregnancy couldn’t keep her from her passion. She competed in the Surf N Sea Pipeline Pro four months pregnant and won first place. She surfed right up until she gave birth and competed 7 weeks after her baby was born giving new meaning to the term “surf like a girl.”

All of these accolades are incredibly impressive but the film goes into great depth about Bethany surfing Jaws (not the shark) a 60 foot wave in Pe’ahi, Hawaii. The swells are deadly, and the water is treacherous. My heart pounded as I watched her fall on her first try. She was crushed by the massive wave three times before her rescue team could get to her. Most people would have gone home after such a brutal wipeout but she got back on her board and mastered Jaws! *Pictured above!

What I learned most from this film is that unstoppable doesn't mean you never lose, that you don’t get beaten down or struggle with feelings of failure. It means that you learn to adapt to whatever life throws your way, that you keep getting up, and never stop trying. 

“Anatomy of an Orchid” did not win an award at the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival but I’m happy to say it was nominated for six nominations including: Best Short Film, Best LGBTQ Subject, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. Out of 93 films from 17 countries, we are honored to be so recognized. 

Unstoppably yours, Xx

Jamie Monahan
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City of stars, are you shining just for me?

3/29/2018

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This was my third trip to LA but something felt very different this time. It's the first time I thought "maybe I could live here." Might be because the weather in NY has been so brutal this winter and this trip to LA just shined. Hello sunshine! It was also the PERFECT time to come to LA with Sonja O'Hara to pitch projects. Frances McDormand had just told everyone at the Oscars to "Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we (female filmmakers) all have stories to tell and projects we need financed...Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and we'll tell you all about them." And that's exactly what we did!  

Our first Monday in LA me and Sonja had back to back meetings in Burbank but the coolest thing about all of our meetings that day was that we were meeting with other women in the industry. 
  • We met with the VP of Development and the Director of Content Production at Crypt TV and talked all things horror. (Did you know that the primary audience for horror shorts is tween girls?) 
  • We met with two lovely female executives at Paul Feig's new company Powderkeg Media: a digital content company that focuses on championing new voices with a commitment to female and LGBTQ creators and filmmakers of color.
  • Last but definitely not least we met with Kr Squared Productions, a mother daughter production team, that is kicking ass and taking names. They started their business before there was much support for women in the industry and now they have a new show called "Cupid's Match" on CWSeed!    

​Spending much needed time with my brother and several friends who have migrated from NY to LA made this trip even more special. A dear friend of mine, Betsy Spina, works at Radio Disney Country in LA. Not only did I get to visit her and see where she works but I also got a tour of the Disney lot! My inner Disney princess has never been happier. One of the coolest things I saw was the original camera that was used to film "Snow White!"  

Happy to be back in New York feeling inspired, while California dreaming of warmer weather and streets filled with stars. 

Love Always! Xx
 
Jamie Monahan 
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Producer.

2/28/2018

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Tuesday was my first night at Actors Connection as a guest Producer/Casting Director with Sonja O’Hara! We met so many talented actors. And we were excited to hear many of them are creating their own projects. As an actor it can feel as if we are constantly asking the universe for things; “Can I get an audition?” “Can you submit me?” “Can I get representation?” “Can someone cast me, please?” It’s exhausting! But when you are a creator things change. Suddenly you’re creating work and opportunities for others. The energy you are putting out into the universe shifts and people start to see you as collaborator instead of someone who is looking for a job. So go make some magic! I can’t wait to see what this group of storytellers creates. I’m excited to announce that I’m producing two new projects this summer! *My New Years resolution is to produce three! #soclose
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Below The Belt - 
A dramatic short film that follows Kingston, a fighter who suffers from toxic masculinity and must learn to overcome his limitations through unorthodox training sessions with his female boxing trainer. Written, directed, and starring the very talented Mark St. Cyr. 

​Untitled Sonja O'Hara Project- 
This will be my 5th Sonja project, and my 3rd as Producer!

Next month I'm flying to LA to pitch myself on a project. It'll be my biggest meetings yet so cross your fingers and toes for me! I promise I'll bring back some sunshine and warm weather in return. Here's to making things and telling the stories we want to see. 

Love Always! Xx

Jamie Monahan 


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Live with Intention

1/24/2018

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I believe in setting intentions for the New Year then I like making a vision board (pictured above) to tie it all together. Having a clear vision of the future makes it statistically easier to achieve. Check out my New Years Resolutions below! One of my New Year's resolutions is to be better about sending my newsletter (you might have noticed that my last newsletter was sent in May 2017)! 🙊 Here's a short recap of what I've been doing these past six months. There were a lot of firsts for me in 2017: I received my first Assistant Director credit, my first Casting Director credit, and my first recurring role in a series!

ASTRAL: I produced, cast the proof of concept for ASTRAL: a provocative psychological drama which follows three millennial women who are drawn together after sharing an out-of-body experience during a train crash. Check out the trailer for ASTRAL here. #HogwartsForHipsters
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FLAT EARTH: I produced, cast, and have a featured role in the new digital series FLAT EARTH: a dramatic series following a teenage girl in a community of Flat Earthers. When Sadie begins to question her communities restrictive ideology, she finds herself on a polarizing quest. Check out our Sundance 2018 New Voices Lab submission video here. #LitSelfie
Super excited to see what adventures 2018 holds! Remember the dreams in your heart are there for a reason. What are your intentions for the New Year to help those dreams come true?

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan 


✨Jamie's New Years Resolutions✨

• Book a juicy recurring role on a major network.
• Travel!
• Produce/Direct my own project to premier at festivals in 2019! 
• Be a producer on 3+ projects
• Create and launch "Women Crush Wednesday's" podcast. 
• Send my Newsletter every month. 
• Attend a festival that a project I'm apart of is premiering! 
• Add 3 Casting Director/Casting Assistant credits to my resume. 
• Quit bartending. 
• Unassisted Handstand 
​
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Pretty Smart

5/2/2017

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Can you be both beautiful and smart? Seems like a silly question, but it's not. We still love to box people into stereotypes: the smart one, the pretty one, the funny one, the sexy one. I can't count the amount of times people have felt the need to "dumb things down" so I'd understand not just because I'm a girl, but also because I'm blonde. Now I can't say that I haven't used this to my advantage on occasion, but it would be nice if we could break free of stereotypes. People are more complex than one dimensional characters. 

Tribeca Film Festival: I attended the premier screening of BOMBSHELL a documentary about Hedy Lamarr. She was a famous actress who was known worldwide for her beauty but few knew that she was an incredible inventor. She developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes, using frequency hopping technology. The principles of her work are now incorporated into modern Wi-Fi, CDMA, and Bluetooth technology that we use daily. Following the screening there was a panel with executive producer Susan Sarandon, director Alexandra Dean, actor Diane Kruger, patent lawyer Patricia Rogowski, Associate Professor and Area Director, Circuits & Embedded Systems at UCLA, Danijela Cabric, PhD, focusing on how prominent women in both entertainment and STEM have been historically underrepresented in their respective fields. Susan Sarandon said she was told recently that she is too pretty to do comedy! Sadly Hedy died before her genius was ever recognized, but she proved that beautiful women can be smart too. 

YouTube: I got invited to PBS Women: Building a Career out of Curiosity at YouTube headquarters last month. PBS like many networks is now focusing on digital content which means in their case that they sponsor certain educational channels on YouTube. The panel was full of incredibly smart (and pretty) girls talking about science. Check out these channels:
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Gross Science
Brain Craft


*I've been loving attending panels at YouTube headquarters! They also offer classes on lighting, camera techniques, editing etc. but you can only take those classes if you have 1,000 subscribers. Can you help me reach 1,000? Subscribe to my YouTube channel!

What stereotypes have you been fighting recently? 

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan 
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"Fearless Girl"

3/24/2017

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I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be fearless. How can I live my life more fearlessly? Some of my favorite fearless female role models include:
Emma Watson's Belle in Beauty & The Beast: she's a book reading inventor who doesn't change who she is because "she's different from the rest of us." A bright, beautiful, independent young woman who risks her life for others. She saves a prince and his entire castle because she believes inner beauty is more valuable than outward appearances. 
Supergirl: fights to keep peace between the extraterrestrial community and Earth. She believes in equality, justice, and hope. She's an incredibly brave badass who constantly sees the good in others and never gives up fighting for what's right even when the odds are against her. 
Fearless Girl on Wall Street: "Even though she's a little girl, her stance is one of determination, forwardness, and being willing to challenge and take on the status quo." Watch out world, I'm feeling fearless! 

YouTube: I got invited to Politics & Pizza at the YouTube Space to discuss how creators are processing issues related to the health, safety, and the political life of women in the U.S. It was super empowering to discuss women's rights with other content creators. The conversation was facilitated by an incredible panel of women and men from UN Women: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. 

QUANTICO: Last month I was on set with director Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch's daughter, for two days! It was incredible watching this woman effortlessly direct over 300 people including actors and crew with such joy, and positivity. I also learned some cool camera tricks that I can't wait to use in my next film! 

How are you fearless? 

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan 
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"In Their Shoes"

1/31/2017

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Oh SNAP, it's almost Febuary! I'm sending this newsletter last minute but I have a good excuse. Remember last year when I went to the Tribeca Film Festival and joined the Snapchat bandwagon? Well this year they made an official festival category for Snapchat Short Films. So of course I had to submit! I'm so proud of my production team and what we were able to create on a $0 budget. I'm also super stoked to have another short film I produced under my belt! The film is called "In Their Shoes" - When two strangers almost collide on a New York subway platform, an awkward moment could become something more or a missed opportunity. 👠✨👞
Cross your fingers and toes that we get into the festival! There's still time to submit your own Snapchat Short. Check out the details here.

Ghostlight Project: On January 19th, 2017 in each time zone across the country at 5:30pm we gathered outside of theaters to create a "light" in darkness. I stood on the steps of The Public Theater under a sign that reads "Radically Inclusive" to make and renew a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion and compassion regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration, status, (dis)ability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. I'm greatful to be apart of such an incredible community. This is why I love art. This is what I fight for. #bealight💡

I think Carrie Fisher said it best, "Take your broken heart, make it into art!" 

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan 
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Happy Holidays!

12/20/2016

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"It's that time of year when the world falls in love" and I'm in love with Christmas in New York City! 'Tis the season for holiday parties, gifts, cookies, eggnog lattes, Christmas lights and carols. We just had our first snow, so a white Christmas seems more like a reality than a dream. I've set "I'll be home for Christmas" as my ringtone and I'm counting down the days!

Booked my second gig with NBC on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!!! This time it was LIVE. I danced on stage with The Roots, Busta Rhymes, and Joell Ortiz while they performed "My Shot" from The Hamilton Mixtape. After listening to "I'm not throwin' away my shot" over a hundred times that day it really solidified that I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. "I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry. And I'm not throwin' away my shot!" Check out the video below. I'm the blonde on the left next to Busta Rhymes!

Have yourself a very merry Christmas, let your heart be full of love and light! 🎅🏻🎄❤️☃❄️

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan ​
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Thanks!

11/30/2016

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I hope you all had a very lovely Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful time with family, my only regret is that I didn't eat more pie. (Something I might have to solve this week). I just wanted to take a moment to say "thank you." Thank you for being part of my newsletter, thank you for being my friend and my fan. I love sharing my journey with you but even more I love getting your emails. I'm so grateful to have you in my life! I'm also so thankful I get to be an artist! Art has the power to really change the world. It brings people together for a shared experience and cultivates a deeper understanding of our similarities and differences. I learned this firsthand as a kid working in a movie theater selling popcorn. I would see people going into the theater and coming out of the theater completely changed by what they had seen. That's why I wanted to be an actor, to tell stories that helped change the way we look at the world. 

Super thankful I booked my first gig with NBC! I don't have a ton of details on when it'll air but soon you'll see yours truly in a sketch with Jimmy Fallon!!! Don't worry, I'll be sure to share it as soon as it airs. Working with Jimmy on set was SO cool! He is just as funny in person as he is on The Tonight Show.

I also got to work at Macy's this month as Paddington Bear giving hugs and spreading Christmas cheer! Did you know Paddington Bear likes to keep marmalade sandwiches under his hat and in his pockets at all times just incase hunger strikes? Sounds like this little bear is a foodie like me. 🐻

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you, for being you!

Love Always, 

Jamie Monahan ​
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The Witching Hour

10/31/2016

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On all hollows eve, I write to my coven of recent bewitching and stirrings that have occurred. I drink a glass of blood (red wine), my gourd is carved, the candles are lit, and I'm eating a meal that I made Seamless-ly appear. With tonight's new moon, the luminaries (the sun and the moon) are aligned in the same zodiac. With a new moon comes new beginnings.

I just started concocting cocktails and serving brew at The Library, a blind tiger at The Public Theater. Tonight I'll be making potions behind the bar. Fly by on your broom or stop by in your best disguise and the first drinks on me! I will charm a magical drink that'll make your chest hair grow or whatever your heart desires. Just be careful what you wish for. 

I had a vision that in the future I will book a juicy recurring role on a major network! As I've been working towards that goal, there have been some stirrings in the universe. My brother's first lead role in a feature film "I Was a Teenage Wereskunk" (the premiere I went to in LA) is now streaming and available on Amazon (FREE on Amazon Prime)!!! Watch it for a wickedly funny, slightly scary, spooktacular homage to creature features of the past. Soon to be a cult classic. The LA Times and I agree it's a must see! 

I recently saw Sonja O'Hara's directorial debut in "DOOMSDAY" at The New York Television Festival. A story about the inner workings of a cult in the Catskills and the people who get wrapped up in that lifestyle. SUPER spooky! Sonja is a girl of many hyphens (my favorite type of person): actor-producer-writer-director. Look out folks, this girl is going places! I won't be surprised if HBO or Netflix picks up this series. You heard it first here witches.

If you choose to not partake in Halloween festivities, one of these might be your fix. Some of you know this spell well. Round about the cauldron go:

Eye of newt and toe of frog, 
wool of bat and tongue of dog. 
Adder's fork and blindworm's sting.
Barbados lime is just the thing. 
Cragged salt like a sailor's stubble! 
Flip the switch and let the cauldron bubble!

May you howl at the moon, cackle with laughter, and receive all treats and no tricks. There's a little witch in all of us, embrace it.

Enchantingly yours, 

Jamie Monahan 



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