Julie Simone

Julie Simone, an Actress, Director, and Writer, is a multi-award-winning filmmaker who directed and co-wrote the 2019 documentary "Fiddlin'." (Amazon Prime, ITunes) The winner of 17 Awards on the national and international film festival circuits, Fiddlin' also made the 2019 Academy Qualifying Consideration List for Best Documentary Feature. Julie grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where she and her sister Vicki filmed the celebrated documentary. After local Moose Lodge members learned the sisters were mountain natives, they gave them permission to film at the World's Oldest Fiddlers' Convention for the first time in its 80-year history. Julie spent her childhood summers fishing, swimming and riding bikes on country roads. She drove tractors on the farm and helped her dad in the family store. Though growing up on the farm had its perks, Julie had aspirations of seeing the world and getting involved in the Film/TV business from a young age. Going to movies and getting regular doses of "Green Acres", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "The Beverly Hillbillies", spurred Julie on to aspirations beyond her hometown. While attending the University of South Carolina, Julie was invited to NYC by a classmate and never looked back. Julie began studying at HB Studios, modeled, and like many aspiring actors before her worked nights at the restaurant on top of the World Trade Center. Julie's first theatrical agent insisted she study diction to lose her thick southern accent. All the while Julie appeared in music videos and commercials but toning down her accent became key for her new-found speaking roles in film and television. Eventually moving to Los Angeles, Julie continued acting while taking classes with The Groundlings, 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 intense sort of film school environment everyone was taking on all positions including crewing, writing, directing, and filming in an experimental way. From this creative inspiration, Julie found herself behind the camera directing the comedy "Cannes Without A Plan", a reality pilot about three divorcees (including herself) spontaneously taking off to the Cannes Film Festival. Deciding to shoot the feature pilot was as impromptu as the trip itself. With no crew, Julie used only her handheld camera to film the rollicking romp. After a hiatus of rearing two kids, Julie returned to direct the bluegrass documentary "Fiddlin'" in 2018. This was a passion project that exposed the music, mountains and culture of her origins. With the kids now in college, Julie has resumed acting while she also continues to develop and write projects with Calamity J Productions and Gasp Studios. Julie is excited to be creating again, lives in Los Angeles, and will always be a southern gal at heart.