Episode #51 with Kendra Monet, a filmmaker from Harlem.

Kendra Monet is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied Film & TV. She creates personal narratives about individuals that dare to use their voices and imaginations to discover themselves. Her student short films have been selected at numerous film festivals including an honorable mention award at the Denton Black Film Festival her coming of age short film "The Walk Home." She was a finalist at the Changing Minds Young Filmmaker Festival, and she was interviewed by Bronx News 12 about her documentary film "Pulling the Evidence That Remains", a personal narrative on mental health. Kendra is currently working in publicity at Searchlight Pictures, where she has contributed to Academy Award winning campaigns such as Questlove’s "Summer of Soul" and most recently the Academy nominated and acclaimed film: Jesse Eisenberg's "A Real Pain." At the same time, she is in post-production for her short film ATTACHED, a psychological thriller about a struggling actress whose past continues to haunt her that forces her to confront her sense of control.

https://www.thekendramonet.com/

https://vimeo.com/kendramonet

https://tisch.nyu.edu/film-tv/news/2019/ugftv-student-kendra-brown-interviewd-on-bronx-new-12.html

Chapters:

- 00:00

Intro

- 00:56

Kendra's Introduction

- 01:15

What does it mean to be an independent filmmaker?

02:22

- How did your experiences at NYU prepare you to become a filmmaker/visual storyteller?

04:27

- What was your experience like working in Searchlight Pictures, publicity, and now working in the industry?

07:18

- How has your view on being a filmmaker changed over the past three years?

11:34

- What is your inspiration in making the short film "Attached"?

15:16

- Technical approach to the film

19:55

- What is ShotDeck?

22:41

- Kendra's past with dancing

24:48

- What was it like finding the right production designer?

31:18

- What made you choose to do a backstory and how did it help production?

34:30

- How often do you rehearse prior to production?

37:04

- What was the intention behind utilizing 180 degree shutter angles?

49:26

- Ad break

50:16

- First project co-writing/producing/directing

59:36

- Did people talk about the story potentially taking place in D.C.?

01:03:49

- What was it like confronting someone who you thought wasn't doing their job well?

01:20:08

- How did you come up with the name "Attached" and how did the final script work for you?

Welcome to episode 50! We made it!

In this episode, Emelyn Stuart shares what its like to run an indie cinema in Brooklyn, NY!

Emelyn Stuart bio:Emelyn embodies all things are possible when you marry purpose, passion, serious work ethic and commitment. Producing wasn’t an obvious path for this businesswoman that doesn’t deem herself an innate “creative” but it has proven to be a great fit for an extraordinary woman that has allowed making a difference propel her to uncharted territory. With a degree in business and less than a decade in the industry, Emelyn Stuart has exemplified leadership and provided inspiration to filmmakers globally.A vast range of projects that includes a successful off-Broadway play makes Stuart different from her collaborators, but also garners her recognition internationally. Her wildly successful web series, “12 Steps to Recovery,” earned Emelyn the Best Producer award at the 2011 LAWebfest. Stuart is partly responsible for multiple award-winning feature films including The Turnaround and Title VII. Her feature film Life Is Too Short premiered to sold out audiences in New York during its debut screening and in 2017 it was awarded Best Feature Film domestically and internationally at various film festivals. In 2018, the opening of an independent movie theater in New York called Stuart Cinema & Cafe in Greenpoint Brooklyn was realized. It offers distribution deals to independent filmmakers and serves as a resource hub for artists. Stuart Cinema is now expanding to a second screening room + a second location in Brooklyn. In the meantime, Stuart can still be found speaking at conferences and film festivals around the country. In addition to speaking engagements and producing, Stuart continues to receive accolades and awards for her work in the entertainment business. Acknowledged by visionaries in the industry for her accomplishments, she has proven to not only be a name that rings bells but a revolutionary presence that makes a difference.

In this episode, Gregory Hernandez interviews Eileen Level, the founder of PaleFO Cinema.

Eileen Level, a champion of the cinema-going experience, has been working in the film festival industry since 2014 and since then has launched PaleFO Cinema, amplifying voices through the cinematic arena which seeks to look forward to the evolution of the cinescape experience in NYCHA. Beyond this she is the Head of Education at New York International Children's Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying film festival bringing films that represent and celebrate unique, diverse, and historically excluded voices to thousands of students throughout NYC and Newark, NJ! In 2023 Level spoke at SXSW on the 90 minute Film School panel about her journey as a budding exhibitor and mission to quench cinema deserts. Later that year she Founded AniTOMO Manga and Anime Convention, a free event in Brooklyn designed to celebrate diverse perspectives from historically underrepresented communities.

PaleFO Cinema Mission Statement

A New York City–based volunteer organization founded to address both the diminishment of
cinemas and the lack of youth engagement in underserved communities.
PaleFO Cinema Expanded Details

Under the umbrella of PaleFO Cinema, Canarsie Outdoor Cinema Mural is an urgent response
to an outdated framework intended to engage our youth and disrupt gang activity and violence
which has corroded the health, wellbeing and progression of the community. Using the ineffable
magic of film, media literacy and social engagement we would like to occupy crime concentrated
areas by positively activating and transforming hotspots of crime activity into hotspots of youth
creativity by partnering with the Department of Public Safety, Local Merchants and Community
Based Organizations. This will bring together Canarsie’s community for a multi-sensory outdoor
cinema experience by transforming our neighborhood's outdoor spaces into ongoing safe and
creative third spaces.
PaleFO Cinema's Current Project

The Canarsie Beautification Initiative is a collaborative project involving PaleFO Cinema,
Canarsie Merchants Association (CMA) The Flossy Organization, and Bink International Charity
Inc from Brownsville. This partnership aims to transform Canarsie’s commercial corridors,
empower local youth through a multifaceted approach and provide a free third space to enhance
the psychological health and wellness of individuals living in POC communities through film and
arts exposure in an urban green environment.
Central to our project is the creation of an outdoor cinema created by PaleFO Cinema and of a
mobile community hub by converting a ground level storage container into a versatile space for
youth programming. This hub will offer diverse activities in arts, advocacy, education, and
environmental stewardship, serving as a focal point for community engagement and
beautification efforts.

PaleFO Cinema Project Funders

CitizensNYC is known around New York as the city's largest and most well-connected
micro-granting organization. We’ve spent decades working with leaders around New York to
build up their communities. Last summer, CitizensNYC launched an exciting new program, the
Collaborative Impact Grant, open exclusively to our 2023 grantee partners. This pilot program
provides one $10,000 grant per borough to groups of three grantees, enabling them to develop
and implement group projects that foster community building, enhance local leadership, and
strengthen partnerships. These projects were developed by our grantees, in partnership with
one another, and with our support. PaleFO Cinema Mural Project is a recipient having earned
$5,000 to complete the first phase of the mural.

Solomon West is a dynamic professional with a Mechanical Engineering background and a multifaceted career spanning cloud infrastructure, software integration, and community health. Certified as an AWS Cloud Practitioner, Solomon is fluent in technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, React, and Jenkins, with hands-on experience in database systems and API development. His business acumen shines through in his understanding of media-tech ecosystems: he’s contributed to platforms where film studios leverage granular viewer data — including trailer views and shares — to optimize distribution strategies and secure funding. Solomon’s cross-industry experience includes engineering project management, application support, and health equity outreach, making him a rare blend of technical depth, strategic thinking, and human-centered impact.

Solomon West is a dynamic professional with a Mechanical Engineering background and a multifaceted career spanning cloud infrastructure, software integration, and community health. Certified as an AWS Cloud Practitioner, Solomon is fluent in technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, React, and Jenkins, with hands-on experience in database systems and API development. His business acumen shines through in his understanding of media-tech ecosystems: he’s contributed to platforms where film studios leverage granular viewer data — including trailer views and shares — to optimize distribution strategies and secure funding. Solomon’s cross-industry experience includes engineering project management, application support, and health equity outreach, making him a rare blend of technical depth, strategic thinking, and human-centered impact.

In this bonus clips, Gordon& Bernadette discuss films they recently watched.

In this episode, contributors, Gordon Taft & Bernadette Mahoney discuss the movies they've watched recently and current events like the inevitability of the monopolization in the Streaming Wars: Netflix, Warner Bros, HBO and Paramount back-and-forth, Saudi Arabian money going into entertainment.

Enjoy this rapid fire segment with Eileen Level, founder of PaleFO Cinema!

I’m a high-energy cinema professional who’s been working in the film festival industry since 2014. I have experience as a media events manager and short film programmer. I am passionate about teaching the next generation of storytellers about visual and media arts and I'm committed to working with under-resourced youth.
The first experience that introduced me to the magic of film was John Landis and Michael Jackson's THRILLER short film. At the tender age of 5 when Play-Doh and naps at noon were my be-all-end-all, my life took an unexpected turn at the click of the on-button. I stood there in awe as my eyes widened, in fright as my body froze, and enamored as my heart melted. All at once, THRILLER had disrupted the music industry and my understanding of reality. Without my permission, I was teleported into a fantastical nightmare that awakened my thirst for powerful stories beyond any stand-alone book or song, it had to be an amalgamation of it all!
That's the power of film...nothing is left off the table!
Aside from the creative impact film has on one individual, the shared experience of films is unmatched. There's an unexplainable pulse that ripples throughout the cinema making human connections far more important than one could imagine. These connections collectively inspire individuals, expand our basic knowledge of the world around us, and invigorates conversation thus leading us to action and change for the greater good.
As an alumna of The New School Media Management graduate program and Social Impact Entrepreneur Fellow, I plan to couple both my education and commitment to film to create a space that encourages community participation.
My goal is to build a movie theater for an under-financed community, by gathering a tribe of eager creatives from diverse backgrounds with varying skills and experiences. Through this initiative I plan to bring people together for a shared experience, that will maximize self-expression and leverage community involvement, arts education, and other resources.
I'm the creative curator and force behind cinema blog palefocinema.com (pah-leh-fo), spotlighting the importance and uniqueness of movie theaters and film.
The meaning of PaleFO Cinema is derived from my Haitian and French roots and love for the cinema.
Pale means to "speak" and Fo means "up". These words are my essence and speaking up for the importance of storytelling through film and advocating for the existence of movie theaters is the path I was born for!