About

MONAVISION FILMS exists to entertain, uplift, and move the human heart through storytelling.

Founded by Steve and Laura Monarque, the company's inaugural project SIMPLER TIMES, written and directed by Steve, starred comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara in their last onscreen appearance together. The made-for-TV film screened at over 20 festivals across the United States (including the Oscar-qualifying

LAShortsFest, HollyShorts at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, and the Long Island International Film Expo), and won several awards including Best Director (Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City and Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, Audience Choice Award (Lighthouse International Film Festival), Golden Apple Award presented to Jerry Stiller (Big Apple Film Festival), Spirit of the Independent Award (Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival), and Best Short Comedy (International Family Film Festival, Hollywood). SIMPLER TIMES is distributed by and programmed on ShortsTV International and is available on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video and AppleTV.

Previously, Steve's short film “Free Country” screened at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival, Faith Film Festival, and New York City Int’l Film Festival (Winner, Best Short Film). The stage version of "Free Country" won best play in the 2009 Strawberry One Act Festival at the Riant Theatre, NYC, and was subsequently published in the anthology The Best Plays from the Strawberry One-Act Festival: Volume Six.

Current projects in development include THE WESTERN FLYER, a feature-length family film set in 1963, where a group of bullied middle schoolers encounter a mysterious bicycling superhero that restores hope in their small town. MonaVision Films is working with local New Jersey schools and advocacy organizations to launch a campaign to raise awareness about bullying, while giving students an opportunity to be part of a creative and fun process of filmmaking.

GET A LIFE (fka "That's Life"), a full-length stage play with a 14-song score, was recently performed in a concert workshop presentation produced by Working Theater in NYC, and was previously workshopped at the Alchemical Theatre Lab in NYC and the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.

Laura and Steve Monarque met onstage, performing in the rock show "Destinations" at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, where they found a shared passion for music and storytelling. Between them they have many years’ experience in music, theater, television, and film. Laura has performed across the country in professional regional theaters, including the original tour of Broadway musical A Night with Janis Joplin at Arena Stage and Cleveland Play House, and alongside indie folk band Blitzen Trapper in their original musical at Portland Center Stage. As an actor, Steve has appeared in many well-known films including Sixteen Candles and No Small Affair, and numerous TV shows including as series regular Johnny Ventura in the syndicated cult favorite "Friday the Thirteenth: the Series". As The Monarques, Steve and Laura also enjoy traveling nationally to churches and coffeehouses with their original spiritual folk music.

Photo by Rob Miller: Laura Carbonell Monarque, Jerry Stiller, Steve Monarque, and Armando Merlo on the set of "Simpler Times"

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