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ACTRESS | DIRECTOR | WRITER
Julie Simone, a Writer, Director, and Actress is a multi-award-winning filmmaker who directed and co-wrote the 2019 documentary FIDDLIN’. (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, DOC+, Curiosity Stream, Kanopy) The winner of 20+ Awards on the national and international film festival circuits, FIDDLIN’ also qualified for the 2019 Academy Consideration List for Best Documentary Feature.
Julie grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where she filmed the celebrated documentary. Childhood summers were spent fishing, swimming, and riding bikes on country roads. She drove tractors on the farm and helped her dad in the family store. Julie was involved in numerous theater productions in high school, and though growing up on a farm had its perks, Julie aspired to see the world outside of her small-town upbringing.
After attending the University of South Carolina, Julie moved to NYC with aspirations of getting involved in the film and TV industry. She studied at HB Studios and like many actors before her worked nights at the restaurant on top of the World Trade Center.
Though Julie was being cast in commercials and videos, her first agent suggested she study diction to lose her Southern accent. Toning down her accent became key for more speaking parts, but Julie still enjoys doing roles with her natural accent when the occasion presents itself.
Eventually moving to Los Angeles, Julie continued acting while doing improvisation and sketch writing with the Groundlings. She also studied with Candy Herman and Harry Mastrogeorge. After joining an LA Filmmaking Group, Julie began taking on a multitude of roles behind the camera as well as in front of it. In this collaborative group, Julie was writing, filming, directing, and acting in short films.
From this creative inspiration, Julie found herself behind the camera directing the comedy “Cannes Without A Plan”, a comedy/documentary about three divorcees (including herself) spontaneously taking off to the Cannes Film Festival. Deciding to shoot the film was as impromptu as the trip itself. With no crew, Julie used only her handheld camera to film the rollicking romp. Though this was Julie’s first feature doc, it is only now in 2023, that she and the other two women in the film are revisiting the uncompleted film to finish it. Somehow, “Cannes Without A Plan” seems more relevant now than ever!
After a hiatus of raising her two children, Julie returned in 2019 to direct and co-write the music documentary FIDDLIN’. Julie has resumed acting while also developing and writing projects with her partner at Calamity J Productions. They recently finished a comedic TV pilot about “a matriarchy run amok.”. Julie lives in Los Angeles but will always be a Southern gal at heart.