Aspiring writers and directors should take a page out of Julia Hart’s book: don’t wait to tell your story. And if that story experiments with or outright subverts filmmaking genres by centering those typically underrepresented on screen, all the better. “What I find exciting and interesting as a filmmaker is finding new ways to tell old stories about different people,” she says, taking us inside her writing, casting, and directing processes.

A New Yorker who for years taught high school and wrote screenplays on the side, Julia made the leap to full-time artist after her 2014 feature “The Keeping Room” ended up on Hollywood’s Black List. With her husband, writing partner, and film producer Jordan Horowitz, Julia has brought to the big screen her directorial debut “Miss Stevens,” superhero riff “Fast Color,” this year’s Disney+ teen musical drama “Star Girl,” and Amazon Studios’ hit “I’m Your Woman,” a 1970s-set crime noir starring Rachel Brosnahan. Check out her Meet the Maker feature on “I’m Your Woman” here: https://bit.ly/3aPpyfo

Kicking off this New Year’s Eve episode are podcast team members Jack Smart, Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Benjamin Lindsay, and Samantha Sherlock shouting out their favorite film and TV performances of 2020! McKenna-Tirella also provides a recap of the year in Backstage, including all newly added features and resources available to working artists.

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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:

- https://www.facebook.com/backstage

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- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope

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Looking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe

Browse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e

Check out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0

Backstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5

Special thanks to...

- Host: Jack Smart

- Producer: Jamie Muffett

- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli

- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins

- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis