Nothing Shines Like Dirt

Heather Girardi Episode 19 Listen Here!

Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Dirt: Empowering Actors to Create episode 19! Today we have actor, director, producer, Heather Girardi. We talk about collaborating with your spouse, how your choices effect 7 generations, and the seriousness of comedy!

Born in New York City, raised in South Florida, actress Heather Girardi credits her maternal grandmother, an English teacher and great lover of poetry, Shakespeare and Pavarotti, with fueling her passion for language and the arts. While attending Florida State University as a music major, with a focus on vocal performance, Heather was accepted into The National Shakespeare Conservatory, where her teachers encouraged her to consider pursuing a career in performance.

Heather transferred to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as an acting major while also continuing training with some NSC teachers and with the legendary Wynn Handman of the American Place Theatre.

With her strong innate talents honed by years of extensive training, Heather is described by all those who know her as reliable, focused, enthusiastic and risk-taking. “One of my strengths as an artist is my ability to morph into roles while being respectful, easy and enjoyable to work with,” observes Heather. “I have learned the craft of smoothly switching hats without compromising the vision and integrity of my work and of those around me.”

Heather has been a part of an enormous variety of projects, of which her favorites include Walking The Volcano (The Vineyard Playhouse), in which she played 5 roles and was featured in The New York Times and the Boston Globe; Sylvia Beach in Left Bank Bookseller (The Barrow Group Theatre), for which she was nominated for Best Actress; the videos she and her husband, Ben Slatkin, create with their company Editagogo Productions. and the web series Or So The Story Goes, and Park Slope Moms.

Expanding her talents as a director, Heather won Best Director for her work on Brownsville Bred at The Network’s One Act Festival, and continues to direct and perform her own material and assist others in developing their own.

Website: hgirardi.com

Projects:Production Company- editagogo.com

Park Slope Moms

Comedy Sketches

Or The Story Goes

Facebook: Heather Girardi

Twitter: @HeatherGirardi

Instagram: @heathergirardi

Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Dirt Empowering Actors to Create episode 18. Today we talk to Sci-Fi director and filmmaker Cidney Hue. We talk about why you should know Octavia Butler, the human side of sci-fi, and the ingredients for movie making are money and people.

Cidney Hue is a writer and director focused on art and science driven sci-fi films. Her award-winning short, Odessa, recounts the journey of an astronaut’s last night on Earth. Her webseries for Wired & reddit, Cyborg Nation, profiles scientists at the forefront of prosthetics, robotics, and brain-computer interfaces. Her environmental documentary, Shark Loves the Amazon, toured nationally and premiered at the World Sustainability Forum to leaders and policy makers. In addition to filmmaking, Cidney leads the monthly NYC Women Filmmakers meetup to support female filmmakers in New York City.

Website: cidneyhue.com

Projects:

Imagine Science Symbiosis Film Competition

Future home for Sci-Five anthology

Big Hair Girls Yas Kween music video launching

NYC Women Filmmakers Meetup

Facebook:Cidney Hue

Twitter: @CidHue

Instagram: @cidhue

Katherine Randel and Pascale Seigneuire Episode 17

Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Drit: Empowering Actors to Create episode 17. Today we have producer Katherine Randel and actress/writer/dancer Pascale Seigneuire. We talk about their film Roads to Olympia that filmed on 3 different continents, women’s rights around the world, and actually saving the rainforest.

Katherine Randel is a Producer for the feature film Roads To Olympia and the production company, Beacon Revolt. In addition to her love affair with the entertainment world, Kat is a trusted advisor, solutions-oriented partner, and an international events manager, facilitating special meetings and initiatives during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland; the UN General Assembly Week in New York; and other external social impact convenings. Prior to joining the team at Beacon Revolt, Katherine worked for Purpose, (a 21st century movement building vehicle that utilizes new power models), New York Public Radio, the World Economic Forum USA, and The B Team.

Katherine Randel

Roads To Olympia Movie

@KatRandelTweets

@KatRandel14

www.roadstoolympia.com

Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Dirt: Empowering Actors to Create episode 13. Today we have Adrienne Lovette; actor, director, producer, and writer (she does it all)! We discuss the calm you feel when you know you’re on the right path, using art to start important conversations, and not fitting in the mold, but breaking through it!

Adrienne Lovette is a New York City-based actor, director, producer and writer. She most recently wrote, produced, and starred in the feature film WHEN I'M WITH YOU, which screened at the Oscar-qualifying film festival Cinequest. It also screened at the Thessaloniki International LGBTQ Film Festival in Greece; the Golden Door International Film Festival; and the Sacramento Film and Music Festival, where it won Director's Choice for Best Feature Film. WHEN I'M WITH YOU is now available on Amazon Prime.

She is currently promoting two short films called BLIND DATE and HIDDEN DAYLIGHT. BLIND DATE, a romantic comedy short, just premiered in Mumbai and San Diego. HIDDEN DAYLIGHT, a thriller short, is currently being submitted.

Adrienne is also known for her roles in SUNLIGHT JR. (Tribeca Film Festival 2013) playing opposite Naomi Watts, and THICK HEART (Montclair Film Festival). Select television credits include GOTHAM playing opposite Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie, MR. ROBOT, and MASTER OF NONE playing opposite Aziz Ansari. Select webseries credits include IT COULD BE WORSE on Hulu as the character of Ruth and ADULTish on Youtube as the character of Monique.

Adrienne is a director for the stage and screen, with productions spanning from off-Broadway to Eastern Europe. Some of her favorite directing credits include HIDDEN DAYLIGHT, SPRING AWAKENING, RENT, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE and PATIENT A. For more information and for her latest projects, visit www.TheGarageProductions.com

Website: www.adriennelovette.com

Production Company: www.TheGarageProductions.com

Films: www.WhenImWithYou.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdrienneLovette

Twitter: AFLovette, TheGarageEP, WIWYFilm

Instagram: adriennelovette and TheGarageProductions

Elise and Lesley sit down with photographer and actor Lauren Sowa. Lauren has a photography series that focus on women in film that was inspired by her resume. The conversation ventures to arts education and dating.

Lauren Sowa grew up in beautiful Landisville, Pennsylvania, surrounded by cornfields and the Amish. She started as a dancer, training in all styles from a young age. Acting soon took hold and she moved to New York. While training at NYU, Lauren was a part of a sketch comedy group alongside Donald Glover, Rachel Bloom, and many others! She's currently in the Improv program at UCB. She has performed internationally in theaters big and small, and on screen. Lauren is a big-time animal lover, and has yet to meet a pretzel she doesn't like. When not acting, you can find her reading a good book, catching up on old films, doing yoga, and watching soccer!

https://www.facebook.com/lauren.e.sowa/

Twitter: @laurensowa

Instagram: @laurensowa

www.laurensowa.com

www.lsowaphotography.com http://womeninfilmportraits.tumblr.com

Elise & Lesley chat with Emmy award winning filmmaker Lila Yomtoob. They cover experimenting with different roles behind the camera, America 1979; Lila's film that normalizes the immigrant experience, and girls can get anything they ask for!

Lila Yomtoob is a New York based director and producer. Shortly after receiving her degree from NYU film school, she went on to direct and produce her first feature film, High Life. The “perfectly honed” and “razor sharp” (Variety) micro-budget improv film premiered at San Francisco Indiefest in 2005 and screened at several festivals and non-traditional venues.

In addition to directing, Lila is the executive producer of Largesse Media, a boutique firm specializing in marketing and outreach for independent film. Previously, Lila worked in post production audio on over 40 films by directors such as Spike Lee, The Coen Brothers, Mary Heron, and John Cameron Mitchell. In 2006, Lila received an Emmy Award for sound editing on the HBO documentary Baghdad ER.

Website: www.yomtoob.com

Films: America 1979

Facebook: america1979

Twitter:Lilabird

Instagram: Yomtoob

Sarah Wharton Episode 14 Listen HERE!

Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Dirt: Empowering Actors to create episode 14. Joining us today is actor/producer Sarah Wharton. She is on the look out for stories for her upcoming narrative/documentary about marriage called The Ring Thing, we also get into improvised film, and seeing your authenitc self and welcoming it with open arms!

Sarah is an award-winning actress and producer based in New York City. She produced and starred in the feature film, That's Not Us, an improvised romantic comedy about making love last. After a successful festival run, That's Not Us was picked up by Strand Releasing and is now available on iTunes, Amazon and Netflix. She is a company actor and producer with The Private Theatre and has acted in and produced film and theatre projects in New York, London, Oslo, New Orleans and Zimbabwe. She is currently in pre-production for her next film, The Ring Thing, a narrative and documentary hybrid exploring same sex marriage in 2016.

Website: www.sarahawharton.com

Films: www.theringthingmovie.com

www.thatsnotus.com

www.percivalsbignight.com

Facebook: Sarah Wharton

Twitter: sarahawharton

Instagram:Sarahamory

Elise & Lesley sit down with actor/writer/producer Naomi McDougall Jones. Conversation includes vagina power, Bite Me(her upcoming film and taking a leap a faith in todays world without faith.

Naomi McDougall Jones is an award-winning writer, actress, and producer based in New York City. She wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning feature film, IMAGINE I'M BEAUTIFUL, for which Naomi received three Best Actress Awards and “The Don Award” for Best Independently Produced Screenplay of 2014. The film received a 12-city theatrical release and is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay (www.imagineimbeautiful.com). Her articles on the independent film scene and women’s role in it have appeared in INDIEWIRE, MOVIE SCOPE MAG and CINEMA/VERITE and she is a blogger for THE HUFFINGTON POST. She is currently in development on her second feature film, BITE ME, with producer Jack Lechner (THE FOG OF WAR, BLUE VALENTINE, former executive at Mirimax and HBO) and Jonathan Bronfman (THE WITCH). A TV series she created, The Dark Pieces, was named on The 2016 WriteHer List as one of the top 16 unproduced pilots by a female screenwriter. Naomi was additionally one of the writers for Amazon’s new TV series THE NEW YORKER PRESENTS, which premiered at Sundance 2016. More at www.naomimcdougalljones.com.

Elise & Lesley sit down with Bat-Sheva Guez filmmaker, director and writer. They discuss the addiction of making art, her short film "Behind the Wall" featured in the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival & the Lighthouse International Film Festival and being children trying to make art.

Bat-Sheva Guez is passionate about weaving dance, magic, and experimental techniques into visually compelling, character-driven stories. She has directed over a dozen short films and screened them in festivals worldwide including the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the New York Television Festival, and more.

She is the recipient of the JT3 Artist Award for Screenwriting & Directing. Her latest film, Behind the Wall, won the Panavision Grant for Best Cinematography at the Rhode Island Int’l Film Festival. She is a member of Film Fatales and the FilmmakeHERS.

With her production company, Adventure Pants, Guez has directed web films for several years, including videos for Lincoln Center about artists and performers including New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and American Ballet Theatre to name a few. She's directed a web series featuring New York's Underground Performing Arts scene as well as promo videos for think tanks, non-profits, dance companies, and brands.

Bat-Sheva is currently in the financing phase of a magical realism feature film entitled, And How She…

More info at:

Behind the Wall on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behindthewallmovie/

Me on twitter: @batshevaguez and you can see my movie posts using #BehindtheWallFilm

Behind the Wall Website: www.adventurepants.tv/behind-the-wall

My production company: www.adventurepants.tv

My feature film in financing phases (aka we need money to start prepro) www.andhowthemovie.com

FREE REEL: Calling all actors "Dance for REEL"

Post a 10 second long video of you dancing to NSLD theme song on Facebook or Twitter. Whoever gets the most likes for the week wins a free edit of a 2 minute REEL. Make sure to tag Nothing Shines Like Dirt so we can watch all of your hard work. Boogie Down Now. Contest ends June 10th, 2016 at midnight.