sonal shah

i hate talking about myself… here is what i’ve been up to

Administrator — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:17:35 +0000

HI. I realize I’ve been a bad blogger. So much has happened over the past few months…and I haven’t told you any of it. At the end of the day, I think I just hate talking about myself. I feel so weird coming online and saying,”hi, this is what I’m doing…blah, blah, blah…” IT FEELS WEIRD I TELL YOU! BUT, unfortunately the career I’m in relies on marketing, advertising…self-promotion. And I’m just not good at all that…but I know I need to try. With so many people suffering in the world, I feel sheepish writing about the stuff I’m doing. UGH. For those of y0u that know me, the number one goal in my life is to make people happy. I try to accomplish this in many forms- inspiration, entertainment, telling jokes, helping, loving, etcetera. I barely have an ego, and I think that is my biggest fault in terms of being in an industry that calls up one’s ego so often. People, I love people. I desire to connect and create with people from all walks of life. So…here I go…some acting-related highlights from the past few months!!

-I’m an extreme workaholic and I work so freaking hard. I’d say I’ve done about 40 hours of unpaid acting work weekly. Yep, that’s me.

-I shot a short film “Or Die” with my best friend, Parvesh Cheena.

-I shot a short film “The First Date” as part of The Gay and Lesbian Center’s Mentoring Project. It screened at The Fusion Film Festival at The Renberg Theatre at The Village in Hollywood, CA. It was a very powerful day of beautiful souls getting together to celebrate unique creations!

-I was invited to attend The Windy City Players party-an amazing party dedicated to Chicagoans working in Hollywood.

-I shot a short film called “The Incident on Marmont Avenue.” This was insane. We shot for three nights literally all night. I would arrive on set at 5pm and get home at 10am the next day, sleep for 3 hours and head back…but, of course, I loved every second. Every opportunity to act is such a gift. Anywho, the short is about child abduction. creepy.

-I did a reading of children’s play at the Archlight Theatre as part of Family Day for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. This was special…the kids were sooooooo cute!

-I shot a short film called “Anarkali Blossoms.” This experience was truly magical. We shot at a meditation retreat in Bolinas, CA. About 30 of us strangers arrived and deeply connected for the goal of creating a powerful story about a woman’s custody battle with the California Courts. We did not have access to our phones, emails, or texts so you can imagine how much trust was instilled in one another in terms of completing shots on these large grounds…”We are going to go get a shot by the sunset on the beach and will reconnect by the forest in exacty 23 minutes….” We all sat around a large table and ate warm, homemade meals together as a family. It was amazing. I could go on and on, but I doubt you are still reading. If you are, I’m sending you a virtual cookie.

-I was invited as a guest for the Showbiz India Birthday Party and Fashion Show. We did a fun interview on stage in regards to my dating life. hahaha

-I’ve been writing and working on a few different web series ideas as well as other projects.

-Okay, there is more, but that is all for now. I’ll be back soon. Wishing you love and light.

Greetings from Sundance!

Administrator — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:40:42 +0000

“Snooze, Charlie” screened at a wonderful Chicago event at Sundance this year in Park City, Utah. Sundance is a lot of fun, but super crazy. We went to the premiere of two excellent films: “Mosquita Y Mari” and “VHS.” ”Mosquita Y Mari” was superbly acted, inspiring, and touching. ”VHS” scared the sh*t out of me. So…(I guess) that is a good thing. I will never open my closet again.

Here are some pics from the weekend:

“Sati Shaves Her Head” is an official selection for the India International Film Festival- Tampa Bay!

Administrator — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:36:42 +0000

“Snooze, Charlie” Premiere

Administrator — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:01:18 +0000

(click on title ‘”Snooze, Charlie” Premiere” to view blog entry)

So the “Snooze, Charlie” premiere went off without a hitch. It was at the historic Vine Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. I love places that make me feel like I’m in another era. This theatre is that kind of place. The premiere party was held at Saint Felix (another place from another era). Yes, the theme of this paragraph…I wish I lived during the 1920’s. Here are some pics from the event:

Snooze, Charlie (Trailer)

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:36:17 +0000

Hey…here is a trailer for a short I was in “Snooze, Charlie.” I play Charlie.

Nasaba Gala (Video: Sonal B. Shah- Attorney at Law)

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:34:13 +0000

So I was invited to emcee the 2011 North American South Asian Bar Association Gala. It was fun! My best friend and I created a video to show at the Gala. Yes, my best friend is Parvesh Cheena (Gupta from “Outsourced”)!! It was edited by the very talented Gregory Bonsignore. Enjoy!

I do stand up (Video)

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:29:48 +0000

kind of.

Here you go:

Stand Up Sample from Sonal Shah on Vimeo.

Sati Shaves Her Head!

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:27:31 +0000

I play Sati in Sati Shaves Her Head! Check out the film information at http://satishavesherhead.com/movie/About.html
The premiere was held at Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. Here are a few photos:

Loyola Alum in Action (Video)

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:59:38 +0000

Loyola University of Chicago interviewed lil ol’ me! Click on “Loyola Alum in Action” to view!

Sorry, it’s been…ahem…awhile!

Administrator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:46:53 +0000

I’m back! And I’ll update this site with a few things I’ve been up to! xoxo