Portage Film Fest welcomes lead actress of The Cemetery, Natalie Jean, to the event Saturday! She’ll be on hand for meet and greets all day. Come say hi!

Since the start of her career Natalie has modeled, working with designers Tunji Dada and Marie Yagami, Journey’s, Riley Clothing Company, ACI Nae, Duke & Winston, Arojo Studios (Nick Arojo, What Not To Wear), stylist Nicole Obert (Finalist, Shear Genius Season 2), Wella, Framisi, featured in editorials in Launchpad Magazine, INKED, The Colorist, a national ad campaign for Broadway Dance Center, and runway for a variety of companies and designers in Baltimore, Philadelphia, NYC, New York Fashion Week, Los Angeles, and Portugal. Her acting career has thus far spanned film, TV, and video, being featured on Law & Order: CI, Wall Street 2, How To Make it in America, Ugly Betty, DJ Hero and Activia commercials, lead in the 69 Eyes video ‘Dead Girls Are Easy’, directed by BAM Margera, and several upcoming indie films. She is a union stunt person, professional dancer, contortionist, performance artist, and athlete, and has recently worked on The Switch, The Other Guys, Black Swan, Men in Black 3, The Romantics as Katie Holmes’ stunt double, and most recently on Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming film Noah. Her dance credits include work with Antigravity, a dancer and actress with the promotional tour for Cirque Du Soleil’s Wintuk, a performance artist and dancer for experimental magician/set designer for Marilyn Manson, Rudy Coby, a stage performer for Nocturnal Wonderland- an electronic festival in southern California drawing 60,000 attendees annually, and a dancer in Tina Parole’s ‘Who’s Got the Money?’ (choreographer Tyce Diorio), Saigon’s ‘Come on Baby’, punk band The A.K.A.’s ‘Get it Together’, New Found Glory’s ‘Don’t Let Her Pull You Down’, and Three 6 Mafia’s ‘Shake My’.

This festival season she on the promotional tour for the double feature comprised of The Cemetery and the other film Cross Bearer, in which she is the lead and a co-producer. The films’ first trailers were released by Fangoria in the summer of 2012. She has recently wrapped as the lead on the film Punk Rock Holocaust, a horror movie that takes place on the Van’s Warped Tour. A music video in which she is the lead and associate producer, ‘Red Dye #9′ (for the band Blood Rhythm) premiered at The International House in Philadelphia in late July and will be screening again at The Trocadero in Philadelphia in March. She recently wrapped as the stunt coordinator for the short film Through the Glass, directed by Jason Wasley (Ghost Adventures, Travel Channel). She is also credited as the stunt coordinator for the short film Nothing Happened, based out of LA.

Currently, she is in the process of premiering her new company Sleaze Palace, which is a multi-media, vaudeville-esque entertainment, production, and touring company, which she has been developing for several years. You can see her right now in a spread in the current issue of ALT Exclusive Magazine (available at Barnes & Nobles) and as Miss August in the Creep Records 2013 Calendar (she’ll have some for sale!). You can also catch her periodically guest hosting on Sirius Faction’s RadioBAM. 

Follow her scandelous gypsy adventures on all her new pages!
Facebook.com/thenattiejean
Twitter.com/nattiejean
Instagram.com/thenattiejean
Pheed.com/nattiejean

As a born & raised Chicagoan, Manya enjoys the dynamic film and theatre scene of this great city. She is thrilled to be a part of the Portage International Film Festival and is grateful to everyone who supports film and theatre! Manya became an ensemble member of Realize Theatre Group after studying acting and improv at The Second City, Piven Theatre Workshop, and Green Shirt Studio. Manya recently studied movement art, stunt/ stage combat and film fighting technique and looks forward to putting her moves to use on camera. She can be seen next at iO on January 12th in theSaturday/Saturday show at 10:30 p.m., performing a stage combat dance piece. Also coming up you can find Manya on stage in the original production, Repeating Ourselves, which will debut at Prop Thtr during the fringe festival Rhino Fest, Jan. 12 – Feb. 17. She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. 

Manya can also be seen in the film “What Do I Say?” Screening during The Portage International Film Festival!